Programme Development Advisor

Background

Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. The International Rescue Committee has headquarters in New York and London. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. In addition, through 28 regional offices in cities across the United States, the IRC also helps refugees resettle in the US and become self-sufficient. The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.

IRC-UK

Our European headquarters, IRC-UK, were established in London in 1997 to support the organisation’s global activities and particularly to diversify its donor base and be able to better advocate with European policy-makers on behalf of the people we serve. Since its establishment IRC-UK has grown rapidly and is now acknowledged for its high quality project management, technical expertise in governance and rights and economic recovery, and innovative thinking on early recovery and gender based violence. IRC-UK comprises approximately 120 staff.

In Europe, the IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva and Stockholm.

The Purpose of the Role

The Program Development Advisor (PDA) will lead and/or support new programme/business development efforts, in line with IRC’s Business Development strategy aspirations, in particular looking to increase our share of humanitarian funding in the near term while diversifying our donors and targeting development opportunities. Support will range from opportunity tracking and capture planning to proposal development, and submission. The PDA will serve in the Capture Manager and Proposal Manager or Proposal Coordinator roles on new business opportunities. The ideal candidate will have a successful track record of working on new business efforts in humanitarian and international development with a range of multilateral and bilateral donors, in particular BHA, PRM, ECHO, FCDO, GFFO, DG Devco, etc.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and assist in the identification, tracking and updating of new business opportunities across a variety of technical sectors, regions, and clients.
• Lead capture planning including facilitating technical brainstorming, competitive landscape analysis and win theme sessions with technical and country staff.
• Build IRC’s profile, by building visibility with donors, peers and partners.
• Coordinating proposal work to include preparing timelines, ensuring the proposal team adheres to deadlines, supporting recruitment, assisting in budget development, ensuring document completion, organizing meetings and compiling notes, and drafting and proofreading proposal sections.
• Work with technical units, country offices, and other staff to support conceptualization of winning programme and bid designs for new project activities and/or amendments to current projects
•  Managing coordination, communication and inputs from subs or to our primes.
• Identifying partners, consultants, and other proposal development support as needed.
• Draft proposal pieces including Past Performance, Corporate Capabilities, Staffing and Management Plan, Country Context, CVs, etc.
• Compile inputs from proposal team members, including consultants and partners.
• Ensure responsiveness to and compliance with solicitation documents.
• Provide Quality Assurance/Quality Compliance support on proposals.
• Maintain accurate information in database and assist with conducting analysis of proposal development; and maintain accurate and timely electronic files.
• Advises by working collaboratively on organizational and system improvements; anticipating, identifying and proactively solving problems.
• Facilitates internal post-submission debrief sessions to glean lessons learned.