Business Development Specialist

PRIMARY FUNCTION/PURPOSE:

The Business Development Specialist is responsible for driving

revenue generation through the identification and cultivation of new major grant funders and

developing high-quality, competitive proposals, by closely collaborating with the broader

Business Development, Global Program teams and senior leadership. This includes conducting

market research and trend analysis, analyzing the organization’s prospect pipeline, and

developing funder engagement plans. The Business Development Specialist will lead proposal

design activities, which includes developing win themes and constructing proposal teams to

improve proposal-to-award conversation rates.

In addition, the Business Development Specialist is responsible for strengthening the profile of

the organization among current and new strategic funding partners and the broader development

sector. Working closely with Marketing & Communications and Global Programs teams, the

Business Development Specialist will create content focused on elevating Episcopal Relief &

Development’s visibility and values-based brand to diverse audiences. This includes, but is not

limited to, pitch decks, conference materials, technical briefs, and capacity statements.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the

essential functions.

Proposal Development and Management

• Lead proposal development, ensuring a high-quality technical narrative and optimum cost recovery in alignment with organization and funder requirements.
• Serve as lead writer and facilitate strategy development with program and partner staff on proposals.
• Serve as proposal/bid manager, partner manager and other proposal team roles, as needed.
• Liaise with donor success management, program and partner teams to effectively transition from proposal to start-up new grants.
• Write grant reports, as needed.

Positioning and Content Creation

• Develop a strong understanding of the organization’s core focus areas in order to collaborate with Focus Area Directors to integrate sector learnings and opportunities into strategies and inform partnerships.
• Develop content for external audiences, including program briefs, capacity statements, presentation decks, content for the website and materials for events/presentations/ panels.
• Develop funder engagement plans that clearly articulate the organization’s value proposition as it relates to funder priorities and advancing funder relationship along the relationship management continuum.
• Represent the organization at key conferences and events to expand visibility and network.

Prospect Identification and Management

• In partnership with the Manager, Business Development, conduct research on potential major grant funders, particularly private foundations and bilateral agencies, to better understand industry trends, identify prospective funders and determine appropriate engagement channels.
• Strategically work with the broader External Engagement team to grow donor investments and contribute to strategy development under a hybrid funding model.
• Lead prospecting efforts, cultivating and strengthening institutional relationships with funders, partner organizations and other stakeholders.

Internal Process Management

• Manage the refinement of existing pipeline and proposal development mechanisms and the creation of new processes, soliciting feedback from organizational departments to create maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
• Support systemization of processes and coordinate with program staff to execute on new systems.
• Train and mentor staff to improve their skills in proposal development, intelligence gathering and marketing of programming.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS:

There are no direct supervisory responsibilities at the moment, however the position may

require:

• Engagement and oversight of key deliverables of external consultants, vendors and/or interns
• Coordination and accountability for internal working groups

EDUCATION:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in international development, business or related field and/or equivalent experience

EXPERIENCE:

• A minimum of eight (8) years of experience with international development organizations, including five (5) years supporting resource mobilization experience managing and leading the writing of proposals; experience with bilateral agencies and private foundations required
• Demonstrated ability to manage funder relationships, specifically transitioning prospects into funding partners Ability to manage and accomplish multiple projects at a time, managing teams to ensure quality deliverables are produced on-time

RELATED SKILLS:

• Strong relations management abilities across departments within an organization and externally; excellent negotiation skills
• Strong research and analytical skills
• Proven ability to work and coordinate with others under pressure on concurrent projects, delivering to tight timelines
• Exemplary attention to detail, record keeping and follow up
• Outstanding communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills that translate
• across audiences (funders, partners, staff)
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively and produce high quality work as part of team
• Ability to manage complex or difficult situations with tact, diplomacy and good humor
• Demonstrated ability to establish and build relationships with a diverse array of
• professional and community groups
• Advanced computer skills including ease and facility in working remotely with digital
• communication methods
• Fluency in English; Spanish, Portuguese or French also preferred
• Passionate about Episcopal Relief & Development’s mission and impact

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Eagerness to learn

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 30% of the time in diverse and under-resourced
• environments
• Proficiency in a second language desired; Spanish or French preferred
• May be required to work long hours and a varied schedule including evenings and
• weekends.

SALARY & BENEFITS:

• Annual salary range of $110,000 - $120,000 Per year
• Competitive, comprehensive benefits package offered

How To Apply:

To be considered for the Business Development Specialist position, please email your

resume and cover letter to careers@episcopalrelief.org with the subject line "Business

Development Specialist".

• Applications missing either a resume or a cover letter will not be considered.
• For more information, visit our website at www.episcopalrelief.org