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 required.
• 10+ years of relative experience in international development required, with 5-8 years of new business development experience and an established network of international development clients, partners, and practitioners contacts in sectors relevant to IREX’s core areas.
• 3-5 years of experience in international education strongly preferred, with preferred experience in pre and in-service teacher training, curriculum development, positive youth development, and workforce development programming.
• Experience designing and writing winning proposals for donor funded projects, a preference for a positive track record designing and drafting proposals in response to 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 education.
• 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 education (primary to higher education) 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.
• Expertise in Positive Youth Development (PYD) approaches that support youth to contribute to their full potential strongly preferred.
• 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 authorization to work in the United States or Kenya or Jordan or Guatemala.

Your Daily Tasks 

• Lead or support 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 education 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 education programs.
• Identify and assess gaps in IREX’s education capabilities 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, including direct educator engagement activities on the ground, to position IREX as a dynamic provider of solutions to some of the most pressing education problems globally.
• Harmonize all IREX’s education development 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.
• 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.
• Coordinates 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 needed.