Career Opportunities at Pathfinder International

Summary of Role:  

The Senior Technical Writer leads the process of writing technical materials that analyze, articulate, and support business development, as well as organizational learning and dissemination of Pathfinder's implementation experience, technical strategies, and impact. They will contribute as a leader in the organization by identifying and responding to strategic opportunities to enhance technical visibility and provide writing support to proposals to a wide variety of donors. This position will primarily focus on support to Anglophone countries. However, given the global nature of the role, this role will support across Pathfinder’s portfolio of countries, as needed.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical publication development: 

• In partnership with relevant content owners, develops, writes, edits, coordinates, and disseminates technical publications, including technical briefs, learning briefs, case studies, and peer-reviewed journal articles. These documents aim to share programmatic experiences and evidence, formulate implementation lessons and recommendations, support business development, and position Pathfinder as a thought leader in SRHR.
• Works closely with the team to support the dissemination of technical publications.

Proposal writing:

• Collaborates with the Business Development and Country teams to develop and write sound technical responses to donor requests for proposals/applications.
• Develops, writes, and edits Pathfinder proposals, demonstrating Pathfinder voice and style and technical familiarity with Pathfinder strategies and approaches.

• Contributes to other proposal-related needs, including editing and writing capability statements and biographical statements for personnel.

Technical Visibility:

• Work with project teams and country leadership to review project achievements and learnings and identify opportunities for technical visibility.
• Develop positioning strategies, plans, and materials for Pathfinder engagement in major conferences.
• Collaborate with the business development team and country team to identify priority countries for technical briefs that support Pathfinder's business pursuit initiatives.
• Provide support to country teams in identifying opportunities to disseminate project learning materials, including legacy documents, high-priority final reports, technical briefs, abstracts, posters, and presentations that comprehensively describe Pathfinder’s work, achievements, and lessons learned.

Project management:

• Strategically manages technical writing requests and assignments from across the organization, working with project team members, subject matter experts, designers, translators, the communications team, and others, to conceptualize, develop, publish, and disseminate technical publications efficiently and effectively.

Capacity strengthening:

• Strengthens internal writing capacity through both formal training and informal mentorship in technical writing.
• Develops and leads an in-house training program for staff on technical writing.
• Reviews, updates, and develops new internal technical writing guidance, tools, and templates, including the Pathfinder Style Guide.

Required Education and Work Experience:

• Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, statistics, social sciences or a related field, or a combination of education and experience that yields the required competencies.
• 10 years’ experience as a writer/editor, with record of writing successful USAID, private foundation, and other donor-funded proposals/applications.
• Technical Writing: Advanced knowledge and application of technical writing principles and practices
• Dissemination and Visibility: Advanced knowledge and skills in developing project dissemination strategies, including leveraging project dissemination opportunities for donor positioning.
• Languages: Proven writing and speaking skills in English.
• Proposal development: Advanced skills in proposal development from concept to full proposal. 

Preferred Competence and Work Experience:

• Experience in graphic design and desktop publishing
• Experience in managing staff.
• Experience in mentoring staff and capacity strengthening.
• PC Applications: Mastery of skills using publication software.

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Summary of Role:  

Supports and leads cost proposals for new business opportunities, analyzes and prepares financial reports, manages financial aspects of a project. Analyzes figures and implements recommendations based on finding. Guides regional project offices and project staff regarding management of financial, budgetary, and contractual issues.

Key Responsibilities:

New Business Cost Proposal: 

• Assists to develop cost proposals including budgets, narratives, and any other necessary cost forms.
• Leads local country staff on the cost proposal process.
• Ensures compliance with donor and Pathfinder requirements.

• Liaises with partner organizations.

Financial Management:

• Works with teams to track financial performance against approved budgets, key performance indicators and milestones.
• Reviews status of projects and budgets and prepares required reports.
• Guides project managers in preparing and monitoring expenses and projections.

Award Administration:

• Tracks key indicators and project spending for Pathfinder awards.
• Prepares donor required invoices and financial reports in accordance with award terms and condition.
• Maintains award data in Pathfinder’s award management system.
• Works with country office teams to develop budget revisions for existing awards.
• Provides budgetary review for sub-awards and project related procurement.  
• Assists in the response of program specific financial audits.

Budgeting:

• Works with and supports country teams on any necessary budget revisions.
• Assists in the preparation of country office annual budgets.

Project forecast tracking:

• Maintains and updates project forecasts in databases and tracks budget vs actuals monthly and quarterly.

Capacity Building:

• Works with GB&R Manager to provide training to country office staff to improve financial management capacity of staff.

Compliance:

• Ensures financial management of Pathfinder award complies with Pathfinder policies and procedures and applicable donor rules and regulations.

Process Tools and Improvement:

• Supports the design, implementation, management and monitoring of award systems and processes.

Issue Escalation and Resolution:

• Communicates and/or escalates issues, including budget overruns, losses, non-compliance in a timely manner to the Finance and Administration Director for resolution.

Project Management and Participation:

• Assists or participates on cross-functional project teams.

Required Education and Work Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance or Business Management, or related field, or equivalent, or a combination of education and experience that yields the required competencies.
• 4 years’ professional experience working in finance, financial monitoring, policies, and administration.
• Work experience with a multinational organization
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Cost Proposals: signification experience preparing, leading, and submitting cost proposals from a variety of donors.
• Finance and Accounting Principles and Practices: Advanced knowledge of and ability to use finance and accounting principles and methods, techniques, and systems of financial management and be able to guide and implement best administrative and financial.
• Budgeting: ability to prepare and guide others in preparing budgets for projects
• Risk analysis and forecasting: proven ability to identify areas of risk, build cost assumptions and forecast financial performance.
• Financial reporting: ability to develop and deliver required financial reports in a timely manner.
• USAID: Experience with USAID rules and regulations, and other governmental and non-governmental donor agencies
• Strategic Planning: Proven ability to forecast issues in advance to prevent potential impact, both internally and externally.
• Management and Leadership: Ability to lead and direct the work of others.
• Systems and Tools: Knowledge of finance and accounting software Advanced knowledge of Serenic/Microsoft Dynamics NAV experience. Advanced knowledge of third-party software for reporting and analytics (JET)

Preferred Competence and Work Experience:

• Work experience in international Finance and Accounting in an organization of at least $50M in revenue with multiple international offices
• Work experience with Serenic/Microsoft Dynamics NAV financial systems
• Work experience with US government grants and contracts