Business Development Manager

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

The Role

We are looking for a Business Development Manager to support the Country Director and other country program staff to grow Oxfam income and partnerships at the country level in order to resource our program strategy. The BDM is expected to achieve the country’s program ambitions. the BDM will be responsible for developing and implementing resource mobilisation strategies to forge strategic partnerships between Oxfam and institutional donors and identifying and developing new funding opportunities. The post holder will be expected to work across the confederation of OI affiliates in achieving the country’s funding strategy.

Planning/Strategy

• Support the CD, and the Country Management Team, lead in the in implementation of the Oxfam Iraq Country Strategy, and accompanying annexes, and achieve it’s commitments
• Contribute and support Technical Coordinators/Advisors in strategic programme design processes and the development of sector strategies
• In collaboration with the CD, participate and provide input for the Policy, Advocacy, and Communications strategies and identify networks for better enabling coordination with relevant stakeholders
• In collaboration with the Fundraising/Grants Unit, ensure program compliance with donor regulations, local government regulations, and Oxfam internal control processes
• Lead, develop, implement the Fundraising Strategy, and associated documents (donor mapping, donor engagement plan, action plan etc.);
• Lead on the identification of potential new business development opportunities, such as new funder or programme opportunities with good synergy with Oxfam Strategy and programme priorities and the context.

Funding and Donor Engagement

• Links with the confederation funding architecture to access intelligence, opportunities and skills. Brokering assistance from technical advisers and donor account managers in affiliate HQs, regional offices and shared services.
• Supports in-country staff to adhere to funding policies and guidelines of the confederation.
• Collaborates with other affiliates to co-create or develop global or multi-country funding opportunities.
• Establish and maintain up-to-date funding grids and donor logs.
• Responsible for the coordination of funding opportunities including high-level external relationship building with current and prospective funders.
• Responsible for managing and building Oxfam’s relationships with donor representatives in Iraq.
• Proactively engages on a strategic basis with institutional donors at a country level in order to facilitate technical program exchanges, influence policy and thinking, and identify key areas of potential cooperation, including program funding.

Proposal Development and Reporting

• Lead, and responsible for coordinating, developing and/or reviewing proposals in collaboration with Programme Managers, and the Technical Unit:
• Based on analysis of donor trends, and priorities, provide an overview of programmatic and support priorities of the donor/funding call (solicited and unsolicited funding opportunities), to guide the respective stakeholders with an in-depth understanding of required response
• Coordinating, and managing the timelines, template and quality control of the proposal development process
• Copy editing, and reviewing the proposal package, including technical (donor and Oxfam) compliance comments, as well as programmatic inputs
• Lead on internal monthly and quarterly reporting template
• Manages the process of compiling reports (donors and internal reports) in close collaboration with Programme Managers, Finance, and technical unit to ensure high quality, transparent and timely narrative and financial reports
• Coordinate and seek input on generic concept notes, briefing notes, SITREPS and programme factsheets to be used in donor meetings and visits
• Create an evaluation tool to benchmark the quality of proposals and reports, guide future processes, and identify areas for improvement, including the current Grants Tracker and donor logbook.

Fund Management

• Lead on negotiating donor contracts favorably in line with Oxfam standards.
• Develop and maintain overview of all grants, donor requirements, rules and regulations, and internal and external deadlines, including the filing of grant documents as well as track and share donor priorities and calls for proposals.
• Coordinate the development and revision of funding proposals, budgets and donor reports to achieve donor compliance and quality control as well as support external donor audits.
• Document, analyze and share learning from proposal and reporting process, compliance with donor rules to achieve continuous improvement of internal grant management systems. Responsible for overseeing and ensuring efficiency, quality and smooth running of the entire grants cycle management, harmonizing approaches and ensuring adequate feedback is provided for the continued development of grants function
• Build positive working relationships with other teams in the Oxfam Iraq teams to lead and support the development of high-quality proposals.
• Establish and improve systems and tools in line with Programme Cycle Management (PCM). Create tools to simplify the processes of proposals and reporting
• Support contract negotiations by reviewing donor agreements/contracts to flag any points that might challenge Oxfam’s procedures and identify key reporting and compliance requirements.
• Provide an internal help desk on donor-related issues, including organizing and delivering training in donor rules and regulations,
• Work with the relevant Programme Managers/Sector Coordinators to ensure Project Meetings and training are arranged and actively leveraged to strengthen Project Cycle Management (PCM)
• Accountable for compliance in relation to grant management and project cycle management processes.
• Uphold Oxfam’s core values and principles of partnership during the establishment of relationships and guide the evolution of strategic partnerships over time to strengthen and increase the impact of Oxfam’s country programming whilst enhancing local capacities for response
• Through internal reports and financial reporting, in collaboration with the Finance Manager, highlight critical financial issues such as under/overspends, required budget revisions and internal and external budget alignments to CD.

