Development Specialist at World Resources Institute (WRI)

Proposal Development and Internal Coordination (60%):

• Lead and coordinate competitive bid development for major government-funded, payment-by-results contracts, including defining a win strategy, partnership roadmap, and cost strategy
• Oversee bid documentation and compliance, ensuring alignment with donor requirements, quality standards, and responsiveness through structured analysis and technical and commercial validation
• Assemble and manage a bid team, engaging internal experts, external partners, and consultants as needed. Develop and negotiate partnership agreements and strengthen consortium relationships
• Develop and finalize key proposal components, including theories of change, log frames, results frameworks, and budget proposals aligned with donor expectations and value-for-money principles
• Manage a proposal calendar to ensure internal coordination, timely input from key teams, and adherence to deadlines 
• Ensure adherence to fundraising guidelines, proposal vetting procedures, and internal bid development processes, including proposal planning, quality control, and compliance with donor and organizational standards
• Identify and mitigate risks in proposal development, including budget feasibility, partner alignment, and donor compliance risks
• Conduct post-bid reviews and integrate lessons learned to continuously improve proposal competitiveness and internal bid processes
• Work closely with the Director of Development and the Global Development team to enhance fundraising coordination, donor compliance, and bid development strategies

Donor Stewardship and Prospect Development (30%):

• Identify and research new major prospective donors and funding opportunities in the six and seven-figure range
• Draft strategic briefs and presentations to support key engagements and dialogues with prospective donors, ensuring clarity in funding priorities and alignment with organizational strategy
• Support the development and implementation of strategies aimed at securing sustainable funding that aligns with the ambition and priorities of WRI Africa
• Strengthen and manage external partnerships to enhance WRI’s positioning for securing and delivering large-scale multi-year funding
• Engage in direct fundraising activities, including proposal pitches, strategic partnership development meetings, and donor cultivation engagements with WRI Africa team members
• Support the Director of Development and WRI Africa programmes team in donor cultivation efforts by arranging meetings, leading preparations, and tracking donor engagement, with an emphasis on strengthening long-term relationships
• Manage and maintain a revenue and opportunity pipeline in Salesforce, ensuring regular reviews with WRI Africa leadership to support a revenue strategy
• Oversee donor relationship management by working with program teams to track donor interactions in Salesforce and ensure timely and strategic follow-ups  
• Provide expert fundraising and donor engagement advice, including training and strategy development, to WRI Africa managers

Operational Excellence (10%):

• Support multi-year project planning and pipeline development, ensuring alignment with fundraising priorities, competitive positioning, and strategic donor engagement
• Conduct technical analysis on competitive positioning, bid success rates, and fundraising performance for WRI Africa 
• Collaborate with the Director of Development and the Director of Finance & Operations to enhance quality assurance in fundraising and development processes
• Develop and implement tracking mechanisms to monitor progress toward revenue goals and overall fundraising effectiveness  
• Conduct capacity assessments and support training and knowledge-sharing initiatives to enhance program development and fundraising capabilities
• Lead, mentor, and develop the fundraising and development team by setting clear goals, performance metrics, and professional development opportunities
• Design and facilitate training sessions for WRI Africa staff on best practices in fundraising, donor engagement, and proposal development. 

What will you need:

• Education: You have a completed bachelor’s degree in environmental science, international development, public administration, social sciences or related subject
• Experience: You have 7+ years of relevant, full-time experience including 2 years of experience in a development position with major fundraising responsibilities  
• Experience working in the development field, preferably within an international NGO
• Demonstrated prospect research skills; understanding of what constitutes relevant and strategic information and how to analyze the data to support prospect development. 
• Proofreading experience with ability to translate technical information into lay language
• Experience developing and organizing proposals for varying audiences
• Demonstrable knowledge of MS Office 365, SharePoint and Salesforce
• Demonstrable communication skills to guide peers and directors through strategy conception to concrete proposed deliverables focused on impact at global scale
• Languages: You are proficient in spoken and written English. French skills are desirable.
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization