Progamme Development Advisor

BACKGROUND

Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. The International Rescue Committee UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its headquarters in New York and London. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.

The Purpose of the Role

The Program/Business Development Advisor will work on a team to contribute to IRC’s overall new business development efforts by engaging with global, regional, country, and technical staff throughout the business development cycle from opportunity tracking and capture planning to proposal development, and submission. The PDA will serve as proposal, as well as support positioning and capture efforts. The ideal candidate will have a successful track record of leading complex new business efforts in international development with a range of donors.

Key Working Relationships

Country Teams, Technical Units, Peer agencies, Local Partners

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Bid leadership and coordination (70%)

• Lead and support proposal development opportunities from cradle to grave, including capture strategy, management of proposal teams, calendars, and deadlines; strategy development with technical staff; partner identification and negotiations; recruiting; writing; production; and after-action reviews.
• Collaborate with IRC’s pricing team, ensuring technical coherence with the cost proposal.
• Review and/or draft expressions of interest, concept notes, and proposals to ensure quality and compliance with donor standards.
• Summarizes funding opportunities, highlighting the merits and challenges.
• Occasionally serve in support role for other IRC donors including ECHO, SIDA, World Bank and others. Support may include short term capture, submission, or quality review.

Business Development process improvement and knowledge management (10%)

• Conducts After Action Reviews and captures learning to disseminate to wider organization

Partnerships and Strategy (20%)

• Conducts landscape analyses to identify most strategic partnerships in targeted donor markets with a particular focus on fostering local partnerships.
• Helps to prepare internal teams for partnership calls and discussions and offers recommendations for productive partnerships.
• Helps frame Go/No Go discussions for key stakeholders, ensuring decisions are made based on evidence and return on investment.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, including international relations, political science, public administration, and communications.
• At least three years of focused experience working with UK and US Government donors (USAID/FCDO).
• Familiarity with other donors including World Bank, ECHO, BHA, SIDA, and others desirable.
• Training or familiarity with Shipley Proposal Development process desirable;
• Fluency in English with proficiency in one other language (French, Spanish, German, Arabic) desirable.

Experience:

• Successful track record leading large proposal teams on complex subject, multi-year, multi-partner proposals with minimal supervision.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively manage a variety of relationships in a multicultural environment;
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate equally effectively with colleagues in ‘remote’ and diverse teams, including as team leader for proposals;
• The ability to work productively and accurately while under pressure in a fast-paced, demanding environment;

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement:

In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity:

IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.