Under the leadership of the Program Manager, the Business Development Lead will drive SPARC’s effort towards achieving a financially sustainable organization with the compliment of required resources (Relationships, technical and financial) to generate demand for SPARC’s offerings continuously.
The Business Development Lead will identify business development and partnership opportunities, pursue, and harness those opportunities for SPARC.
He/She will also support the development of SPARC’s product/service offerings working with SPARC’s pillar leads. Under the guidance of the program manager, the BDL will support the development of relevant tools, processes and systems that will ensure a systematic
implementation and institutionalization of SPARC’s Business Development and Partnership Approach.
Key Areas of Accountabilities
Demand Generation & Business Development
Spearhead proposal development to secure funding and business for SPARC
Support the development and patronage of SPARC’s fee-based product offerings
Liaise with the marketing and communications team to increase awareness of
SPARC and its programs
Conduct prospecting visits to donor/partner Offices to identify and prepare for upcoming funding opportunities
Maintain ongoing communication with potential partners and other key stakeholders to identify and pursue growth opportunities
Support SPARC’s program pillars to identify and market financially viable products/services
Continuously scan the environment (USAID grant schedule etc) to identify opportunities for SPARC through advance intelligence gathering, partner relationships, and other available resources
Manage pre-solicitation proposal preparations and bid planning including
teaming, bid strategy, development of win-themes, oversight of and contribution to technical design, drafting management and other sections of the proposal in advance of the solicitation
Manage major solicitations and other proposal submissions, including teaming
agreements, oversight of technical design and cost proposal, capacity statements, internal review/quality control processes, drafting sections of the proposal where appropriate
Represent SPARC’s business development interests at relevant meetings, events, and within resource mobilization or donor-specific peer networks
Contribute to the expansion of SPARC’s consultant roster for key technical and bid preparation functions
Support development of SPARC’s Sustainability Strategy
Collaboration
Establish and maintain partnerships with government teams, relevant institutions, and program partners
Liaise with Amref Partnerships and BD teams to leverage funding opportunities Amref Country offices
Explore opportunities for joint financial bids with Amref and other partners
Donor Liaison
Develop and continuously update a donor register for key areas of SPARC’s work,
including the Bilingual approach
Support communication with donors and other financial partners
Liaise with donors to identify potential areas of donor support for SPARC activities and to create partnerships that foster effective use of skills and resources Partnership
Develop and implement a global partnership strategy as aligned with and contributing to SPARC’s overall strategic objectives
Strategically identify and develop key partner relationships that support the advocacy of strategies that accelerate strategic purchasing.
Contribute to the development and implementation of SPARC’s
strategic plan to
improve its visibility through key NGOs partnerships.
Provide advice and guidance to internal stakeholders, members, groups and
governments on the importance and effective methods of partner engagement for proposed SPARC projects
Qualification and Experience
Minimum Education
Master’s Degree preferred in Public Health, Health Economics, Social Sciences, International Development or other relevantfields. Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline combined with substantive work and international development field experience will be considered.
Experience
At least 5 years’ experience in grant making, business development and/or partnership
development for similar initiatives or in a development/NGO setting.
Competencies
Strong international development and program/project management background; knowledge of UHC, health financing and/or health economics is a bonus
Demonstrated proposal writing and grant making skills, with verifiable success
Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to communicate effectively in a variety of internal and external settings, and at different levels including the gravitas and carriage to publicly represent the Institute at all levels.
Superior consultation, diplomacy, influencing and negotiating skills; ability to explain complex concepts in layman’s language, in a clear, convincing, and organized manner
Display exceptional listening and analytical skills to understand clients’ needs and concerns and the ability to respond promptly and effectively to these needs.
Demonstrated leadership skills; ability to take initiative and solve problems independently; proven ability to design, implement, manage, and make sound business decisions; ability to analyse issues
and use logic and reasoning to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions and approaches to problems.
Proven project management capability and knowledge; ability to develop goals and plans; allocate resources accordingly and prioritise work to meet deadlines and budget.
High level of self-motivation and standards with the ability to multi-task; balancing “strategic thinking” with “doing”; Ability to set priorities and handle multiple competing time and resource demands; Ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, work well under pressure and meet deadlines
Strong interpersonal skills and experience working with cross cultural teams
Proficiency in Microsoft Office products at expert level
Familiarity with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems (e.g. Salesforce, Zoho etc)
Willingness to travel within the region and across the African continent
Fluent in speaking, reading, and writing in English. Knowledge of French would be an asset.
