The Partnerships department is seeking Associate Officer with proven experience in fundraising proposal development particularly for large complex proposals worth over US$2 million. These positions are integral to the Science Engagement and Resource Mobilization team and will directly support Alliance researchers in achieving their fundraising objectives.
The Associate Officer will report directly to the Senior Manager Science Engagement and Resource Mobilization with a secondary reporting line to the Research Area (Lever) Directors. The primary responsibilities include managing all aspects of the proposal development process on behalf of Researchers such as identifying and pursuing highpriority highlikelihood fundraising opportunities coordinating preaward services from various support units ensuring compliance with proposal development procedures and providing procedural guidance throughout the process.
In this role Associate Officer will handle all process management coordination administration interunit collaboration and timeline planning activities related to large priority proposals. This allows Researchers to focus solely on the scientific content of their proposals knowing that all other aspects of proposal preparation are being expertly managed. The Associate Officers will work closely with all relevant units involved in the Alliance s Proposal Development Process (PDP) to ensure seamless and efficient proposal development.
Responsibilities
- Proposal Management and Coordination: Lead the management and coordination of all aspects of the proposal development process for large complex proposals ( US$2 million) on behalf of Researchers. This includes timeline planning ensuring adherence to compliance requirements and managing contributions from various support units.
- PreAward Services Coordination: Act as the central point of contact for coordinating all preaward support services involved in proposal development. Work closely with Finance Legal the OPD Proposal Enhancement team and other relevant units to ensure that administrative budgetary and legal requirements are met.
- Opportunity Analysis and Decision Support: Provide strategic and procedural guidance to Researchers by conducting opportunity analysis helping them make informed go/nogo decisions regarding funding opportunities. This involves evaluating the alignment with organizational goals the likelihood of success and the availability of resources.
- Process Management: Oversee the proposal timeline and manage the flow of information between stakeholders to ensure that all necessary steps are completed on schedule. This includes coordinating with Lever Program Management Officers (PMOs) the OPD Proposal Enhancement team the Project Financial Analysis and Support (PLANS) team and Regional Partnerships Officers.
- Learning and Improvement: Collaborate with the Head of Science Engagement and Resource Mobilization PIs and other contributing scientists to systematize lessons learned from both successful and unsuccessful proposals aiming to enhance future proposal development processes.
- Administrative and Compliance Support: Handle all administrative tasks related to proposal development including document management scheduling and compliance checks ensuring that Researchers are free to focus on the scientific content of their proposals.
- Knowledge Sharing and Communication: Share insights knowledge and priorities with Science Communications Associate Officers to ensure that proposals are not only scientifically robust but also clearly communicated to potential funders.
Engagement responsibilities
- CrossFunctional Coordination: Facilitate effective communication and collaboration between PIs Lever Directors and all relevant support units ensuring alignment throughout the proposal development process.
- Stakeholder Interaction: Engage with Finance OPD Legal and other key stakeholders to ensure all administrative budgetary and legal aspects are seamlessly integrated into the proposal preparation and submission process.
- Decision Support: Provide opportunity analysis insights to assist PIs in making informed go/nogo decisions ensuring that proposals align with organizational goals and have a high likelihood of success.
- Continuous Improvement: Collaborate with relevant teams to review and integrate feedback from proposal outcomes driving enhancements in future proposal development efforts.
Delivery responsibilities.
- Proposal Drafting and Coordination: Produce and refine initial drafts of large complex proposals ensuring timely input from all contributors and adherence to submission deadlines.
- Guidance Documentation: Prepare inputs for written guidance notes for highvalue funding calls ( $1 million) ensuring consistency and alignment with organizational priorities.
- Process Management: Oversee the endtoend management of proposal timelines and deliverables ensuring all steps are completed efficiently and on schedule.
- Learning Integration: Contribute to postproposal evaluations and integrate lessons learned into future proposal processes for continuous improvement.
Requirements
Education
- Master s degree in agricultural environmental or biological sciences international development business administration science communications or related fields.
- Fluency in English at C2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) with proven highlevel verbal and written communication skills.
- Advanced knowledge of French is desirable.
Experience
- At least 5 years of relevant experience in resource mobilization and research proposal development particularly in agriculture environment rural development and/or natural or social sciences.
- Proven experience in managing large complex technical proposals ( US$2 million) in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams in international settings.
- Experience in preparing analyses guidance notes or educational materials to support proposal development.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in multicultural and interdisciplinary environments.
Technical Competencies
- Strong analytical and problemsolving skills: Ability to assess complex proposals and provide strategic input to enhance success rates.
- Excellent organizational skills: Capable of managing multiple priorities and ensuring timely delivery of highquality proposals.
- Attention to detail: High standards of accuracy in preparing and reviewing proposal documents.
- Effective communication skills: Proficiency in articulating complex ideas clearly in both written and verbal forms tailored to diverse audiences including scientists and funders.
- Collaboration and teamwork: Proven ability to work within multidisciplinary teams and engage withvarious stakeholders across different functions.
- Autonomy and initiative: Ability to work independently with minimal supervision demonstrating a proactive approach in managing proposal processes.
- Proficiency in virtual tools and applications: Advanced skills in using the Microsoft Office suite and other relevant software for document preparation communication and project management.
Terms of employment
This position is graded at BG09 level in a scale of BG01 to BG14 (BG14 being the highest level according to the Alliance job classification framework policy) with an entrylevel basic salary of Ksh 400 018.00. The position is based in Kenya and can be either officebased at the Nairobi Duduville campus or hybrid from another location within Kenya. This position will be managed through a fixedterm contract of one (1) year subject to a probation period according to local legislation and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources.
The Alliance BioversityCIAT offers a multicultural collegial research environment with competitive salaries and excellent benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer and strive for gender diversity and inclusion in our staff without regard to race color religion gender gender identity sexual orientation national origin ethnicity age disability marital status or any other characteristic.
Note: The Alliance does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application interview meeting processing or training). The Alliance also does not concern itself with information on applicants bank accounts.
Applications closing date: 30th November 2024
Please note that email applications will not be considered.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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