About the role
The Business Development & Program Manager (BDPM) will initiate and support new business capture efforts and manage projects across the Crown Agents group (CA) of companies. Under the supervision and direction of the CA-USA President & CEO, s/he will work and coordinate with key CA group headquarters staff (technical and regional directors, international project office heads, and country/project directors); manage projects; and maintain regular communication with CA clients in the US. The BDPM will support the CA group to develop and execute strategic business development plans, manage and lead new business capture efforts, and lead proposal development, including both technical writing and cost proposal development. S/he will support internal and external collaboration to increase visibility with CA clients and to advance integration of CA-USA within the CA group to effectively promote and grow CA global portfolio of projects and strengthen relationships with key clients. The BDPM will be responsible for day-to-day project management from contract award through closeout, including contractual compliance, financial management, and oversight of project personnel, grants, and subcontractors. The BDPM may lead special initiatives to advance the adaptation and adoption of new information, communication, and other technologies, systems, and processes which increase business development and program implementation effectiveness, impact, and cost efficiency and support of the growth of group’s portfolio and technical capacities.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF JOB
New Business Development
Lead and support efforts to monitor and track new business opportunities with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Trade Development Agency (USTDA), Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and the international financial institutions and UN agencies, regularly accessing their procurement websites/forecasts/portals.
New Business Development efforts are expected to focus heavily on supporting pursuit of new contracts/subcontracts under USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) Support Which Implements Fast Transitions 5 (SWIFT 5), Public Financial Management II (PFM II), USAID/Nigeria Strategic HIV/AIDS And TB Response Program (Nigeria/SHARP), USAID/PPL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (EVAL-ME)
Prepare Pursuit Qualification Matrices for new business pursuits and participate in the CA commercial development office-led weekly pursuit review committee and bi-weekly top pursuits meetings.
Keep informed of key trends in the international development industry generally and specifically in the areas of political and security transition/stabilization, security sector reform, governance and public financial management,
Build new business pipeline and conduct scoping and pre-positioning efforts. This may require frequent overseas travel (up to 30% time) including to fragile countries and regions to design innovative approaches for the CA group’s top new business pursuits.
Conduct research to provide background information and competitor and partner analyses for major new business and proposal development efforts.
Participate in, present at, and represent CA at events that advance new business development efforts.
Develop and maintain productive relationships with current and potential partner organizations, project field staff, and clients.
Develop and lead networking with new, existing, and former clients and partners.
Manage the full cycle of the proposal development process in coordination with other CA staff and short-term consultants.
Serve as a lead technical writer and draft both technical and management approach sections for proposals.
Read and manage cost proposal development efforts, developing lists of standard inputs for cost proposals, compiling detailed cost information for the commercial development office team, and reviewing and editing cost proposal and accompanying narrative.
Manage logistics for new business development strategy meetings and the administrative aspects required to engage and work with partners and consultants.
Identify partners and personnel for bids and ongoing projects and act as liaison with identified partners and personnel during proposal preparation and project implementation.
Cultivate relationships with highly-qualified candidates for anticipated key and non-key long-term field-based personnel positions and experts for short-term consulting assignments.
Identify and cultivate relationships with proposal writers who can provide surge support to lead, contribute to, and participate in reviews of new business proposals.
Work with graphics team to design organization charts, flow charts, and other graphics for proposals.
Work closely with international resourcing (recruitment) team to develop job descriptions, screen applicants, identify candidates, and conduct interviews of short- and long-term personnel for proposals.
Supervise and direct bid managers and coordinators.
Accountable for managing and reporting on proposal budget expenditure.
Project Management
Program Management tasks are expected to focus heavily on USAID/OTI.
Serve as day-to-day liaison with USAID/OTI on SWIFT 5 IDIQ and task orders.
Cultivate strong relationships with field teams implementing awarded projects, especially the Chief of Party and other senior field staff responsible for grants, procurement, logistics, finance, HR, etc.
Manage awarded projects and support field teams to develop and make sub awards to grantees and local and international vendors in compliance with U.S. Government regulations.
Responsible for drafting, reviewing, contributing to, and assuring the quality and timely submission of project deliverables and other ad hoc reports for clients.
Develop scopes of work for short-term technical assistance consultancies and technical specifications for project-required goods and services.
