Business Development Manager, CAR At Plan International

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And its girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years and are now active in more than 75 countries.

The Role

The post holder will report to the Country Director and is a member of the Country Leadership Team. S/he directly supervises staff in the Business Development Unit.

In line with the Plan International CAR’s Country Strategic Plan and set income targets, the incumbent will be responsible for managing the resource mobilization strategy and periodically revising this, expanding and diversifying the institutional donor portfolio as well as the corporate donor base (including locally based corporate partners).

In all activities, the post holder will use participatory training and coaching approaches with teams to build capacity in the relevant skill areas. Providing leadership in reinforcing Plan International’s brand, reputation and external relations.

S/he will support the implementation of the Communication and Advocacy strategies.

Dimensions of Role:

Plan international CAR has a large grant portfolio and pipeline of future funding opportunities to maintain.

• Lead on developing high quality evidence-based project proposals, concept notes, tender documents and budgets which demonstrate impact, offer value for money and are successful in securing funding from a variety of donors.
• Ensure that all project designs address Plan International’s commitment to gender transformative programming.
• Strengthen the pipeline of proposals. Engage new donor partnerships to strategically and proactively increase funding and opportunities for growth.
• Explore new income streams and innovative fundraising models with non-traditional donors, private sector and philanthropies such as foundations, and trusts.
• Provide ongoing exploration, strategic donor intelligence gathering and trends analysis
• Facilitate periodic learning workshops to build capacity in donor engagement, opportunity appraisal, proposal development, logical frameworks, grant management, etc.
• Foster close collaboration with colleagues across business development and funding teams in the federation

Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

The Requirements

Knowledge and skills:

• Relevant academic degree.
• Proven skills in writing high-quality applications.
• Knowledge of the various donors’ strategic interests, priorities and requirements.
• Excellent French and English oral and written skills.
• Proven strategic relationship building skills, including negotiation skills, marketing skills coaching, mentoring, training and facilitation skills.
• Proven analytical skills and ability to priorities.
• Builds relationships in order to influence others.
• Demonstrates creativity and entrepreneurship.
• Accountable and responsible for own performance.
• Promotes teamwork and cooperation.
• Takes initiative and explores new opportunities.
• Ables to analyse financial information, budgets and monitor costs.
• Team builder with excellent people skills.
• Able to work proactively, creatively and strategically under pressure or when faced with competing demands.

Qualifications and Experience

• Academic degree in relevant field.
• At least 5 years of professional experience of which at least three should have been spent in a managerial position as a BDM (or equivalent) in the humanitarian sector.
• Demonstrated track record of writing winning project proposals.
• Demonstrated accomplishment in meeting donor requirements of grant funded projects.
• Experience in coaching, training and facilitating.
• Knowledge of child protection in emergencies, gender, human/children’s rights and youth and child participation, are desirable.
• Strong negotiation, facilitating and influencing skills