Capacity Building and Compliance:

• Assess and strengthen the capacity of colleagues in the planning, securing and management of restricted funds using appropriate methodologies, such as formal training, technical guidance, coaching and accompaniment.
• Monitoring and tracking of partner grants for compliance with donor guidelines, as well as capacity building of partners as appropriate.
• Supporting Program Team to improve their knowledge and understanding of donor requirements to ensure good contract management.
• Provides technical advice in negotiations with institutional donors over contracts, costs, governance and accountability, and donor conditions.
• Advises program and finance staff to deliver strong donor compliance and undertakes quality assurance for reports for donors in countries considered to be high risk, in order to help minimize any negative impact to Oxfam’s income and reputation.
• Supporting the program team to produce timely and high-quality donor reports by providing adequate guidance, improving report quality and ensuring consistency between narrative and financial reporting.

Building an effective funding team

• Manage staff in line with Oxfam policies (Funding officer and Grants manager), ensuring that they have the necessary induction, training, and support as required.
• Implement the Oxfam performance management system with all direct reports i.e agreeing on clear work objectives, supporting the achievement of objectives, and conducting timely performance reviews.
• Develop and maintain a healthy environment for the funding team, coordinating timely discussions on strategic and operational funding issues.

What we are looking for

Our next Business Development Manager will require:

Essential

• Demonstrable experience and success in engaging with bilateral and multilateral donors for an international agency like Oxfam.
• Demonstrated ability to devise and implement resource mobilization strategies.
• Proven ability to identify new business opportunities and partnerships.
• Experience of collaborating with and leading technical teams to develop program proposals that are funded by institutional donors.
• Strong networking, representational and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work effectively with others in a team across institutional boundaries and business units. Proven ability to utilize the talent and expertise of team members to achieve objectives.
• Ability to adapt and work within a multicultural, multilingual, and multidisciplinary environment.
• Experience of managing staff: challenging, motivating, developing and inspiring team members
• Superior verbal and written communication skills in English with the ability to analyze and synthesize complex issues.
• Good familiarity with government decision-making processes, both political and technical, including budget processes, appropriation, protocols, and communications.
• Ability to make effective, timely decisions and take prudent risks.

Desirable

• Knowledge of NGO programming in emergencies.
• Knowledge or experience of Oxfam’s programme work.
• Knowledge of Oxfam GB’s internal contract management system (based on PeopleSoft).
• Strong proven ability to identify and articulate strategic and policy issues through effective oral and written briefs.
• Proficiency in Arabic.
• Knowledge of the Middle East region.
• Good knowledge and awareness of issues related to Oxfam’s strategic objectives and theories of change

We offer

This role will give you an opportunity to make a difference in the humanitarian and development context. To act as a key contributor to Oxfam’s work in Iraq, to work with a group of passionate people that are specialists in their fields. this role will provide training and development, and offers fair pay and a competitive benefits package.

How to apply

As part of your online application, please upload your up-to-date CV and a cover letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.

please apply through the following link: https://jobs.oxfam.org.uk/vacancy/18919/description

Note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, which means Oxfam reserves the right to hire a suitable candidate before the mentioned closing date.