Hivos, EA seeks qualified candidates for the position of Business Development Officer– Green Food and Productive Landscapes
Vacancy Name:
Business Development Officer– Green Food and Productive Landscapes
Number of hours:
40
Region:
East Africa
Office:
Nairobi, Kenya
About Hivos
Hivos is an international organisation that seeks new solutions to persistent global issues. With smart projects in the right places, we oppose discrimination, inequality, abuse of power and the unsustainable use of our planet’s resources. Counterbalance alone, however, is not enough. Our primary focus is achieving structural change. This is why we cooperate with innovative businesses, citizens and their organisations. We share a dream with them of sustainable economies and inclusive societies.
Job context
The Business Development Officer reports to the Program Manager–Green Foods and Landscapes. He/She is responsible for the growth and development of new and/or existing programmes in the region, consistent with Hivos’ vision and standards for sustainable green foods and landscapes. He/She will be the main contact between Hivos, donors, and partners in the development of new and /or existing initiatives that provide for strategic and innovative programme expansion for organizational growth. The successful candidate will work closely with other Business Development Officers and Program staff in the Hivos regional office. This position is based in Nairobi with regular (30%) travel and visits to donors, partners, and relevant actors in the region. This role may involve some international travel.
Your responsibilities
- Identifying and prioritizing new areas of innovative program development and donor needs in relation to Hivos’ priorities and strategies in the green foods and productive landscapes domain.
- Designing and implementing a strategy to identify, track, and secure suitable and sufficient funding and resources to support Hivos’ evolving work in green foods and productive landscapes. This includes:
- Identifying and proactively pursuing grants and fundraising opportunities
- Preparing grant applications, concept notes and proposals to donors
- Coordinating fundraising activities and events
- Seeking in-kind, financial, and/or pro-bono support from relevant partners, companies, governments, and service providers
- Building a solid donor intelligence network/base representing the local, regional, and international donor communities, with a view to expanding Hivos’ green foods and productive landscapes portfolio
- Establishing and participating in formal and informal networks with relevant partners, donors, and actors
- Building strategic and lasting partnerships with investors, donors, governments, development partners and the private sector
- Actively participating and contributing to financial forecasting at the project and organizational level to determine necessary funding and resource requirements.
- Securing suitable and sufficient funding and resources to support Hivos’ operational requirements.
- Supporting the establishment and implementation of transparent budget monitoring systems and upholding the highest level of organizational governance, including:
- Advising management and staff on user-friendly financial management systems, tools and procedures for the successful delivery of projects within budget
- Guiding management on contract negotiations, grant cash-flow requirements, cost recovery requirements and potential funding gaps
- Supporting and participating in internal and external audit requirements
- Supporting the effective tracking of grant income, ensuring that all allocated finances are collected and acquitted in a timely manner
- Preparing and reviewing high quality financial and narrative reports relating to grants and donations
- Actively representing the organization’s program development interests at relevant meetings, events, and within resource mobilization or donor-specific peer networks, as they relate to Hivos’ work.
- Building internal capacity in program development and within country teams to strengthen their capacity to fundraise; and to independently design innovative, viable and high impact interventions and proposals for target donors.
- Monitoring, evaluating and disseminating proposal development best practices and quality assurance at country and regional levels.
- Contribute to program monitoring and evaluation to ensure concepts and proposals adhere to donor requirements and Hivos’ policies and procedures.
- Ensure compliance with donor contract requirements and reporting deadlines, as well as effective communication with partners and stakeholders to ensure efficient and effective program implementation.
- Provide other programmatic, research, administrative, and logistical support as needed
Your profile
- Masters degree in agriculture economics, development or related discipline.
- Minimum 3-5 years of post-graduate work experience in nonprofit program development and/or fundraising within the private sector and/or international development organizations.
- Demonstrated donor network in Kenya (required) and in the region (preferred)
- Ability to work on short-term assignments with tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and pipelines.
- Ability to work independently, and function effectively as a member of a global team, and adhere to strict deadlines.
- Excellent research and analytical skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills:
- Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
- Willingness to travel regionally up to 30% of the time.
- Work experience and knowledge of the economic, social, environmental, and development context in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Good networking, marketing, proposal development, and IT skills.
- Attention to detail.
- Excellent negotiating and networking skills.
- High levels of personal integrity and accountability.
What we offer
We offer a competitive package based on the candidate’s qualifications.
