Job Description

Oxford Policy Management’s (OPM) Economic Policy Programme (EPP) has an exciting opportunity for a skilled Business Development Manager to serve as the hub for business development needs across the programme. You will join an expanding, experienced collaborative and close-knit team of around 50 in-house staff spread across 5 country offices. The Senior Business Development Manager will be passionate about supporting the programme to grow further, building on a track record of winning and implementing large economic development projects throughout Asia, the Pacific and Africa.

This is an exciting opportunity to develop and lead EPP’s approach to pre-positioning for large project opportunities, working alongside EPP’s thematic leads and consultants.

Main accountabilities:

• To provide support to the EPP Management team (Programme Director and Portfolio Leaders) on identifying and supporting large/high value bids
• Developing an appropriate strategy in relation to intelligence gathering and market analysis of each large bid opportunity being tracked by the Programme.
• Leading pre-positioning efforts on large bids, alongside relevant thematic leads
• Consortium development: Identifying skill/capacity gaps within the Programme and securing suitable consortia partners to bridge gaps and improve reference criteria / consortia profiles, for existing and future work opportunities.
• Supporting the coordinating the bid-writing process for large and strategically important bids including providing Quality Assurance (QA).
• Lead regular business development meetings for the Programme and coordinate/collaborate as needed with other areas in OPM, including Commercial and Acquisition teams
• Ensuring that business development is a continuous learning process in the Programme.

We are looking for the following technical skills, knowledge and experience:

Qualifications & Skills

• Educated to degree level ideally in economics, international development, politics, business or other relevant field.
• Demonstrated experience of pre-positioning for large projects
• Demonstrated ability to write winning proposals, and strong knowledge of tendering requirements, legalities, and guidelines for consulting services.
• Knowledge of best practice on how to manage large and complex projects with a proven ability in planning, multi-tasking, producing and delivering complex documents to deadline within a high pressure environment.
• Understanding and interest in the economic development sector and a demonstrated experience of successfully marketing to clients including DFID, EU, World Bank, UN, and Foundations.
• Demonstrated commitment to OPM’s core values of integrity, ingenuity, and investment in people.
• MS Office, particularly advanced levels of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Project management qualification e.g. PRINCE2, APMP is desirable.
• Strong written English language, and copy writing skills.

Person Specification:

• Business development, networking and stakeholder management skills in an international development related field.
• Pro-active and flexible approach to work: Ability to work independently and under their own initiative with excellent organisation skills, exemplary attention to detail, strong time management / prioritisation skills and an ability to draft text and diagrams given limited direction and subject area knowledge.
• Numerical confidence, with the ability to prepare and analyse large budgets, excellent financial and commercial acumen
• Research, analytical, and project management skills.
• Ability to proof read large technical documents with strong written English language, and copy writing skills.
• Willingness to travel if required to international locations where EPP is currently active or looking to develop more work.

The role will be based in Oxford, although there will be some flexibility in working patterns. OPM offers a competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement and excellent personal pension scheme. You must have a current right to work in the UK.

About the Organization

Oxford Policy Management (OPM) enables strategic decision-makers to reduce social and economic disadvantage in low- and middle-income countries through a unique combination of high-quality analysis and more than 35 years’ practical experience in over 120 countries worldwide.

Supported by a multinational team of more than 400 specialists on four continents, our success is based on a unique combination of high-quality analysis and 30 years’ practical experience of facilitating positive change in over 120 countries worldwide. OPM’s expertise, which is underpinned by a strong commitment to capacity building, ranges from social and economic policy to public finance and management, political economy analysis and statistics.

Clients range from bilateral and multilateral organisations such as DFID, UNICEF and the World Bank through to governments, NGOs and private-sector organisations.

With offices in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania and the United Kingdom, we can provide our clients with rapid, local support and context-specific solutions.

If you are interested in opportunities at Oxford Policy Management, please see our careers page or email us at recruitment@opml.co.uk

What’s it like working at OPM, and why should you join our growing global organisation? Watch this video to see what our colleagues have to say.