Overview

Title: Business Development Coordinator

Reports to: Business Development Manager/Director

Location: Syracuse, NY

Travel: Occasional, 5 % of time

Eligible for Relocation Assistance:  Yes

 

The Near East Foundation (NEF) is seeking candidates for the position of Business Development Coordinator to be based in its Syracuse, New York headquarters. NEF is a non-profit international development organization that has supported livelihoods recovery and community-based economic development in the Middle East, Africa, and Caucasus since 1915. NEF draws on local teams, experience, and partnerships in these regions to create community-led solutions to reduce poverty, create economic opportunity, increase resilience, and empower conflict and crisis-affected groups to improve their future outlook and wellbeing. Working through a network of country offices and local partners, NEF has operations in ten countries: Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. HQ offices are based in Syracuse, NY, Washington, DC, London, UK, and Brussels, Belgium. Our programs are organized around three pillars: Inclusive Economic Development, Climate-resilient Development, and Stabilization and Peacebuilding.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Business Development Coordinator is housed within NEF’s Business Development Team. The Coordinator plays a key role in supporting the program development team to develop high-quality and responsive funding proposals and in maintaining proposal systems. Their efforts support: the design of programs that are innovative and impactful; the development of funding proposals that can mobilize donor resources for programs, NEF strategic partnerships and the goals of NEF strategic planning.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Business Development Coordinator will facilitate the proposal development process in support of the Business Development Manager/Director, technical colleagues, and other team members. The Business Development Coordinator is responsible for (a) coordinating proposal development efforts; (b) ensuring proposal compliance and coordinating internal and external reviews; (c) ensuring completeness and timeliness of all proposal components, supporting the drafting and formatting of proposal sections and attachments as required; (d) supporting coordination of consortia and partners; (e) monitoring donor procurement platforms (e.g., USAID business forecasts, EU procurement portal), and (f) maintaining and updating business development databases, tools and partnership platforms.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Proposal Development (80%):

  •  Engage with lead technical writers, proposal writers and country teams to plan proposal processes and deadlines. Contribute to the research, drafting and formatting proposal sections and supporting documents as required; 
  •  Provide editing, writing, work plan coordination, assessment, and research and/or other support to proposals led by other team members as necessary. Facilitate the compilation of full narrative and cost applications;
  •  Support the identification, engagement and coordination of technical grant writers or consultants for specific NEF proposals, with day-to-day responsibility for developing and processing work orders, invoices and payments as necessary; 
  •  Review proposals and supporting documentation and annexes for accuracy and compliance with donor regulations. Ensure accountability to NEF and donor requirements as outlined in relevant calls for proposals, donor rules andregulation; 
  •  Support adherence to international standards for relief and development in all program designs and proposals;
  •  Ensure all planning documents and proposal packages are filed and accessible to relevant program and country teams; 
  •  Coordinate with Program Unit staff and country teams to ensure smooth transition from proposal to project implementation;
  •  Provide additional proposal development support in collaboration with NEF’s Business Development Manager and Program Unit as directed;
  •  Schedule and coordinate regular Business Development meetings, with guidance from Business Development Manager/Director.

Strategic Planning and Pipeline Support (approximately 20%):

  •  Support with the maintenance of institutional donor mapping matrix, and support the general coordination and identification of new opportunities, in line with organizational and country program strategies;
  •  Support with short-term assignments related to development / implementation of program development administrative tools, including data transfer and Salesforce upkeep; 
  •  Maintain and update registration/organizational information on partnership systems and platforms;
  •  Collaborate with other teams for process/systems improvements;
  •  Collaborate with other NEF teams for process/systems improvements;
  •  Perform other duties as assigned by the Business Development Manager/Director. 

 

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

The successful candidate is a quick learner, detail oriented, flexible, and a team player who wants to own their own work, hone skills, and contribute to the success of a mission-driven organization.

Basic Qualifications

  •  Degree in relevant field required; 
  •  Minimum of two years of experience in international relief and development; demonstrated knowledge of grant-based funding models, proposal development, emergency response and development strategies and operational challenges in the sector;
  •  Experience with grant-writing, international development, and programmatic design and learning efforts;
  •  Excellent writing and editing skills;
  •  Strong written and verbal communication skills;
  •  Proven experience contributing to winning proposals;
  •  Proven high level of computer literacy skills with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Preferred Qualifications

  •  Master’s degree in a relevant field in alignment with relief or development sectors; 
  •  Proficiency in French and/or Arabic;
  •  Familiarity with US government grant processes, as well as grants from other institutional donors (e.g., ECHO/EC, UN, FCDO);
  •  Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex activities, meet deadlines and exercise sound judgement and discipline;
  •  Demonstrated ability to work efficiently and effectively as part of a team with a high degree of drive, autonomy and initiative;
  •  Ability to travel internationally to support country programs, if necessary.

Position Criteria:

  •  Functional competencies that show flexibility and ability to multitask, establish priorities taking into consideration special assignments, deadlines, and available resources;
  •  Strong independent task management skills and techniques, ability to prioritize and organize own workload; 
  •  Ability to work under pressure in a deadline-driven environment.

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