Vacancies at Christian Aid

About the role

Reporting in to the Business Development Lead (MCC), the role of Business Development Manager for the East and Southern Africa region is a key role is being responsible for securing new funding aligned to Christian Aid's strategy and thematic priorities. 

The role will lead business development efforts across the Multi-Country Cluster (MCC) and expand the Institutional funding portfolio and collaborate closely with and strategically advise MCC Head of Impact and Partnership & Impact Funding (PIF) team and MCC teams to develop donor engagement strategies, build funding pipelines, identify new opportunities, and establish partnerships to grow program portfolios. 

The post-holder will strengthen and maintain relationships with government agencies, multilateral organisations, institutional donors, and foundations, working in coordination with MCC Programme Portfolio and Partnership teams.

Some of the main responsibilities and accountabilities of the role are:

• Meet institutional Christian Aid income targets at the MCC level, actively contributing to PIF overall divisional goals.
• Collaborate closely with Head of Impact and Partnership Business Development teams on strategic funding to secure new and grow existing funding by developing donor engagement strategies, growing funding pipelines, identifying new opportunities and establishing partnerships to grow program portfolios. 
• Build and cultivate strategic partnerships with institutional donors, including government bodies, multilateral agencies, and foundations, to expand funding opportunities across the MCC and beyond, in coordination with the Partnership and Business Development team in PIF.
• Build a wide network of contacts and funding relationships across the MCC region with donors, peers, consortia partners and implementing agencies.
• Develop high-quality funding proposals coordinating with Impact department, partners, donors and the relevant donor audience unit in Partnerships and Impact Funding, ensuring alignment with thematic priorities, signature programmes and donor requirements.
• Work closely with the MCC Contracts and Portfolio Manager to ensure seamless integration with MCC delivery teams.
• Supervise the onboarding of new programs, ensuring seamless integration with MCC delivery teams.
• Work closely with the MCC Contracts and Portfolio Manager to maintain compliance and accountability, reviewing reporting for quality assurance.

About you

Who we are looking for:

Essential

• Proven track record in securing multiple multi-million-pound grants for NGOs.
• Substantial experience in building and cultivating strategic donor partnerships including engagement at global, regional and country mission levels with senior stakeholders and demonstrable experience of engaging with private sector, foundations, government and multi-lateral donors.
• Proven track record of developing multi-million pound budgets.
• Advanced knowledge of donor funding landscape and emerging trends.
• Substantial expertise in leading multi-discipline bid teams for grant and commercial agreements.
• Substantial expertise and experience in project design, monitoring and evaluation tools and developing grant budgets.
• Substantial background in humanitarian programming and working with humanitarian donors at UN, bilateral, and NGO levels.

Desirable

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education.
• Donor certifications and compliance training are desirable qualifications for the role, ensuring a strong understanding of donor requirements and adherence to industry standards and regulations.
• Extensive knowledge of donor programming modalities, compliance frameworks, and negotiation processes and experience interpreting. 
• Negotiating grant & contract agreements and substantial understanding of financial controls.
• Demonstrable management experience, including remote management and coaching

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About the role

Reporting in to the Head of the Multi-Country Cluster (MCC), the Advocacy & Policy Lead provides strategic leadership and oversight of MCC policy and advocacy strategy, defining influencing priorities, and coordinates with other Advocacy leads to co-design thematic global advocacy strategies, ensuring alignment with organisational values and goals

The post-holder will collaborate with MCC Partnership and Strategy Lead , build a cohort of national and regional partnerships, including faith partnerships that strategically align and maximise impact. Provide technical support to partners for advocacy and connect partners to regional and global spaces to forefront their voices and drive meaningful change.

Some of the main responsibilities of the Advocacy and Policy Lead include:

• Drive and oversee the MCC advocacy strategy, collaborating with global advocacy colleagues to co-design thematic global advocacy strategies, so that they respond to partner voices and priorities and local contexts, aligning with organisational values and goals.
• Provides strategic oversight for global advocacy in global spaces, to ensure advocacy is impactful, and is in close collaboration with partners and faith groups and rooted in evidence and theological reflection and aligns with organisational values and goals.
• Horizon scan and provide policy and advocacy insight to MCC Leadership and partners, fostering a team mindset and support a culture of knowledge sharing of ideas and insights.
• Collaborate with the MCC Partnership and Strategy Lead, build a cohort of national and regional partnerships, including faith partnerships, to ensure that there is an appropriate balance of partners working on short- and medium-term outcomes and systemic change to align with organisational values and goals.
• Act as a convenor of policy and advocacy spaces by supporting and strengthening national and regional advocacy platforms where partners, policymakers, and civil society actors can collaborate on shared priorities, fostering a mindset of connection.
• Provides technical support for advocacy planning, advocacy proposal development, evidence gathering, relationship building, integrating advocacy into programme design, including in designing multi-country advocacy strategies that are meaningful, streamlined and aligned.
• Act as an ambassador by representing Christian Aid and engage in regional and global spaces jointly with partners, collaborating with the Pan African Advocacy Lead, as relevant, ensuring alignment with organisational values and goals.
• Identify evidence gaps and support partners to commission or produce policy/research/evidence work, connecting with relevant institutions to facilitate highly impactful and meaningful outcomes.
• Maintain up to date analysis of the country and regional context and bring evidence to the UK/global spaces.

About you

Who we are looking for

Essential:

• Degree level qualification in a relevant field.
• Substantial experience in supporting national and regional organisations to develop an advocacy strategy, including integrating advocacy into programme work.
• Substantial experience of supporting and accompanying partners to navigate and influence on a global scale.
• Substantial experience of devising, leading and implementing advocacy strategies, preferably in another NGO or faith group.
• Substantial experience of networking, building alliances and coordinating initiatives in networks and faith groups.
• Substantial experience of peer-to-peer learning.
• Substantial experience of policy research and managing research projects.
• Substantial experience of public speaking to a variety of audiences, including the media.
• Substantial experience of budget management.
• Detailed understanding of the current policy debates, trends and analytical frameworks around key development issues.
• Detailed understanding of power and political analysis, and rights-based approaches.
• Detailed understanding of national and regional Civil Society and faith networks - their policy positions and dynamics.
• Understanding of how theology influences policy.
• Detailed understanding of national, regional and continental institutions and processes.
• Highly developed verbal and written communications experience, especially the ability to communicate complex issues simply.
• Significant experience of political analysis and horizon scanning.
• Highly developed coaching and mentoring skills.
• Highly developed ability to work across cultural contexts with Civil Society and faith leaders in different countries.
• Highly developed ability to build lasting relationships with key networks, organisations and advocacy targets.
• Highly developed ability to negotiate with, influence and persuade others in a collaborative manner.