Submit updates on projects for and lead presentations during quarterly contract reviews with CA group executives.
Project Finance
Accountable for project budget management and timely submission of invoices and accruals to USAID.
Review CA monthly job status reports and invoices for accuracy prior to submission to the client.
Review monthly field office financial reports and back up for compliance with donor requirements and CA policies.
Work with CA finance and accounting staff to monitor and track project budgets versus actual expenditure and provide input to update forward expenditure projections.
Work with CA finance and accounting staff to manage project budgets by monitoring and updating budget versus actual expenditure and forward cost projection files.
Work with field staff and lead the preparation of budget realignments, drafting sound and clear justifications for budget realignment requests for submission to clients.
Work with field project staff and the CA group communications staff to keep the CA-USA pages on the CA website up to date.
Assist with development, updating, and production of marketing and informational brochures.
Contracts & Compliance
Accountable for ensuring contractual compliance across all areas, personnel engagement (short- and long-term expat/national employees and consultants), grants, procurement, international travel, IT, environmental, VAT and inventory reporting and disposition, etc. working closely with CA’s senior contracts and senior HR advisors to draft approval requests and secure all required approvals and/or concurrence.
Review and/or draft project-required or business development-related consulting agreements, purchase orders, and/or subcontracts.
Education
Bachelor’s Degree and 7 years minimum relevant experience required; or a master’s degree in an international development-related field or an MBA and at least 5 years of relevant work experience required.
Required Experience/ Qualifications
Must have at least two years’ experience working in the field on donor-funded projects, and prior experience on USAID/OTI projects and experience in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East & North Africa, and/or Latin America strongly preferred.
At least three years’ direct business development/proposal management experience required.
Prior experience working on business development related to USAID/OTI, USAID, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and U.S. Trade Development Agency projects supporting political/security transition/stabilization, economic growth, governance, trade, humanitarian assistance, and/or security sector reform is required.
Project backstopping experience on USAID and other donor-funded projects is required.
Knowledge of and experience working with USAID’s Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization; Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, and the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (currently the E3 Bureau); the USTDA; the MCC; US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention; U.S. State Department; U.S. Defense Department; UN Agencies; the international financial institutions required.
Demonstrated network of contacts in the international development community required.
Prior experience leading or supporting project start up and close down strongly preferred.
Excellent analytical, conceptual, verbal and written communication skills required.
Proficiency in the English language required; foreign language ability preferred, especially in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and/or Arabic.
Strong attention to detail and ability to multi-task; ability to work efficiently and independently in a fast-paced environment and under stress required.
Strong interpersonal and troubleshooting skills required.
Advanced ability to use all Microsoft Office and other Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, CRM, etc.)
Knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, USAID Assistance Regulation (AIDAR), and other donor regulations related to the management of field staff and human resources, project accounting and finances, and solicitation and negotiation for project procurements and grant subawards required.
Willingness to travel up to 30% and make trips to CA group headquarters in London as well as overseas destinations including to politically unstable countries and regions, countries and regions where serious security threats exist, and travel to remote areas where basic services including water and electricity may be limited and/or frequently interrupted.
US work authorization required, dual US and EU or UK work authorization preferred.
About what’s on offer
You’ll be working with Crown Agents which is a high impact social enterprise passionate about transforming the future for millions of people. Since our creation in 1833 we have worked across the globe to improve public services and drive economic growth. Our expertise is finding new solutions to difficult problems for clients in the areas of health, governance, economic growth, humanitarian action and supply chain services. We work with and train leaders at local, national and international level to achieve lasting change drawing on our insight and experience.
Crown Agents USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and affords equal opportunity to all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other status protected under local, state or federal laws.
Candidate must be able to demonstrate legal right to work in the United States.
The role will be based in the CA-USA offices, with the possibility of required stints working in London or overseas to support project start up, close down, and/or new business development.
Crown Agents offers a competitive benefits package.
You’ll be working with Crown Agents which is a high impact social enterprise passionate about transforming the future for millions of people. Since our creation in 1833 we have worked across the globe to improve public services and drive economic growth. Our expertise is finding new solutions to difficult problems for clients in the areas of health, governance, economic growth, humanitarian action and supply chain services. We work with and train leaders at local, national and international level to achieve lasting change drawing on our insight and experience.
