Business Development and Grants Manager

Overall purpose of the role:

The Business Development and Grants Manager (BDGM) is a management position supporting technical leads and area managers to ensure the country strategy and programme design are of high quality, based on evidence, and implemented according to the organization’s standards. The BDGM is responsible for leadership, quality control and management of the Grants Management Unit, which consists of Grants Management and Partnerships. This position also provides coordination and technical support to the Head of Programs (HoP). 

Proposal development

• Lead the development of full proposals and concept notes (solicited or un-solicited), ensuring clear roles and responsibilities are assigned to the team in CO and AO, in program and support functions.
• Consolidate proposal write ups and draft budgets from teams in a timely manner for submission to selected donors as agreed with line manager.
• Support program development ensuring quality check and review of project proposals, concept notes and assessment reports.
• Collate and disseminate donor-specific requirements and guidelines for tenders and proposal processes.
• Provide timely support in processing of emergency requests under project contingency funds and crisis modifiers by assessing competing emergency needs, prioritizing interventions for emergency funding and preparing requisite documentation in coordination with the Technical Managers and Head of Programmes.
• Provide inputs during development of Consortia including drafting of pre-teaming agreements and donor-specific grants requirements.

Business Opportunities

• Lead on the development and implementation of the resource mobilization and Fundraising Strategy.
• Monitors the funding pipeline and leads new business development and forecasting at a country and area levels.
• Actively identifies, qualifies and tracks funding and partnership opportunities in a systematic manner in pursuit of supporting DRC’s programming in South Sudan.
• Actively tracks multi-country, multi-sector and multi-area funding opportunities and looks for new consortium partnerships with stakeholders at country level.
• Update existing mapping so that DRC in South Sudan has a deep understanding of the donor landscape, including donors, stakeholders, I/LNGOS and programmes that work in DRC’s thematic areas.

Donor Engagement and Relationship Building

• In conjunction with the CD, Head of Programmes, Technical Coordinators represent DRC externally with donors, peer agencies, and strategic partner organizations through building relationships and networking within South Sudan.
• Provide support in relation building with specific priority donors including representing DRC to the donors as requested by management.
• Outline and assemble talking points and develop agenda to present DRC’s perspectives in relevant forums with donors and support the CD with funding negotiations with donors.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with the NGO community and other humanitarian actors.
• Work closely with the Regional Business and Partnerships Development Manager in advocating for good practice when it comes to building strong business environment in country programmes.

Donor Engagement and Relationship Building

• In conjunction with the CD, Head of Programmes, Technical Coordinators represent DRC externally with donors, peer agencies, and strategic partner organizations through building relationships and networking within South Sudan.
• Provide support in relation building with specific priority donors including representing DRC to the donors as requested by management.
• Outline and assemble talking points and develop agenda to present DRC’s perspectives in relevant forums with donors and support the CD with funding negotiations with donors.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with the NGO community and other humanitarian actors.
• Serve as focal point for relaying updates from field to specific donors and ensure instructions on programming changes from donor are communicated to field.

• Grants administration

• Provide oversight in regular updating of the Grants Management System in DRC’s Enterprise Resource Planning platform – Dynamics with reports, proposals, contracts and related milestones.
• Grants focal point for specific country level donors and properly assign the grant’s team specific role to donor focal point.
• Track grants processes and milestones for all awards through the grants cycle ensuring relevant information and documentation are disseminated to relevant staff in a timely manner.
• Facilitate project kick off meetings ensuring relevant staff and partners are aware of their programmatic, financial and compliance obligations/requirements.
• Support best practices on grant closure procedures and monitor compliance to grant closure steps/milestones.

Compliance management

• In coordination with HQ and other relevant staff, design, maintain and inform internal procedures, systems and tools to ensure compliance with contractual obligations to donors.
• Ensure provision of appropriate contractual documentations to support audit and other compliance process
• Carry out internal financial reviews to ensure that donor guidelines are implemented and followed, including financial, procurement and administrative aspects.
• Carry out contract management training of staff through inception workshops, coaching and mentoring in setting up systems to monitor key accountabilities e.g. co-financing, exchange rates, interest and budget rules in line with contractual requirements.
• Conduct and document periodic implementing partner reviews.
• Support program teams in the interpretation and operationalization of donor rules and regulations.

Reporting

• Ensure with input from the Area Managers, Technical Coordinator, and MEAL Unit, help produce high quality program progress reports as per donor and DRC requirements.
• In consultation with the finance department, assist in consolidating and/or quality control of reports, in relation donor requirements, original project proposal, and consistency in both narrative and financial reports.
• Provide high quality review and assembly of program documentation including drafting editing and formatting.
• Provide through progress reporting, a continuous analysis of the achievements, facilitate project reviews, evaluation and audits.
• Develop donors reporting timelines and requirements template; ensure it is updated at all times.
• Timely dissemination of reporting tools and requirements and follow up to ensure internal and external reporting deadlines are respected.

Staff management

• Manage and mentor the Grant Management Unit staff.
• Incorporate staff development strategies and performance management systems into team building process. Establish a result-based system and follow up.
• Ensure staff understand and are able to perform their roles, have clear work plans, performance objectives are in place and their capacity is strengthened.
• Provide capacity building support to in-country teams in areas such as in proposal writing, report writing.
• Support the partnership department in implementation of the partnership strategy and RASCI.

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• At least five years of professional experience in humanitarian emergency contexts with grants management responsibilities, preferable to have at least two years of experience at management level.
• Knowledge and experience working with multiple sectors including protection, food security, WASH, Economic recovery, mine action.
• Proven ability to lead a high performing and diverse team, manage performance, foster a positive working environment and manage issues sensitively and diplomatically.
• Extensive knowledge of UN, US and European institutional donors and their compliance requirements with proven experience of developing successful funding proposals, contract management including consortia grants.
• Technical expertise in Monitoring and Evaluation and Information Management.
• A keen understanding of the complexities in the East Africa region.
• Excellent writing skills.

Education: 

• University degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Economics, or International Development or other relevant field. An Advanced degree is preferred.

Languages:

Excellent verbal and written proficiency in English.