Business Development Manager

Overview

ALG inc. is seeking a Business Development (BD) Manager to join its Business Development division. The BD Manager will lead new business efforts from capture planning to proposal submission for opportunities across multiple technical areas, including Conflict Prevention, Stabilization, Local development; Health; Education; Environment and climate change; Agriculture; Economic Growth and Governance. Working in close collaboration with the Director of Business Development, the BD Manager will contribute to the overall BD strategy, scope out new potential bids, manage capture efforts and present teaming plans to the Director, lead proposals, provide technical writing support, and represent ALG on partner calls and at business development related events.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Business Development and Strategy

• In collaboration with the Director, contribute to the business development strategy for the ALG global. This includes monitoring developments in the sector, providing recommendations on future positioning, and flagging potential new bid opportunities to populate the pipeline.
• Track business development forecasts and assist with go/no-go decision making.
• Take a lead role in business intelligence collection efforts, including mapping programs due to end in the near future, monitoring future international development agencies trends in development, and utilizing existing tools to ensure the BD team is tracking all available opportunities within the technical space.
• Manage the capture for multiple simultaneous bid opportunities including overseeing creation of capture plans that strategically assess bids and outline win strategies, planning and executing capture trips, leading recruitment, managing staff to pre-position and pre-write for bids before proposal release, and managing the internal ALG processes involved in bid preparation. Bids could include UN agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, UNFPA, etc…) USAID, EU, AfDB, AU, FCDO, AFD,  IsDB or other clients as needed.
• Lead proposal development, including technical approach, staffing, and partnering strategies and negotiations, and decisions on information gathering trips, and oversee cost development.
• Lead scoping and information gathering trips for anticipated and live proposals and guide staff and consultants supporting research efforts.
• Directly supervise BD team members, such as Proposal Coordinators or Senior Proposal Coordinators, Project Associates and also manage inputs from various staff members to advance high quality captures and proposals.
• Lead live proposals, provide technical writing support, oversee budget development, or provide any other as needed support on live proposals.
• Oversee staff managing logistics and administrative tasks for proposal cycles including oversight of consultants and travel.
• Liaise with members of the technical practices, contracts, finance, and other ALG departments as needed to ensure high quality bids.
• Coordinate with members of ALG corporate offices in Accra (Ghana), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Kinshasa (DRC) and Madison (USA) to provide support, mentorship, and technical input for their respective proposal efforts that overlap with the technical space.
• Develop and cultivate relationships with technical specialists, subject-matter experts, and professional writers to contribute to technical solution designs, proposal reviews, and analysis of proposals and business development strategy within the practice.
• Lead partner calls and recruitment calls to position ALG strongly in the competitive landscape.
• Represent ALG at strategic BD related events.

Leadership and Staff Management

• Provide guidance and mentorship to staff –including direct supervisees, other members of the BD team, and country staff members working on BD.
• Create a collaborative environment that empowers staff to demonstrate the values of ALG each day.
• Coach direct reports on performance improvement across the full spectrum of program management, business development, and practice management
• Set an example as a leader by holding oneself and staff accountable, communicating professionally, being a team player, and supporting the development of staff

Learning and Innovation

• Proactively engage in self-driven professional development and growth activities
• Contribute to ALG’s learning agenda ; and innovation efforts.
• Incorporate learning best practices into all aspects of work for broad organizational learning.

Education & Minimum Qualifications :

• Bachelors’ degree in international development or a similar field; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in international development programming
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a business development role writing, running capture, proposal development, and coordinating international development agencies’ bids
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Proven experience with MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills: ability to work independently and effectively lead multiple teams
• Strong communication, financial management and leadership skills
• Prior experience in the field, preferably in fragile states and/or post-conflict, post-crisis, or political transition environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in international development or a similar field
• Fluency in a language other than English, preferably, French, Arabic or Spanish
• Experience working with multiple donors (UN, USAID, MCC, FCDO, EU, AFD)
• Prior supervisory experience

Core Competencies:

• TEAMWORK: Works cooperatively and effectively with others to achieve common goals. Participates in building a culture characterized by inclusion, trust and commitment.
• COMMUNICATION: Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts professionally. Demonstrates effective use of listening skills and displays openness to other people’s ideas and thoughts.
• ADAPTABILITY: Adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment.
• CUSTOMER/CLIENT FOCUSED: Anticipates, monitors and meets the needs of customers and responds to them in an appropriate and responsive manner.
• DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: Conveys respect for diverse individuals and perspectives; models inclusive behavior and treats everyone fairly.
• PROFESSIONALISM: Displays appropriate and ethical behavior, integrity and personal presentation in the workplace always; demonstrates respectful communication for others, both verbal and non-verbal.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.