Programme Development Officer at Save the Children

SCOPE OF ROLE:

• Reports to: Head of Program Development
• Staff Reporting to this Post: None
• Key working relationships: Works daily with PDQII, MEAL, Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, Awards, HR, Security, and SC Members to deliver coordinated, compliant proposal submissions. Supports the Head of Program Development in donor‑engagement but does not independently lead donor representation unless formally delegated.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Fundraising strategy support

• Contribute to opportunity analysis, proposal pipeline maintenance, and the preparation of materials that support fundraising actions under each strategic goal.
• Maintain and update funding trackers (pipeline, opportunity, proposal, donor, and member trackers), ensuring accurate inputs and timely reporting.
• Conduct background research on donor trends, funding landscapes, and programming priorities to inform strategic decision-making.

Proposal development and coordination 

• Coordinate proposal coordination processes, including development schedules, consolidation of drafts, follow‑ups, and ensuring compliance with donor templates and SCI standards.
• Prepare proposal templates, checklists, and other required documents (e.g., AMS setup, PART/AMET risk assessments, gender markers), ensuring complete and compliant filing.
• Lead coordination for small to medium proposals; provide drafting and consolidation support to large/complex proposals.
• Draft standard and contextual narrative sections (country context, organisational capability, needs analysis, cross-cutting themes). Prepare donor annexes and ensure budget–narrative alignment in coordination with Finance.
• Support drafting and editing of technical narrative sections working closely with Technical Specialists, Programme Managers, and MEAL.
• •Support and document proposal design workshops, produce summaries and action plans, and ensure proper archiving of materials.

Donor engagement and capture planning 

• Regularly scan donor portals and external funding sources to identify new opportunities and update the opportunity pipeline.
• Support donor engagement preparation by conducting desk research, preparing briefs, and updating donor intelligence repositories.
• Maintain donor profiles, meeting notes, strategies, annual reports, and other intelligence resources in structured SharePoint folders.

Knowledge management and learning

• Maintain the team’s knowledge management systems including proposal archives, donor intelligence libraries, trackers, capacity statements, templates, lessons‑learned repositories, and version‑control.
• Synthesize learning from design workshops, donor feedback, and proposal after-action-reviews and update learning repositories.
• Ensure standardized SharePoint file naming, storage, and accessibility across PDQII and Operations teams.

Humanitarian response 

• Support humanitarian proposal coordination and drafting, including situation updates, response snapshots, and capability statements. 
• Provide short term surge support for Category 1 & 2 emergencies when required.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Takes responsibility for quality and timeliness of assigned tasks. 
• Uses resources efficiently and supports partners and colleagues to deliver.

Ambition:

• Demonstrates a proactive, solutions-focused mindset. 
• Sets ambitious personal development goals and seeks opportunities to advance skills.

Collaboration:

• Builds strong, respectful working relationships across departments. 
• Values diversity and communicates clearly and effectively.

Creativity:

• Brings forward new ideas to strengthen proposal quality and efficiency. 
• Adapts quickly and positively to changing contexts.

Integrity:

• Demonstrates the highest levels of honesty and professionalism. 
• Upholds SCI safeguarding, anti-harassment, and ethical standards always.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Education:

• Bachelor’s degree (required) in Development Studies, International Relations, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or a related field.
• Master’s degree (preferred) in any of the above or related disciplines.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Required: 
Professional Experience:

• 3–5 years of relevant experience in programme development, proposal writing, grants coordination, or donor-facing roles within the humanitarian or development sector.
• Minimum 3 years of experience coordinating proposal development processes (including drafting, compliance checks, templates, and consolidation) for donors such as FCDO, ECHO, UN agencies, or philanthropic foundations.
• At least 2 years of experience supporting the preparation of donor proposal budgets in collaboration with finance teams.
• Experience contributing to or documenting multi-stakeholder design workshops and engaging with technical, operational, and MEAL teams.

Technical Skills

• Strong writing, editing, analytical, and research skills, with the ability to develop high quality narrative sections.
• Excellent project coordination and time management skills, with demonstrated success managing multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Proven experience with SharePoint, Teams, and other knowledge management platforms, including version control best practices.
• Ability to maintain structured document repositories and ensure high data accuracy.

Competencies & Core Attributes:

• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and ability to engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to lead coordination for small to medium proposals and support complex multi-sector or multi-country opportunities.
• Demonstrated capacity to conduct background research on donor trends, funding landscapes, and strategic priorities.
• Fluency in written and spoken English (required).

Added Advantage:

• Experience supporting humanitarian proposal development.
• Familiarity with Save the Children systems, templates, and tools.