Proposal & Strategic Growth Manager (Business Development Manager)

About SAMU First Response

SAMU First Response is a U.S. nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian relief and social support to populations in situations of vulnerability worldwide. Grupo SAMU, our European branch, has over 40 years of experience successfully delivering assistance to communities experiencing complex crises.

Position Summary

The Manager will play a foundational role in building and strengthening SAMU First Response’s business development function, including establishing systems, tools, templates, and processes that support long-term growth. This position is responsible for identifying funding opportunities, analyzing solicitations, coordinating the full proposal process, and writing high-quality, compliant proposals for government, foundation, and private donors.

The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, comfortable operating independently, and excited to build and scale a function within a growing nonprofit organization.

Key Responsibilities

Department Building & Process Development

• Lead SAMU First Response’s business development and proposal function, with support from leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Build, implement, and continuously improve systems, tools, templates, and workflows to support an efficient, scalable proposal process.
• Collaborate with leadership, program, and operational support teams to integrate business development processes across the organization.

Opportunity Identification & Pipeline Management

• Identify and assess funding opportunities from government agencies, foundations, corporations, and multilateral donors.
• Review and summarize RFPs, NOFOs, and solicitations to assess eligibility, alignment, and competitiveness.
• Maintain a funding pipeline and support leadership in go/no-go decision-making.

Proposal Development & Coordination

• Lead proposal development from concept through submission, ensuring compliance with funder requirements.
• Coordinate inputs from internal teams and external partners, including timelines, documentation, and required materials.

Proposal Writing & Submission

• Write and edit high-quality, compliant proposal narratives, technical sections, and capability statements.
• Partner with finance to support budget development and budget narratives.
• Ensure all submissions meet formatting, content, and compliance standards.

Post-Submission & Knowledge Management

• Track submissions, outcomes, and debriefs.
• Maintain organized proposal records and reusable content.
• Apply lessons learned to strengthen future proposals.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Contribute to cross-functional projects and perform other duties, as needed.

Qualifications

• • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field (ex., nonprofit management, public policy, business, international development/relations, communications). Master’s degree preferred.
  • Minimum of 5-10 years of experience in grant writing, proposal development, and business development in a nonprofit and/or social service setting.
  • Proven success securing funding from U.S. federal, state, local, and private funders, with a strong understanding of USG rules and regulations.
  • Experience developing and pricing proposal budgets.
  • Demonstrated ability to interpret complex RFPs/NOFOs and translate them into clear requirements.
  • Strong background in social services programming, humanitarian assistance, international development, and/or emergency response.
  • Exceptional writing, editing, research, and communication skills.
  • High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy and compliance.
  • Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines concurrently.

Physical Demands

• • Use of manual dexterity, tactile, visual, and audio acuity.
  • Use of repetitive motion, prolonged periods of sitting, and sustained visual and mental applications and demands.
  • Occasional lifting (up to 25 pounds), bending, pulling, and carrying. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their resume and cover letter via email to recruitment@samufirstresponse.org , with the position title in the subject.

Equal Opportunity Employer

SAMU First Response is an Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) Employer. SAMU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, partnership status, domestic violence victim status, sexual orientation, age, national origin, citizenship status, veteran or military status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, caregiver status, unemployment status or any other characteristic prohibited by federal, state and/or local laws.

English language fluency required. Second language preferred (ideally Spanish).