Manager, Proposal Development
Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.
POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Arlington, VA
The Manager, Proposal Development is responsible for leading proposal development and providing direct support to the Outreach and Partnership Development team. This position identifies opportunities and guides the proposal development process for bilateral and multilateral donor opportunities with oversight and direction from the account leads with a focus on USG entities including USAID, DoS, NOAA, USFWS, NASA, NSF, and USDA as well as the multilateral donors such as the GEF and UN agencies. This position will also support funding requests for certain bilateral European donors as needed. This position provides expert guidance to CI programs on internal fundraising processes and procedures while assisting in development of influential and beneficial relations with existing bilateral and multilateral donors throughout the grant implementation phase.
This position will lead the development process from proposal to contracting and collaborate with the Grants Management team to ensure smooth and effective kick-offs for new funding and efficient transfer of projects from prospective to active, liaising with other teams including Finance and Proposal Development and Monitoring (PDM).
This position will be supervised by the Sr. Director, Outreach and Partnership Development, and will work closely with the Director, Global Public Partnerships and the Senior Manager and Manager, Proposal Development.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead on development of proposals to bilateral and multilateral government agencies in collaboration with CI’s global programs and regional divisions.
- Provide guidance, coordination, and support to CI programs in developing new funding opportunities and in managing the preparation of proposals to multilateral/bilateral donors (on timeline for proposal preparation, approach of proposal, partnership of the proposal, risk analysis, resource planning, clarification of donor terms and conditions etc.).
- Research funding opportunities and communicate information on calls for proposals to global programs and field divisions.
- Draft sections of proposals, deliver quality control and copy editing of concept notes and full proposals, and gather relevant documentation for due diligence processes as per donor requirements.
- Increase systematization of proposal development processes for Global Public Partnerships (GPP) in coordination with Finance and Project Delivery & Monitoring.
- Coordinate grant negotiation and contracting process (including due diligence), answer donor questions, and ensure terms of contracts are acceptable and implementable for the project team, in direct collaboration with the Finance and General Counsel’s Office.
- Collaborate with GPP Grants Management team to organize and co-lead proposal kick-off meetings.
- Support GPP in developing activities to build the fundraising capacity of field offices and global programs with public donors.
- Develop and maintain record of documentation on proposals in Raiser’s Edge and other institutional systems.
Other duties as assigned by supervisor.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- This is a hybrid position.
- Typical office environment.
- Ability to work alternative hours to meet, consult, and advise staff in multiple time zones. Ability to work extended hours to meet deadlines.
- Ability to travel, domestically and internationally, as required, to achieve expected results.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- Bachelor’s Degree and 4 to 6 years or more related work experience or equivalent combination of degree and work experience.
- Knowledge of international conservation and/or international development issues and the non-profit sector.
- Knowledge of bilateral donors and multilateral donor structure and processes.
- Experience fundraising with USG agencies.
- Knowledge of and experience supporting project design.
- Proven ability to work with a wide variety of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and political contexts.
- Proven organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to work on multiple projects at once and meet deadlines.
- Proven ability to work as a team player.
- Demonstrated experience in MS Office, specifically Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
- Highly organized and self-directed, comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
- Ability to convey complex, technical content in clear, concise, compelling language.
- Ability to work under extreme time pressures and produce high-quality materials.
- Experience in solving challenges through analysis and critical thinking with a solution-oriented mindset.
- Knowledge of client management systems, such as Raiser’s Edge.
- Fluency in English is required.
Preferred
- Professional proficiency in another CI language is preferred, such as German, Spanish, French, Bahasa Indonesian, or Portuguese.
- Experience fundraising with multilateral agencies.
To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.
Application Deadline: July 15, 2024 (11:49 PM EST)
See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE
Conservation International is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility-committed employer. We are proud to have a diverse, global workforce where employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, position requirements, business needs, market conditions, merit, and other legitimate nondiscriminatory factors.
As a science-based organization, CI follows CDC recommendations for COVID-19 and other vaccines. Accordingly, for the health and safety of our employees, their families, and our community, subject to applicable local law, all Conservation International staff are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, vaccination is no longer a mandate or condition of employment and employees are not required to provide proof of vaccination. This means we will not require an individual to be vaccinated to enter a CI office, attend CI events or travel on CI-related trips. This applies for our community partners as well. This vaccine expectation applies to all team members working remotely, in a hybrid work arrangement, and on-site. Job applicants are NOT required to state their COVID-19 vaccine status in their application.
