ChildFund is a child-focused international development organization that works in 23 countries to connect children with the people, resources, and institutions they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe, no matter where they are.
ChildFund’s Values
ChildFund is creating a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible environment where everyone is welcomed and celebrated equally. In our culture of connection, you will have ample opportunity to grow, learn, and lead while contributing your talents and innovations to our inspiring mission.
ChildFund’s Commitment
ChildFund International has a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) and all other forms of harm by its staff, partners, and other representatives in the delivery of its mission and services for children. ChildFund is committed to creating a safe environment in the workplace as well as in the communities where it delivers programs and services. ChildFund expects every staff member, partner, and representative to adhere to this commitment and to ensure all organizational policies and standards are followed. This position is subject to a range of vetting checks, including a criminal records check and/or disclosure to ensure program participants are safeguarded.
About This Role
This position is part of the Senior Management Team (SMT). The Manager Resource Acquisition and Management position will support overall grants acquisition and management strategies. In close collaboration with the Country Director and the Program and Sponsorship Director, the Manager, Resources Acquisition and Management will provide leadership and coordinate proposal management processes for the country office from planning through negotiation as a key member of the proposal development team and provide post award support throughout the Grants Acquisition and Management processes. The position holder will take the lead in ensuring robust knowledge management systems are in place and functioning to support grants acquisition and management. The position holder will lead networking with partners including local and international and government to build relationships, synergies and consortia for resource acquisition and implementation. The Manager Resource Acquisition and Management will work in close coordination and collaboration with Child Fund’s Global Programs, Business Development, and post award management team.

