Business Development Manager - Centre for Humanitarian Leadership

Step into a leadership role that drives global impact. The Centre for Humanitarian Leadership, jointly managed by Save the Children Australia and Deakin University, delivers education, innovation, and research for the humanitarian sector globally. We are relentless about creating real change for the lives of children. We need you to help us change the way the world responds to humanitarian crises and transform leadership in the humanitarian system.

A place to make a difference:

In this full-time, 12 month max term role, you’ll work as a part of our Centre for Humanitarian Leadership team in Melbourne to help us create lasting change for children everywhere. The Business Development Manager plays an important role in delivering on our vision of a better world for children. Whether it’s driving strategic partnerships, securing sustainable funding or designing innovative programs, you’ll be contributing to our commitment to children in Australia and around the world.

You will make a difference by:

· Strengthening the Centre’s influence and impact by cultivating strategic relationships across academia, humanitarian networks and donor communities

· Ensuring competitive edge by aligning proposal development with emerging global trends and donor priorities

· Driving the Centre’s growth and sustainability by proactively identifying and securing high-impact funding opportunities

· Enhancing proposal success and strategic alignment by coordinating closely with internal and external partners to craft tailored submissions.

· Contributing to long-term sustainability by delivering on fundraising targets

A place to feel valued:

Your deep expertise in building strong networks, driving initiatives with self-direction and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities. You bring a results-oriented mindset, aligning creative solutions to strategic goals and your ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and impact is invaluable.

This role requires:

· 3+ years successful experience in managing NGO, government and corporate clients and/or developing new business and proposal development

· High level communication skills - particularly in grant writing, strategic or conceptual pitching, negotiation, persuasion, and partnership brokering.

· High competency with the MS Office, including MS Teams, and the Adobe suite of programs

· Familiarity with international funding mechanisms, donors, and proposal requirements for institutional, UN, governmental, and philanthropic entities.

· Experience working with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred)

A place to belong:

We are diverse personalities, backgrounds and talents, embracing our differences as one strong and united team. We see and celebrate the unique value you bring to our organisation, and offer a range of rewards for your effort, including:

· Individual learning plans to help map and deliver on your career development.

· Agile work environment including working from home (WFH)

· Full salary packaging benefits

· Extra leave to use in a range of ways to ensure you’re able to perform at your optimum

Does this sound like the place for you?

We’d love to hear from you. Submit your cover letter and resume below.

We strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates to apply.

Applications close COB, Friday 26 September 2025.

Position Description – Business Development Manager

For more information about this position, please contact Melanie Book on melanie.book@savethechildren.org.au Or for more information about a career at Save, visit our Careers Page.

We have tested our application process with diverse groups in mind, with the intent to ensure it's straightforward and accessible for all to apply. Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our culture and improve our ability to reach our most vulnerable client groups. But we also know there is no one-size fits-all when it comes to recruitment - so if we didn’t quite hit the mark for you, please let us know at people.culture@savethechildren.org.au. We’re dedicated to ensuring Save the Children Australia is a place where everyone can feel supported – no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, neurodiversity, culture and beliefs.

Save the Children Australia is a child-safe organisation. All employees are required to undergo a National Police Check, a Working with Children Check, and sign our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct. We also support the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.

Save the Children is committed to providing and maintaining a safe working environment for its employees and client groups, consistent with our obligations under OH&S legislation.

If you are having any issues with uploading your application for this role, please contact people.culture@savethechildren.org.au for further support.