Director, RAI US Business Development At International Rescue Committee

BACKGROUND:

The IRC is one of the leading providers of high quality programming for refugees and asylum seekers coming to the United States and displaced people on the move in Europe. The mission of the IRC’s Resettlement Aylum and Integration (RAI) Department is to create opportunities for refugees to survive and thrive in the United States and Europe. Through 27 regional offices in cities across the United States and 15 countries in Europe, the IRC helps refugees and newcomers resettle, integrate and become self-sufficient. 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.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The IRC’s Resettlement, Asylum & Integration Department is committed to developing innovative, context-specific programs in response to strategic funding opportunities with a range of public and private donors. This work is led by the Headquarters Resource Acquisition Team, in close collaboration with regional and technical units as well as the External Relations Department. The Director, Business Development RAM US is responsible for monitoring, managing and coordinating the RAI Department’s US offices’ response to both public and private grant opportunities. S/he helps set the overall strategic business development direction for the department, maintains oversight of the overall RAI US grant funding portfolio; streamlines RAI US business development processes; provide inputs on key proposals and resources; develops creative approaches to increase the IRC’s competitiveness and supports consistent and efficient implementation of IRC and donor compliance requirements. The Director supervises three program officers and is responsible for overall quality control of funding proposals and reports to the Senior Director of Resource Acquisition and Management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

General

• Work with the RAI Department leadership to determine the strategic direction and promote the diversification of the RAI office network’s business development activities.
• Provide management of the RAI-US RAM pre-award team, including workload, professional development, and ensuring smooth collaboration between business development and grants management functions
• Support RAM team to establish and maintain pre-award processes, coordinating with other IRC departments as needed (Go/No Go, Expressions of Interest, consutant management, OTIS workflows, award reviews, etc.)
• Coordinate with relevant IRC Awards Management Unit (AMU) and GPP teams (Program Development, Compliance and Policy, Training, I-Dev) to ensure optimal support for field offices

Business Development

• Manage the process to track, analyze and coordinate public and private business development opportunities, with particular attention to major federal opportunities and strategic private proposals.
• Oversee RAI US field and departmental development of high quality proposals, with an emphasis on clear and succinct writing.
• Supervise and coordinate the work of a business development team of three program officers (POs) focused on management and quality control of proposals originating from RAI field offices and RAI HQ
• Develop and streamline business development processes and templates to promote efficiency and support to field offices; administer and maintain accountability for business development processes at HQ.
• Serve as the primary point of contact with 1) technical and program teams and 2) fundraising colleagues in other IRC departments around business development priorities and development of ideas and concepts to present to donors.
• Manage the RAM US Business Development Fund and the RAI US consultancy roster, supervising the work of approximately 15 consultants working on individual projects throughout the fiscal year.
• Overall responsibility for management of the RAI US grants calendar and prioritization and allocation of business development resources to respond to opportunities.
• Lead efforts to analyze gaps and develop proposal response capacity in the field.
• Serve as the deputy to the RAM Senior Director for business development-related issues, representing RAM US at senior meetings, with partners, and in other venues as assigned.
• Oversee the development of tools and training resources that will enhance IRC’s capacity to successfully bid on competitive solicitations.

Internal Coordination

• Coordinate with RAM US Director, Post-Award on internal operations, award agreement reviews, handovers and grants management tasks
• Liaise with IRC Finance team and RAI-US budgeting team to ensure appropriate financial practices and comply with donor regulations
• Escalate compliance issues and decision making as required to RDs and RAM Senior Director

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s Degree, advanced degree in international development, political science, or other related field a plus
  • Minimum 8 years progressive experience in non-profit administration and/or business development, including specific experience in drafting proposals for public and private donors
  • Experience working with proposal budgets
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including superior writing skills and the ability to effectively manage a variety of relationships
• Proven management skills and ability to negotiate effectively with donors and partners
• Solid organizational skills: the ability to work productively and accurately while under pressure in a fast-paced, demanding environment
• Strong computer skills: facility with MS Word, Excel, and email/internet software

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.