Primary Responsibilities
Remain alert and responsive to any safeguarding risks; acquire relevant knowledge and skills to enable you to understand the safeguarding policy and procedures; promote strong safeguarding practices; perform your duty and responsibility to safeguard, report violations, and promote appropriate behavior; and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the organization’s policies and values.
Contribute to Fundraising strategy development and execution including post award management:
• Leads the Country Office’ grant acquisition efforts, responsible for strengthening the COs’ institutional capacity to acquire relevant grants and increase the CO grant portfolio.
• Ensure the country office meets the grant acquisition targets for the various categories of donors.
• Develop the Resource Mobilization and management Strategy for the Country Office.
• Scan, assess the market conditions and donor priorities for the country, to provide input to the Resource Mobilization Plans.
• Prepare the grant acquisition strategies and ensure alignment with the country office CSP.
• Develop donors and partners engagement plans and operationalize them.
• Ensure that all COs grant Business development activity aligns with ChildFund Resource Mobilization policy.
• Deepen the impact of communication work, identify key priorities, channels, audiences, and messages to establish an appropriate public image for ChildFund, internally and externally, in line with ChildFund international values and culture.
• Support the Country office to contextualize ChildFund cost recovery policy through development of local cost recovery policies and implementation of the same.
Resource mobilization, partnership, and donor engagement
• Supports the development and maintenance of effective relationships with current and prospective donors.
• Networking, updating, and liaising with key in-country and international donors.
• Provide effective coordination for the establishment of proposal development working groups with representatives from key stakeholders within and outside ChildFund (consortia formation)
• Provides appropriate and timely feedback to ensure management is fully informed of grant project progress and success with all new existing donors.
• Pro-active network and engagement with potential donors and their representatives at country, regional and global level to identify leads and pursue funding opportunities.
• Support the CO proposal development processes from capture to negotiation: monitor websites to identify new opportunities, analyze solicitations, draft compliance matrix, manage proposal calendar and checklists, manage proposal files in Salesforce, and support final production of the proposal.
• Lead the preparation and presentation of grant proposals, budget and the successful submission of competitive grant proposals, operational and financial reports in collaboration with the relevant Program and Finance staff: ensure best practice is communicated, followed, and shared in all aspects of grant management.
• In coordination with the Country Director and Program and Sponsorship Director and Program technical teams, draft capacity statements, past performance references (PPR), management plans, and some sections of the technical proposal.
• As a key member of the proposal development team, will conduct desk reviews to inform proposal strategy, such as Go/No-go decisions, problem analysis, partnering and recruitment for project staffing decisions.
• Coordinates with Finance & HR staffs in the development of budgets and review budgets for cost realism and accuracy; supports the collection of costs data, liaises with subs (local partners) in the preparation of costs proposals, and provides inputs for budget narratives.
• Manage production of supporting documentation of cost application in compliance with ChildFund Policies and donor requirements.
• Coordinates with Human Resources staff to identify suitable key personnel.
• Leads the development of Child Fund’s Capture Plan, including donor mapping, analysis of donor priorities and mapping of peer organizations.
• Lead Grants negotiations to ensure appropriate implementation & reporting will be done. (match, reporting requirements, project timeframe)
• Maintains an up-to-date action plan aiming to cultivate relationships with key donors and peer organizations.
• Provide adequate training to field staff on proposal development and grants management skills (including proposal-writing and report-writing)
• Ensure that all CO grant Business Development activity aligns with ChildFund’s Business Development Policy, Procedures and Practices.
• Coordinate and lead market study, donor mapping and country office capture plan to ensure strong fundraising pipeline.
• In collaboration with the SMT, the post holder will ensure robust analysis of the funding pipeline and proactively support actions to strengthen it.
• Working in close coordination with the CO’s technical team and the Global Business Development Team ensure that the CO pre-positions itself successfully on relevant grant funding opportunities.
• Identify and analyze funding opportunities originating in country and scope potential partnerships to complement and strengthen the country office’s program portfolio.
• Gather relevant and timely intelligence information necessary for grant acquisition; identify grant opportunities and relevant institutional guidance materials to share with relevant departments.
• Build staff and partner organization capabilities for successful grant acquisition and management.
• Lead the use of organizational system and tools (including Salesforce) to support the execution of the resource mobilization strategy.
• Maintain proactive, coordinated, and strategic engagement with potential donors.
• Identify key stakeholders and networks relevant to priority pipeline opportunities for effective prepositioning and support the country office to engage in strategic partnerships with civil society, INGOs, UN and government entities as appropriate, to maximise the use of our resources for the implementation of quality programs.
• Ensure business development documentation and material are up to date and ready for sharing with potential donors.
• Effectively communicate the organization’s strategies, cultivating and managing donor/partner relationships, and providing opportunities for cooperation, networking, alliance-building, learning and knowledge management across ChildFund’s work.
Post Award Grants/NSPs management
• Review and compile NSPs (including grants and small awards) reports of local partners to ensure quality, timeliness, and completeness.
• Develop and regularly update NSP database; track NSP (including grants and small awards) projects’ implementation progress and report significant deviations to Program & Sponsorship Directors for timely action.
• Support grant start-up process, including development of work plan, PMP, procurement plan and initial staffing plan.
• Coordinate regular program and financial reporting, overseeing compliance with contractual requirements!
• Participate in grant and NSP (including grants and small awards) funded projects’ monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Compile NSP projects’ fund release requests from Local Partners to recommend for Program & Sponsorship Director’s Decision in the two Country offices.
• Support grant projects’ close out process; collaborate with relevant internal and external stakeholders for smooth close out process including final evaluation, Audit, asset handover.
• Manage the web-based grant management System (Salesforce) by uploading and regularly updating the National Office grant opportunities and projects and maintaining up to date meeting notes.

• Follows up on donor enquiries on NSPs and donations to ensure enquiries have been addressed sufficiently and timely.

• Facilitate signing of NSP and donation project agreements with donors and MOUs with the implementing local partners.

• Monitor the adherence and compliance of grant and NSP projects to the terms and donor’s requirements, including branding requirements.

• Maintain complete and up to date documentation, both in soft and hard copies, for all grants, NSPs and donation projects (including financial records).

• Compile and prepare NSP related updates for monthly, quarterly, and semiannual newsletters as well as for annual reports.
Proposal Development.
• Ensure business processes are in place to ensure quality proposal development in compliance with donor requirements and ChildFund’s Business Development Policy, Procedures and Practices. As a key member of the proposal development team, conducting desk reviews to inform proposal strategy, such as Go/No-go decisions, problem analysis, partnering and staffing decisions.
• In coordination with technical teams, develop evidence based ChildFund capability and experience (e.g., capacity statements, past performance references, reports, and evaluations).

