Regional Business Development Focal Point - CWARO

Lead the regional expansion and diversification of revenue from institutional donors, foundations, the private sector, and other funding sources to achieve CRS’ strategic objectives. As a member of the global Business Development (BD) and Donor Engagement Team, coordinate closely with regional leadership and country staff to ensure strategic mobilization of resources for programming in the region while ensuring alignment with overall agency BD strategy and approaches.

Evaluate and introduce innovative approaches to strategic growth and positioning and advise colleagues on how to adapt to a changing funding environment in a very competitive landscape. Provide support across all phases of the CRS BD Cycle, including donor engagement strategy, positioning, capture planning, proposal preparation, and leveraging results. Leverage BD expertise, leadership skills, strategic thinking, data and trend analysis, and continuous improvement to strengthen CRS' BD-related systems, and capacities. Closely support regional leadership in donor engagement, serving directly as the agency donor focal point for specific donors who primarily operate in assigned region. 

Regional BD Focal Point

• Develop and ensure regional strategies in resource mobilization align closely with agency strategy while supporting the expansion and diversification of revenue from institutional donors and non-traditional funding sources.
• Collaborate with countries, regional leadership, and donor engagement focal points to develop resource mobilization plans for a specific region, country, sector, or donor. Advise leadership on how to proactively cultivate donor relationships through the development of donor engagement strategies, networking with donors, where appropriate.
• Serve directly as the agency donor focal point for donors who primarily operate in and fund the assigned region. 
• Work collaboratively with regional and country staff involved in BD and project design to pursue strategic funding opportunities in the areas of positioning, capture planning, proposal coordination, proposal writing, budgeting, and compliance with donor requirements.
• Research and analyze intelligence about overall funding trends and new business opportunities; lead efforts to leverage this data to enhance CRS' competitive position.
• Lead past performance and corporate capacity information management within the region. Maintain accurate regional business pipeline and performance data through CRS' online systems to inform senior management decisions.
• Participate in global or regional industry conferences and working groups to represent CRS with peer organizations as appropriate.

  BD Strategy Development and Opportunity Support

  • Lead agency BD strategy development, opportunity pipeline management, and opportunity-specific support. Work with global technical and operations teams, regional leadership, etc., to ensure coordination for funding opportunities. Act as proposal coordinator, lead writer, or budget lead for priority bids.
  • Participate as a key member of the BD Strategy and Action Room (StAR), which guides agency BD strategy and priorities, global pipeline review to ensure strategic decision making, and opportunity-specific Go/No-Go decisions.
  • In collaboration with regional and country leadership, serve as Go/No-Go managers to accompany a funding opportunity and its team across the full capture and proposal preparation process. 
  • In collaboration with regional and country leadership and technical design leads, guide partner identification, negotiation of consortia roles, and review of teaming agreements.
  • Lead proposal review panels and return timely, consolidated feedback to proposal teams. Coordinate with lead reviewer and lead feedback discussions with design team. Lead due diligence review and ensure alignment with donor strategies and intel.
  • Lead initiatives to advance CRS’ BD processes, promote learning and sharing of best practices, and build the capacity of CRS staff in BD. Actively contribute to CRS' Global BD Community of Practice
    • Bachelor’s Degree in International Development, International Relations, or other relevant field.
    • Minimum of 10 years of international development experience.

      Preferred Qualifications  

    • Master’s Degree in International Development, International Relations, or other relevant field.
  • At least three years' experience in a developing country.
• Demonstrated experience in developing resource mobilization strategies and cultivating donors and partners.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required Languages: Fluency in English required; working ability in French required.

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 35%.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.  Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.  We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

General Requirements

CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.  All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.