Job Description

TITLE: Head of New Business Development (HNBD)

TEAM/PROGRAMME: PDQ

LOCATION: Damascus – Syria

GRADE: 4 International and 2 National

CONTRACT LENGTH: 12 months

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The post holder will be responsible for leading on New Business Development Process for Syria Country office including – 1) Support PDQD in assessment of the country, regional and global landscape and develop an ongoing plan for building strategic relationships and increasing funding with donors, implementing partners, and other stakeholders, 2) lead on gathering intelligence from strategic relationships, make data-driven decisions to prepare for a competitive proposal process; 3) Establish an effective, collaborative, and efficient proposal development process that ensures a compliant and competitive proposal is submitted and learning is captured and 4) Utilize NBD best practices and feed program intelligence and lessons back into Prepare phase through ongoing communication and program learning

The post holder will lead on developing high-quality concept notes and proposals, with the NBD Managers and with support of the Programme Development and Quality (PDQ) team/Technical Advisers, Program Operations team and the Finance team, for major institutional donors, Corporate Foundations and Philanthropic donors as well as other governmental and other non-traditional. The HNDB with support from PDQD will lead on developing donor engagement plan in line with country strategic plan ambitions and facilitate structured donor engagement, intelligence gathering, donor scoping, track and identify donor opportunities, coordinate and write proposals for large, competitive funding opportunities. The position requires innovative thinking and creativity to package our programme strategies in ways that attract the right donor support and grow our portfolio strategically and sustainably.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: PDQ Director

Key working relationships: Technical Advisors, Program Operations team, Heads of Offices, Awards, Finance, Members and Global team

People Management: 2 NDB managers

Budget Responsibilities: N/A

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Strategic Focus:

•In alignment with the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) , develop and utilize a comprehensive funding strategy that links local, regional, and global knowledge, priorities, and breakthroughs to the relevant donor landscape.

•Along with SC Member offices actively track upcoming opportunities while linking them to Country strategy and SC's Breakthroughs, positioning efforts, resource allocation, and broader portfolio planning.

•Manage both strategic and programmatic relationships with donors, implementing partners, and other relevant stakeholders to advance Save the Children’s reputation, drive strategies, create new opportunities, and push for funding in Country strategic priorities

•Ensure alignment with National Recovery Priorities of Syria

Proposal Development

•Lead the development of high-value or complex proposals or bids, building on global, regional and national expertise, and ensuring the highest quality product including localization commitments with equitable budget planning.

•Take primary responsibility for the drafting of high-quality concept notes and funding proposals (including log frames and budgets) for a variety of donors, from major institutional donors, corporate organisations, trusts, and private donors, among others.

•With the support of TAs, context Analyst and Operations Team develop and draft all narrative sections of proposal documents and/or concept notes.

•Identify opportunities to incorporate children’s inputs into proposal development with support from Child Participation experts in SCI

•Track up-coming funding opportunities, donor engagement and proposal development process

•Maintain robust Pipeline tracker and providing regular analysis to the SMT on the status of the funding portfolio and key trends to monitor.

•Serve as lead writer for high-value competitive bids

•Drive interdepartmental coordination for project design with PDQ, Advocacy, Programme Operations (for field team inputs, logistics requirements, costings, etc.), Security, Logistics, Finance, and HR (for staffing requirements).

•Ensure full internal and member review and sign off as per the proposal development process.

•For all assigned opportunities and proposals ensure all documents required by the donor are well written and logically structured

•For all assigned proposals ensures language is in line with donor priorities and understanding of specific sectors

•Liaise with all Field Offices/ National Partners to ensure they are engaged in the proposal development process and consulted for feasibility of final planned Program Activities and sign off on final proposals

•With the support of TA’s, MEAL Team and Operations Team develop and finalise the necessary supporting documents from the proposal including logframe and workplan.

•Will be responsible to ensure that all documents sent to SMT for signoff are copy edited.

New Business Development/Stakeholder Engagement:

•Participate in key Member and donor meetings and pro-actively seek donor intelligence on prospective new opportunities or partnership.

•Cultivate business relationships with external stakeholders and potential partners for large scale or strategic funding opportunities, either as a prime or sub-recipient in joint ventures.

•Search for strategic (and innovative)new partnerships with actors in the Syrian context (UN Agencies, NGOs. INGOs, State Actors, Research etc), and ensure that Save the Children maximizes its opportunity to showcase and replicate the Theory of Change.

•Refresh Donor Landscape Studies on an appropriate frequency

•Ensure a system is in place to monitor progress toward targets set out in the Strategy

•Work with PDQ team to develop generic concept notes for thematic areas and cross-sectoral integration.

•Work with Members to explore the potential for private sector partnerships and other innovative ways to fundraise

General

•Demonstrate compliance and leadership with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience of supporting resource mobilisation and new business development in humanitarian and development programme settings, in particular writing of new grant submissions (proposal and/or concept notes)

Essential:

•At least 5-7 years of demonstrated experience leading on new business development and fundraising in NGOs

•Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant subject (Humanitarian, Human rights, Development) with relevant field experience

•English language proficiency

•Excellent coordination and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels

•Excellent representation, presentation, Analytical and communication skills –

•Experience in coordinating development of large-scale or strategic proposals, including the development of multi-million-dollar project budgets.

•Experience with US and UK government programming, SIDA, DANIDA, ECHO, BMZ amongst others including compliance requirements

•Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner including proficiency in MS office tools

•Previous experience of project management and project cycle management, including project design, implementation and evaluation

•Good understanding of donor compliance and reporting mechanisms and requirements

•Good understanding of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

•Ability to work well under pressure and work to deadlines

•Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability

•Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy

•The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.

•Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children.

Desirable

•Experience or understanding of the Syrian Context

•Arabic Language Skills

•Experience working for Save the Children and working across organisational structures

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.