Senior Business Development Officer (Ethiopia)

Job Purpose:

Senior Business Development Officer is responsible for driving the Wetlands International Ethiopias growth through strategic partnerships, fundraising activities, and innovative business development initiatives to secure funding for Wetlands International Ethiopia projects. He/ she will identify funding opportunities, develop high-quality concept notes and proposals aligned with programmatic priorities and donor requirements, developing fundraising strategies, and building relationships with potential donors. S/he will be the main focal person to coordinate responses to calls for proposals, ensuring timely submission of competitive proposals that meet donor guidelines, coordinating with internal teams, external partners, and donors to ensure successful fundraising activities. He/she will facilitate landscape partnerships that Wetlands International works with to access resources for upscaling of wetlands restoration.

Reporting Lines:

This role reports to the Programme Coordinator, Ethiopia.

Work Relationship:

Internal Context:

Within Wetlands International Eastern Africa, the holder of this position relates within WIE with Country Programme Coordinator Manager, Project staff at the country and field offices, Regional Programmes Officers

External Context

Partners, government institutions and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development Strategy and Leadership:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive business development strategy to drive organizational growth and achieve fundraising targets.
• Provide leadership in identifying new business opportunities, building relationships with key stakeholders, and guiding the organization's business development efforts.
• Identify new business opportunities and potential donors through ongoing assessment & analysis, of calls / networks.
• Support the W4R landscape partnership in developing a landscape proposition and landscape investment framework to upscale restoration in the Ziway-Shalla sub-basin.

Fundraising and Proposal Development:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive business development strategy to secure funding for Wetlands International Ethiopia projects.
• Lead the development of high-quality concept notes and proposals aligned with programmatic priorities and donor requirements.
• Manage resource mobilization efforts, including developing fundraising campaigns and overseeing grant applications.
• Coordinate responses to calls for proposals, ensuring timely submission of competitive proposals that meet donor guidelines.
• Collaborate closely with WI operations & finance team to ensure cost proposals are based on recent market analysis and responsive to the solicitation and to make sure all technical components are captured.
• Communicate a variety of funding / financing opportunities to partners of the landscape partnership to facilitate resources to flow to restoration activities in Ziway-Shalla sub-basin

Partnership Development:

• Lead/Coordinate the identification and selection of potential partners for specific proposals.
• Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with donors, government agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to enhance collaboration and leverage resources for mutual benefit.
• Facilitate joint applications for funding opportunities with partners to address shared objectives, including consortium of partners that are part of the W4R landscape partnership in Ziway-Shalla sub-basin.

Program/Project Technical Design:

• Collaborate with program staff to design technically sound programs/projects that address wetlands conservation issues, environmental sustainability, and international development trends.
• Ensure that program/project designs are aligned with organizational goals and contribute to the achievement of desired outcomes.
• Support the development of WIs Communities of Practice (CoP)

Communication and Collaboration

• Ensure effective communication within the organization and with external stakeholders to support fundraising activities and partnership development.
• Collaborate with internal teams, external partners, and donors to ensure alignment of strategies and activities towards common goals.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and teamwork to enhance the organization's impact and effectiveness.

Key Performance Indicators

• Successful securing of funding from diverse sources.
• Timely submission of high-quality concept notes and proposals.
• Development of strategic partnerships with key stakeholders.
• Effective management of fundraising campaigns and grant applications.
• Contribution to the growth and sustainability of Wetlands International's programs
• Timely completion of any other related functions as required by Wetland International.

Department : Programmes

Supervised By : Programme Coordinator

Supervises : None

Qualification, Experience & Skills

Professional Qualifications

• M.A. /M.Sc. in business administration, international development, environmental science, Water Resource Management, Integrated Watershed Management, Development Studies, or related disciplines.

Relevant Experience

• Minimum 7 years of professional experience in the international development sector.
• Demonstrated understanding of business and proposal development processes.
• Experience managing a proposal process as a business developer, fundraiser, proposal manager, coordinator, or in similar role.
• Experience leading technical writing and design of competitive proposals for conservation projects (landscape, wetlands, environment, ecosystem etc)
• Prior demonstrated experience from developing and writing successful proposals for different donors such as Sida, EU, USAID, UN agencies, and other bilateral organizations is required.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating consultations and workshops for proposal writing.
• Profound know-how of the rules, regulations, policies of various donors such as Sida, EU,USAiD, GEF and UN agancies
• Competencies in drafting the necessary budget and other resource needs
• Written and spoken fluency in English is preferred.
• Demonstrated partnership management, organizational, diplomatic and negotiating skills.
• High level of professional and ethical conduct.

Essential Competencies & Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for developing compelling concept notes and proposals;
• Project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Proven record of accomplishment in business development, fundraising, or related fields.
• Knowledge of conservation issues, environmental sustainability, and international development trends.
• Ability to identify partnership opportunities and foster collaboration Strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Good knowledge of administrative and financial rules and regulations
• Ability to work independently but also as part of a team
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment;
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
• Excellent capacities for systemic and strategic thinking
• Strong analytical skills and ability to conduct integrated landscape assessments.
• Fluency in English; proficiency in other languages is a plus.