Job Title: Budget Development Specialist
Hiring Organization: Catholic Relief
Location – Locality: Nairobi
Location – Region: Kenya
Industry: NGO
Job Type: Full Time
Salary: KES
Date Posted: 07/14/2024
Job
Summary:
- The Regional
Business Development Manager provides leadership for resource mobilization
efforts to meet long-term goals and annual growth targets. S/he supports
the diversification of revenue from institutional donors and
non-traditional funding sources to achieve CRS’ strategic objectives. S/he
operates as a member of CRS’ East Africa Regional Office (EARO) team
providing direct support to strategic growth opportunities as well as
helping to strengthen BD-related systems, processes, relationships and staff
capacities.
- As Budget
Development (BD) Specialist II, you will lead the production of
high-quality applications and proposals for the CRS East Africa Region,
with a specific focus on cost proposals, in support of CRS’ engagement
with institutional donors and initiatives. Your knowledge and skills will
allow you to provide specialized assistance in all dimensions of the BD
cycle to cross-disciplines and cross-functional teams. This position
requires strategic thinking on high-level pricing strategies, solid
hands-on experience building proposal budgets, and the ability to transfer
skills and knowledge via training and other capacity-strengthening
approaches. Options for the position to be based in CRS’ Baltimore
headquarters (once permitted), Nairobi, Kenya as well as for the position
to be telecommuting will be considered.
Roles and Key Responsibilities
- With a
particular focus on pricing strategy and cost inputs, provide BD expertise
in positioning, capture planning and proposal preparation for specific
opportunities with institutional donors (government and inter-governmental
award issuing organizations, as well as foundations, corporations and
other awarding non-governmental organizations).
- Coordinate cost
proposal development processes to ensure timely submission of high quality
cost proposals that are responsive to donor requirements, applicable
regulations, and CRS’ technical and cost standards. Lead and support
proposal budget processes and propose recommendations to develop a
competitive proposal.
- Serve as budget
lead on proposal teams, working with technical staff, management, local
finance staff, and partner staff to integrate inputs into a responsive,
cost competitive detailed budget and budget narrative. Collaborate with
proposal teams to ensure an understanding of the proposal requirements and
to establish competitive and reasonable cost and pricing data for the
development of cost proposals in accordance and alignment with relevant
proposal specifications. Create or modify budget spreadsheet templates in
accordance with client requirements.
- In close
collaboration with proposal coordinators and technical leads, lead or
contribute to the writing of competitive cost proposal narratives.
- Support to
proposal budget processes, including compliance reviews and cost
competitive analyses, to ensure adherence to the solicitation, donor rules
and regulations and internal CRS policies and cost standards.
- Manage partners
as a part of the proposal process and perform activities including
developing budget templates, providing budget assumptions, negotiating
budgets, reviewing budgets and notes, and ensuring final submissions
comply with donor requirements.
- Lead proposal
teams in collecting, preparing, and analyzing historical cost data for use
in budgeting.
- Support senior
management to cultivate and strengthen institutional relationships with
institutional donors, partner organizations and other stakeholders.
- As appropriate
and time permitting, serve in other lead or supporting role on a proposal
team, working with proposal teams to ensure the timely submission of
high-quality proposals that are responsive to donor requirements,
applicable regulations, and CRS’ technical and cost standards.
- Train and mentor
staff, as needed, to improve their skills in cost proposal and pricing
strategy development across a variety of donors.
- Support and
guide identification of partners and negotiation of CRS’ role on proposal
consortia, ensuring a competitive position for CRS that adheres to the
agency’s partnership principles and strategic directions.
- Lead in
developing and/or updating of relevant cost proposal tools, resources and
training modules. Develop templates and tools for efficient and effective
cost proposal preparation according to donor and industry best practices
(e.g. Excel budget templates and cost notes).
- Actively
contribute to CRS and EARO Business Development Communities of Practice
and advance CRS’ Business Development practices through contributions to
strategic initiatives and annual summits. Cultivate collaborative
relationships with other key stakeholders, including HQ and regional
finance staff.
- Required
Languages – Fluency in English required
- Travel –
Willingness to travel up to 50% a plus.
Knowledge,
Skills and Abilities
- Strong Microsoft
Excel skills and experience preparing complicated spreadsheets and
budgets.
- Ability to
manage multiple ongoing responsibilities and strong organization and
prioritization skills.
- Strong
strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with
capacity to see the big picture.
- Strong relations
management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally
and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
- Excellent
negotiation skills.
- Strong
communications and presentation skills.
- Proactive,
resourceful, solutions-oriented, detail-oriented and results-oriented.
- Supervisory
Responsibilities: None
Key
Working Relationships:
- Internal: EARO
Business Development Team, Regional Finance Officer and regional finance
staff, Country Program Finance Managers and other finance and operations
staff, Heads of Programs and other program quality staff, Deputy Regional
Director for Program Quality, Institutional Donor Engagement &
Advancement unit.
- External:
Business development and finance staff of collaborating partner
organizations; select donor representatives as appropriate.
Basic
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s
degree in international development, international relations, finance,
economics, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum five
years of international development experience, with at least three years’
experience in a developing country.
- Five years of
proposal development budgeting experience, with familiarity with USAID.
Preferred
Qualifications
- Demonstrated
experience utilizing diverse, proactive strategies to competitively
position his/her organization for new funding and productive institutional
relationships.
- Demonstrated
experience leading and producing competitive cost applications and
proposals in programming contexts similar to CRS. Strong preference for
experience leading complex US government contract proposal processes.
- Proficient in
the application of relevant cost principles, budgeting methodologies, and
cost presentations of US government donor agencies (USAID, CDC, Department
of State). Preference for similar knowledge with other non-US government
donors (e.g. FCDO, EU, and World Bank).
- Possesses
working knowledge of all US government contract types, including CPFF,
CPAF, FFP, T&M, and IDIQ
- Familiarity with
relevant institutional donor regulations, policies, procedures and
priorities. Must understand Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), AIDAR,
USAID Standard Provisions, 2 CFR 200 and 700, and other relevant federal
regulations.
- Demonstrated
experience developing complete cost proposals (including detailed budgets,
budget narratives and other supporting cost information) for a variety of
donors, including USAID; experience with both cooperative agreement/grant
and contract mechanisms strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated
experience managing teams and processes, leading teams to produce
deliverables under tight deadlines and at exceptional quality. Experience
providing remote support to diverse teams strongly preferred.
- Experience in
developing content for and facilitating trainings related to key business
development practices. Knowledge of adult learning approaches desired.
- Knowledge of CRS
programs, justice agenda and Catholic Social Teaching principles a plus
- Experience using
MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web
Conferencing Applications, information management systems.
- Agency REDI
Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
- Agency
competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When
demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their
best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. These are rooted in the mission,
values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to
fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
- Personal
Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
- Acts with
Integrity – Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles
and mission. Is considered honest.
- Builds and
Maintains Trust – Shows consistency between words and actions.
- Collaborates
with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
- Open to Learn –
Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an
opportunity to learn new things.
Agency
Leadership Competencies:
- Lead Change –
Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of
agility, openness, and innovation.
- Develops and
Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full
potential and enhance team and agency performance.
- Strategic
Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing
agency strategy and team priorities.
- Our Catholic
identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief
Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to
assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. 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 protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and
exploitation.
- Disclaimer:
This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort,
duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
