Role Purpose
The
Program Development
Officer (PDO) supports the
Head of Program Development and the PDQII team by coordinating proposal
development processes, drafting narrative sections, maintaining proposal and
donor‑related information systems, and managing key components of opportunity
tracking and knowledge management. The role leads coordination for small-medium
opportunities and support coordination for complex proposals, ensuring timely,
compliant, high‑quality submissions aligned with the Country Strategic Plan.
The PDO plays a crucial role in supporting the country office to maintain a competitive and responsive funding portfolio aligned to Save the Children’s global breakthroughs. The position requires a proactive professional capable of managing complex tasks, consolidating information across teams, and ensuring quality and timeliness in program development processes. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder may be required to work outside normal hours.
Scope of Role
- Reports to: Head of Program Development
- Staff Reporting to this Post: None
- Key working relationships: Works daily with PDQII, MEAL, Operations,
Finance, Supply Chain, Awards, HR, Security, and SC Members to deliver
coordinated, compliant proposal submissions. Supports the Head of Program
Development in donor‑engagement but does not independently lead donor
representation unless formally delegated.
Responsibilities
Fundraising
strategy support
- Contribute to opportunity analysis, proposal pipeline maintenance,
and the preparation of materials that support fundraising actions under
each strategic goal.
- Maintain and update funding trackers (pipeline, opportunity,
proposal, donor, and member trackers), ensuring accurate inputs and timely
reporting.
- Conduct background research on donor trends, funding landscapes, and
programming priorities to inform strategic decision-making.
Proposal
development and coordination
- Coordinate proposal coordination processes, including development
schedules, consolidation of drafts, follow‑ups, and ensuring compliance
with donor templates and SCI standards.
- Prepare proposal templates, checklists, and other required documents
(e.g., AMS setup, PART/AMET risk assessments, gender markers), ensuring
complete and compliant filing.
- Lead coordination for small to medium proposals; provide drafting
and consolidation support to large/complex proposals.
- Draft standard and contextual narrative sections (country context,
organisational capability, needs analysis, cross-cutting themes). Prepare
donor annexes and ensure budget–narrative alignment in coordination with
Finance.Support drafting and editing of technical narrative sections
working closely with Technical Specialists, Programme Managers, and MEAL.
- Support and document proposal design workshops, produce summaries
and action plans, and ensure proper archiving of materials.
Donor
engagement and capture planning
- Regularly scan donor portals and external funding sources to
identify new opportunities and update the opportunity pipeline.
- Support donor engagement preparation by conducting desk research,
preparing briefs, and updating donor intelligence repositories.
- Maintain donor profiles, meeting notes, strategies, annual reports,
and other intelligence resources in structured SharePoint folders.
Knowledge
management and learning
- Maintain the team’s knowledge management systems including proposal
archives, donor intelligence libraries, trackers, capacity statements,
templates, lessons‑learned repositories, and version‑control.
- Synthesize learning from design workshops, donor feedback, and
proposal after-action-reviews and update learning repositories.
- Ensure standardized SharePoint file naming, storage, and
accessibility across PDQII and Operations teams.
Humanitarian
response
- Support humanitarian proposal coordination and drafting, including
situation updates, response snapshots, and capability statements.
- Provide short term surge support for Category 1 & 2 emergencies
when required.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree (required) in Development Studies, International
Relations, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or a related field.
- Master’s degree (preferred) in any of the above or related
disciplines.
Experience
Required:
Professional
Experience:
- 3–5 years of relevant experience in programme development, proposal
writing, grants coordination, or donor-facing roles within the
humanitarian or development sector.
- Minimum 3 years of experience coordinating proposal development
processes (including drafting, compliance checks, templates, and
consolidation) for donors such as FCDO, ECHO, UN agencies, or
philanthropic foundations.
- At least 2 years of experience supporting the preparation of donor
proposal budgets in collaboration with finance teams.
Technical
Skills
- Strong writing, editing, analytical, and research skills, with the
ability to develop high quality narrative sections.
- Excellent project coordination and time management skills, with
demonstrated success managing multiple deadlines in a fast-paced
environment.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Proven experience with SharePoint, Teams, and other knowledge
management platforms, including version control best practices.
- Ability to maintain structured document repositories and ensure high
data accuracy.
Competencies
& Core Attributes:
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and ability to engage
effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
- Ability to lead coordination for small to medium proposals and
support complex multi-sector or multi-country opportunities.
- Demonstrated capacity to conduct background research on donor
trends, funding landscapes, and strategic priorities.
- Fluency in written and spoken English (required).
How to Apply