• Ensure adequate staffing and cost recovery is included in grant budgets and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure the right resources are available to deliver quality programs.
• Ensure the proper use of Salesforce to record funding opportunities from cultivation to award.
Knowledge Management, Learning and Sharing:
• Develop and/or ensure your teams develop learning and knowledge products that meet standards and enable organization-wide learning and sharing by documenting approaches, project and program designs and lessons, case studies and other knowledge products. Seek and leverage existing knowledge products in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness, and ensure your teams do as well.
• Develop and maintain knowledge management system for tracking opportunities from capture to award including maintaining a repository of proposal development templates, pre-award tools, program concepts, capacity statements, proposal templates, pricing tables etc.
• Lead the management of the knowledge database to ensure information is shared among technical team, field program and other concerned staff, to capture new opportunities and track the ongoing grants.
• Support global business development efforts as may be required.
• Ensure Program & Sponsorship team is apprised of opportunities and communicate Business Development Unit newsletter contents on a regular basis.
• In collaboration with Life Stage teams and proposal development staff, analyze pipeline and advise on actions to strengthen it.
• Develop tools and build capacity of regional and Country office staff on their use.
• Assess and build GAM capacity of local partners.
• Reinforce staff capacity in grants acquisition!
• Conduct regular visits to grants funded projects and present his/her recommendations to the Country Director
• Other duties as assigned by the Country Director.

Required Experience and Education
• At least 6 – 8 years’ experience in Business Development, International development, Business management, Grants management and compliance or a related experience is desired.
• Grant acquisition and management in an international development organization is an advantage.

• A bachelor’s degree in international development, business development or other relevant area. A master’s degree with less years of relevant experience will be considered.
• Experience in fundraising/investor relations /marketing or closely related discipline or equivalent relevant work experience would be considered.
• Demonstrated experience in fundraising and donor’s expectation management.
• Familiarity with business environment with proven knowledge of, IRS sponsorship regulations, and other applicable legal rules.
• Ability to write and review high value proposals responsive to the key donor requirements

Required Competencies
• Proven ability to manage teams and work in a demanding environment.
• Excellent presentation, public speaking, and interpersonal skills
• Strong computer skills, with familiarity in using Microsoft Office suite applications (particularly Word and PowerPoint),
• Ability to establish and maintain relationships.
• Organized, detail-oriented, team player, self-starter, and results-oriented individual.
• English fluency
• University degree
• Demonstrated knowledge of USAID rules and regulations
• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of USG donors (i.e., USAID, DOL, Dept of State, etc.) multilateral, foundations, and other institutions’ grant making initiatives. Prior experience preparing large multi-million-dollar proposals.
• Technical expertise in at least one area relevant to ChildFund’s work (Early Childhood Development, health, education, child protection, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, youth civic engagement, youth employability or gender)
• Strong budgeting and data analysis skills is a plus.
• Outstanding skills in spoken and written English and French
• In-depth knowledge of Word, Advanced Excel skills, PowerPoint
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and is resourceful.
• Some travel may be required.

ChildFund’s Core Competencies
• Teamwork: the ability to work effectively and collaborate with others; values and respects individual differences.
• Communication: demonstrates empathy and tact when communicating with others and uses a storytelling approach when appropriate.
• Results orientation gets things done; takes proactive steps to achieve organizational goals and quality standards.
• Decision making uses good judgement, critical thinking, and non-traditional ways to evaluate problems and opportunities; reflects and innovates to improve decisions and outcomes.
• Resilience: thrives and grows in rapidly changing, demanding, and complex environments.
• Digital literacy: adopts and champions new technology to relevant contexts, stays aware of technological trends and embraces technological solutions to business challenges.

Other Required Competencies
• The ability to speak, read, and write fluently in English.
• Strong verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop and deliver compelling presentations.
• Proficiency with MS PowerPoint.
• Strong knowledge of international laws and conventions related to child protection.
Effective and demonstrated change management skills, with the ability to proactively lead and champion innovation and organizational change.
Demonstrated inclusive leadership skills, with a commitment to fostering a culture of learning and collaboration among teams.