Programme Development Director (Business Development)

Job Description

Position: Programme Development Director – London, UK

Location: London, UK, with travel as necessary (estimated 30% travel)

About RI: Relief International specializes in relief and development programs that benefit people in acute distress. A registered non-profit in the US, UK, France and Belgium, our work targets those fragile countries or communities that suffer from recurrent man-made or natural crises that impede human development. The people that we serve live in seventeen countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia where the debilitating effects of political instability, forced displacement, and natural disasters are pervasive. Often, RI is the only organization providing healthcare, education, logistics, energy, capacity building, economic development, sanitation, and many other forms of assistance to these highly vulnerable communities.

Position Summary: Under the supervision of the Vice President of Programme Development, the PD Director is a senior member of the PD Department, focused on raising money from DFID and/or FCO, developing and account managing RI’s relationship with DFID and FCO, strategic planning, programme design and proposal development, and building partnerships with relevant private sector organisations, think-tanks, academic institutions and INGOs.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

UKG Engagement and Strategic Planning (approx. 50%)

• Lead strategic planning for RI’s UK Program Development strategy
• Develop and account manage relationships with DFID and FCO
• Identify and develop partnerships with potential UK partners, including private sector organisations, think-tanks, academic institutions and INGOs
• Actively track new UK government funding opportunities
• Serve as Programme Development focal point for information on DFID and FCO
• Represent RI in London (and other locations as necessary) at coordination meetings, conferences, and other external representation
• Work with programme and PD colleagues to develop and maintain strategies for the development of existing country programmes.

Programme Design and Proposal Development (approx. 40%)

• Manage the process of development of concept papers, project proposals and responses to RFA/Ps, for DFID and FCO as needed;
• Lead UK donor programme design processes, including contributions to logframes, technical narrative and M&E plans;
• Contribute to technical writing and review of proposals as appropriate;
• Ensure each DFID and FCO proposal application adheres to the requirements within each request for proposal; and
• Travel to the field as necessary to assist in the aforementioned tasks

PD Departmental Development and Capacity Building (approx. 10%)

• Liaise with and train staff on RI global programme desks and global technical units to ensure that UK programme development is carried out according to donor policies and procedures;
• Strengthen the capacity of regional and country teams to engage with UK government and UK based private sector actors;
• As required, support RI’s internal UK based strategy and risk teams to ensure RI is compliant with UK government due diligence regulations and procedures.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast paced environment.

Essential:

• Proven successful DFID/FCO proposal writing and partnership development track record for both accountable grants and contracts;
• Previous experience of DFID and/or FCO account or grant management
• Demonstrable knowledge of UK institutional donor trends, strategies and initiatives
• Previous demonstrable experience of developing partnerships with the private sector/academia/think tanks in designing programmes for UK government donors
• Previous experience of developing capacity building initiatives for national and international staff
• Previous experience of working in an INGO in the UK and/or in one of RI’s priority regions (Middle East, Africa, Asia)
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple responsibilities, meeting deadlines;
• Strong computer skills and experience with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Excel and Outlook;
• Ability to follow instructions and carefully review work for accuracy;
• Ability to act independently to identify and analyse problems and recommend effective solutions;
• Deep knowledge and specialist skills in DFID proposal writing and relationship management experience in a related field showing progressive increases in assigned responsibility;

Desirable:

• Technical background in a specific humanitarian/development sector a plus (e.g., WASH, education, etc.)

Values:

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. We work with the most vulnerable communities. We value:

• Inclusiveness
• Transparency and Accountability
• Agility and Innovation
• Collaboration
• Sustainability

We are currently accepting applications, please apply asap if you are interested in this role.

Due to limited resources only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Please note that to be considered for this role you must be able to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Note to external agencies, we will not be accepting CVs from third parties

Relief International is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Relief International is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of vulnerable adults and children as a priority. This is reflected in our pre-employment checks and requirements to verify and check the identity and references of all applicants.

About the Organization

About RI

Relief International is a leading nonprofit organization working in 18 countries to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty.

Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach — which we call the RI Way—emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.

Relief International includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: RI-US, RI-UK, MRCA/RI-France and RI-Europe. Under our alliance agreement we operate as a single, shared management structure.