The Purpose of the Role

To support IRC’s Initiate Funding strand in the recently launched global Business Development strategy. This new, entrepreneurial strand of work includes driving a major institutional funding campaign for IRC’s cross-organizational Movement Against Malnutrition and implementing innovative approaches for proactive public BD focused on IRC’s most important program priorities (known as “Impact @ Scale priorities”) across sectors including outcomes within health, education and economic wellbeing.

Working with the Director, the Initiate Funding Officer will bring their rounded and flexible capacity to develop and deliver this new area of the BD strategy. This will include establishing effective positive working relationships and standards of collaboration with colleagues across the organization, including AMU, International Division (CRRD), Private fundraising and with policy and advocacy teams.

The role will support in building an operational approach and developing a portfolio of tools and assets that allow IRC to proactively and effectively position our work and engage with donors to proactively pursue these priority outcome areas.

Major Responsibilities

Strategy

• In collaboration with the Initiate Funding Director establish the new Initiate team, define ways of working and set up structures to support successful delivery of the Initiate strand of the Public Funding Strategy
• Lead on specified Initiate actions from the Public Funding Strategy
• In collaboration with the Initiate Funding Director mobilize and influence engagement with the Initiate strategy across the organization. Working across IRC regions, technical units, public business development, private funding and advocacy.

BD Global Public Funding for Movement Against Malnutrition (MAM)

• Coordinate tracking and support the delivery of business development plans for MAM.
• In collaboration with the Initiate Funding Director and Donor Engagement colleagues, prepare materials to enable effective donor engagement and influence for MAM business development.
• Represent the IRC at external meetings, events, and forums as appropriate.
• Develop regular updates on BD activities, including communicating success and developing learnings to key internal stakeholders.
• Coordinate meetings and action plans between different stakeholders within IRC, including private and public fundraising to support the achievement of MAM funding goals.
• Lead analysis and maintain relevant data on donor strategies, peer activity and priorities in relation to malnutrition.
• Facilitate the dissemination of content for MAM with global, regional and country-based colleagues to contribute to effective MAM fundraising

BD for Priority Program Outcomes:

• Lead on competitive analysis, partner mapping and analysis of donor priorities across 5 priority program outcome areas.
• Coordinate across technical, geographic, and Donor Engagement team to develop, relevant materials and tools to support strong and effective priority outcomes for BD.
• Monitor and report on BD progress against Initiate objectives and Impact @ Scale priorities and targets.
• With the Director, ensure effective resourcing with bid leads (long-term funding or foundational) on the development of proactive bids.
• Support the development of proactive bids- including unsolicited BD- for priority outcomes.
• Establish and document effective BD processes for the initiate funding strand, including positioning, capture and unsolicited funding responses, involving relevant geographic, technical and BD collaborators.

Program coordination with Technical Teams (Tech Ex):

• Facilitate coordination of the technical units strategic pipeline, enabling strong routines to deliver on IRC’s BD strategy and the technical unit strategies for Business Development
• Plan and convene regular strategic pipeline reviews and planning across HQ program units.
• Coordinate the pipeline of unsolicited and globally flexible bid opportunities, in coordination with Business Development and Donor Engagement focal points, including supporting internal competition processes as appropriate.

Public and Private funding collaboration:

• Establish regular coordination with private fundraising colleagues as a priority in the new Global Business Development strategy
• Advise on systems to strengthen the interoperability of IRC systems between AMU and External Relations (Private funding), including the use of program assets and materials, process and pipelines and data.

Flexible support for BD technical assistance to teams across IRC.

• Develop and improve relevant BD tools, guidelines, learnings and training.
• Provide flexible support to the BD Associate as required in systematic improvements to the BD process manual and its roll-out.

Job Requirements

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

Please note that diversity of experience counts (i.e., paid and volunteer work; lived experiences; transferable skills from another industry etc.)

• Experience in humanitarian or development business development, donor relations, policy or advocacy or a combination of these.
• Knowledge of having worked with humanitarian and development donors, including in US and/or European markets
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, including development of briefing documents.
• Ability to prioritize and positively collaborate in a fast paced and changing environment with multiple partners.
• Good analytical skills and first-class attention to detail. Experience undertaking reviews of policies and reports, producing associated written and verbal guidance to relevant staff.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of team.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• Relevant additional language skills, particularly French or Spanish