Vacancy title:
Senior Manager, Business Development

[Type: FULL_TIME, Industry: Nonprofit, and NGO, Category: Management]

Jobs at:
ForAfrika

Deadline of this Job:
Wednesday, April 16 2025

Duty Station:
Kampala | Kampala | Uganda

Summary
Date Posted: Wednesday, April 2 2025, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

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JOB DETAILS:

General Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Business Development plays a pivotal leadership role in expanding ForAfrika’s impact and revenue across operational countries. The position involves identifying, developing, and managing new business opportunities while collaborating with global, regional, and country teams. Key responsibilities include leading proposal development, driving business growth strategies, and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders (e.g., Country Directors, technical experts, consultants) to produce high-quality, competitive funding proposals. The role ensures alignment with donor and partner expectations while fostering sustainable organizational growth.

Success in this role requires:

• A strong network of contacts within donor agencies, development organizations, and academic institutions in the international development sector.
• The ability to balance complex, high-stakes business development efforts with strategic positioning for long-term growth.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Business Development Strategy & Planning

• Develop and execute a global business development strategy aligned with ForAfrika’s mission and goals.
• Support the development of annual business development (BD) targets and forecasting of opportunity pipelines.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to identify new markets, strategic donors, and funding mechanisms.
• Refine internal BD tools, systems, and methodologies to enhance operational efficiency and donor responsiveness.

Opportunity Identification & Capture

• Identify, track, and assess new business opportunities with institutional donors.
• Lead capture planning processes, including partner identification, donor engagement, and intelligence gathering.
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with INGOs, government agencies, foundations, academic institutions, and private sector actors.
• Coordinate pre-positioning efforts for high-value opportunities, including attending donor briefings and engagement events.

Proposal Leadership & Development

• Serve as Proposal Manager and/or Lead Technical Writer for priority funding opportunities.
• Lead or support the full lifecycle of proposal development: strategy, design sessions, writing, cost proposal development, compliance, and submission.
• Draft and/or review key proposal sections, including technical approaches, staffing plans, past performance, and capability statements.
• Collaborate with country offices, technical leads, and finance teams to ensure high-quality, compliant, and compelling submissions.
• Ensure all proposals meet internal quality standards and donor guidelines.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Mentor and provide technical guidance to BD team members across the organization.
• Build internal capacity through knowledge sharing, coaching, and leading training sessions on proposal development and donor engagement.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and learning within the BD function.

External Representation & Thought Leadership

• Represent ForAfrika in external forums, conferences, and meetings with donors and partners.
• Contribute to thought leadership initiatives to raise the organization’s profile and demonstrate impact.
• Support communication of ForAfrika’s success stories and innovations to external audiences.

Qualifications and Skills

• Education and Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of experience OR Master’s degree with 8+ years of experience in business development, strategic planning, or proposal development within the international development sector.
  • At least 5 years of experience in project design and/or implementation in the international development sector, with a strong understanding of programs in emergency response, water and sanitation, food security, health, education, economic development, and other sectors.
• Donor Knowledge:
  • Deep understanding of donor funding mechanisms, requirements, proposal development processes, and the international development donor landscape.
  • Proven track record of securing funding through competitive, unsolicited, and non-traditional mechanisms.
  • Demonstrated experience engaging donors, building strategic partnerships, and leading complex proposals.
• Skills:
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a passion for proposal writing.
  • Excellent relationship-building skills to engage, influence, and maintain strong partnerships with donors, stakeholders, and internal teams.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and perform under pressure in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and innovatively.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with project management tools.

Special Requirements

• Must overlap with Africa Standard Time (AST) by at least six (6) hours.
• Shortlisted candidates will be expected to provide writing samples.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 120

Level of Education: bachelor degree

Job application procedure

• Interested candidates are encouraged to apply if they are passionate about ForAfrika’s mission and meet the qualifications.
• Application submission is via a link provided in the job description (not specified in the text).
• Click here to apply

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