IREX is a global development and education organization. We strive for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world-where individuals reach their full potential, governments serve their people, and communities thrive. We focus on people, not on vaccines, roads, or wells. With an annual portfolio of $80 million and 400 staff worldwide, we work with partners in more than 100 countries in four areas essential to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information.

Your Background & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in related field required; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 10+ years of relative experience in international development.
• Minimum 5-8 years of new business development experience and an established network of international development client, partner, and practitioners contacts in sectors relevant to IREX’s core areas.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in international leadership development strongly preferred, with desired experience creating networks of ethical leaders to catalyze positive change, connecting leaders who capably and ethically serve their communities, facilitating international exchanges for leadership training and professional development opportunities.
• Experience designing and writing winning proposals for donor funded projects, a preference for a positive track record designing and drafting proposals in response to Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded program solicitations.
• Positive approach to iterative proposal drafting, able and willing to effectively incorporate varied inputs into proposal drafts.
• Strong experience and knowledge of best practices in international leadership development.
• Seasoned team player with a dedication to collaborative program design and proposal development processes that inclusively leverage the expertise and diverse perspectives of stakeholders globally.
• Willingness to travel to developing countries, estimated at up to 20% of the time.
• Ability to conceptualize and write winning proposals for projects funded by the Department of State, USAID, and other donors.
• Technical expertise in international leadership development strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage proposal development efforts and ensure quality and timely submission.
• Ability to remotely cultivate new partnerships and build complementary consortia for effective program implementation.
• Strong donor, partner, and peer collaboration and negotiation skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal, intercultural and collaboration skills.
• Analytical and strong writing skills.
• Fluent, professional, written and spoken English required; other languages encouraged.
• You must have unrestricted work authorization in one of the countries where this position is based.

Your Daily Tasks

• Lead or support the entire proposal development process, from capture to submission.
• Write technical narratives, concepts, expressions of interest, or other documents.
• Identify and meaningfully engage potential international and local partners in proposal development processes.
• Promote IREX’s participation and represent IREX in conferences, industry functions, and donor-driven fora.
• Assess leadership programs and initiatives in the sector with the purpose of enhancing the competitiveness of IREX’s proposals.
• Conduct market and donor assessments.
• Identify and assess new and emerging solutions deployed in leadership development programs.
• Identify and assess gaps in IREX’s capabilities in leadership development and proactively address those gaps in collaboration with the IREX’s Strategy and Development Group and in coordination with IREX’s Global Programs.
• Lead initiatives to position IREX as a dynamic provider of solutions to some of the most pressing leadership development problems globally.
• Harmonize all IREX’s leadership development new business efforts to ensure they are in full alignment with strategy and are grounded in rigorous competitiveness analysis.
• Lead proposal development efforts to ensure quality and timely submission using consistent business development processes.
• Help create dynamic and forward-leaning solutions in IREX’s funding proposals to donors.
• Write technical narratives, concepts, expressions of interest, or other documents.
• Contribute to ensure IREX is fully prepared to pursue new business opportunities.
• Cultivate new partnerships around the globe and effectively engage new partners in proposal development processes.
• Leverage technical expertise to increase quality of proposals and IREX positioning.
• Track and gain intelligence to advance IREX’ s new business opportunities.
• Conduct reconnaissance missions for project development.
• Contribute to priority sectors for business development.
• Contribute to country strategies for priority countries.
• Contribute to proposal development in strategy meetings and partner discussions.
• Oversee the development of relevant new business promotional materials and their dissemination to target audiences.
• Lead budget and cost proposals; write budget narratives and prepare cost attachments.
• Creates, and reviews cost applications attachments,
• Review partner budgets,
• Ensure mathematical accuracy and negotiate with partners.
• Engage partners in developing appropriate, competitive, and comprehensive cost proposals.
• Coordinate closely with Senior Budget Specialist to ensure program design is accurately represented in cost proposals.
• Support collection of costing inputs to ensure reasonableness of cost proposals.
• Coordinate closely with Practice leadership and program teams throughout proposal development processes.
• Help identify COPs and other key personnel and participate in interviews.
• Mentor and train staff and interns when required.
• Other support duties as assigned.