Job Category: Program Development
Full-Time
Location: Arlington, VA, USA
Travel Required: Yes

​

Description

​

TechnoServe is a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty. A nonprofit organization operating in 29 countries, we work with enterprising men and women in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. By linking people to information, capital and markets, we have helped millions to create lasting prosperity for their families and communities.

Founded over 50 years ago, TechnoServe has been named the #1 nonprofit for fighting poverty by the ImpactMatters charity ratings agency.

​

Position Description:

 

This position will drive revenue growth and development impact across TechnoServe’s regional divisions and technical areas of excellence. The Senior Business Development Manager (SBDM) will lead and support the development of high-priority bids with TechnoServe’s priority donors, including the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and others. The SBDM will be involved in all phases of new business development from ideation through proposal submission, including opportunity generation, concept note and pitch development, pre-positioning efforts, program design, and proposal development on competitive and non-competitive bids. 

​

Below we describe the principal responsibilities in order of importance.

​

• Manage the development of program concepts. In collaboration with TechnoServe staff and partner organizations, s/he will run co-design workshops to define problems and develop solutions, draft/write/prepare initial concepts, and support our regional and technical staff to pitch new opportunities. Co-design concepts range from targeted solutions for a specific corporate funder to complex public-private partnerships with bilateral donors. S/he will need to understand technical content and work with our experts to refine and innovate solutions based on context and need. Estimated level of effort – 35%.

• Lead and support opportunity capture efforts. S/he will support TechnoServe’s geographic regions and technical practices to position for high-priority bids, overseeing efforts ranging from capture trips to recruitment efforts. The SBDM will ensure that TechnoServe is prepared to respond by overseeing a process that ensures proper preparation for preliminary program design and win theme development; identification of and consultation with critical stakeholders, including proposal partners; initiation of recruitment for key personnel; and production of capture trip reports, among other responsibilities. Estimated level of effort – 20%

• Serve as proposal writer and integrator for high-priority bids. S/he will be responsible for writing and integrating specialized inputs into broader technical proposal narratives and supporting annexes (executive summary, technical approach, management plan, organizational capacity, monitoring and evaluation plan, implementation plan, etc.) on high priority bids. Estimated level of effort – 20%.

• Support improved performance management in program development. S/he will support the global PD team to improve new business performance through mentorship, training, and strengthened knowledge management. The SBDM will work with the Principal Technical Writer to support mentorship and training aimed at strengthening proposal writing throughout the organization. In close coordination with the PD KM Lead, the SBDM will also support the development of PD toolkits, guidance documents, and templates aimed at promoting global standards in across regions and country platforms, focusing on lead generation and concept development steps. Estimated level of effort – 15%.

• Perform other tasks as required by the associate vice president, program development. As TechnoServe operates in a dynamic and constantly changing environment, there will be ad-hoc requests related to program development, including planning and strategy. Estimated level of effort – 10%.

 

Basic Qualifications 

• At least 10 years of experience with Bachelor’s degree, or 7 years of experience with Master’s degree, in a relevant discipline.

• At least 5 years of experience in analytical and strategic roles within the private sector and/or international development sphere.

• At least 5 years of experience in proposal development with a proven track record of managing and/or writing winning proposals.

• Experience in project design in the international development arena and knowledge of the international development donor landscape.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to use and aptitude for Results Based Management/Logical Framework approaches preferred.

• Passionate about market-led approaches to helping the poor improve their livelihoods.

• Fluency in Spanish, French, and/or Portuguese strongly preferred; additional language skills are desirable.

• Experience in agricultural development/agribusiness/economic growth/enterprise development preferred.

• Understanding of innovative design concepts and methodologies such as Human Centered Design and Lean Agile Development.

 

Languages: English required. Fluency in French, Portuguese or Spanish preferred. 

 

Travel: International up to 30%; Domestic up to 10%

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Strong written and oral communication skills with enthusiasm for writing.

• Ability to perform under pressure, be flexible, work independently, manage multiple tasks, and work effectively as a manager and team member in a fast-paced, multi-cultural environment.

• Demonstrated ability to coach more junior professional colleagues.

 

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe's vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.

With our commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and affirmative action employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.

 

We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.

 

If you have a disability that affects your ability to use our online system to apply for a position at TechnoServe please contact the Human Resources at recruitment@tns.org or call +1 202 785 4515.

 

Travel Required

Yes. International up to 30%; Domestic up to 10%

 

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

 

HOW TO APPLY:  Please apply through TechnoServe's website at: https://bit.ly/3j0dvOH

​