The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) (www.ifdc.org)is a public international organization (PIO) governed by an international board of directors with representation from developed and developing nations. The non-profit center focuses on increasing and sustaining food and agricultural productivity in developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise.

Bilingual New Business Development Officer (English and French), IFDC, North and West Africa Division – Ghana

•   Type of contract: Full time
•   Deadline:  Open until qualified candidate is recruited
•   Indicative starting date: April, 2016
•   Location:  Accra, Ghana

The New Business Development Officer (BDO) will support the IFDC North and West Africa Division to develop, manage and pursue new business opportunities that will result in increased revenue and impact.  While directly reporting to the Division Director, she/he will work coordinate activities with IFDC’s Senior Development Officer in the Program Development Unit (PDU) based in Washington DC, to strengthen and improve IFDC’s methodologies, practices and systems for successfully developing new projects and funding. The BDO will conduct reconnaissance, design strategies and manage proposal development, coordinating the involvement of IFDC Country Directors and COPs, Science Officers and consultants. As lead proposal writer, the PDO will integrate inputs of other contributors in proposals that are being developed. The goal is to contribute to the Division’s process of producing well-coordinated, streamlined, efficient, and high quality submissions, with high probability for funding.
 
Duties may include:

•   Assist the Division in developing its new business development strategy in coordination with PDU’s new business development plan.
•   Liaise with donors and partner organizations to identify and monitor new business opportunities in North and West Africa.
•   Provide coordination, management and development of business planning activities across countries and sectors. Work with the Division Director and the Senior Development Officer and other PDU staff, Country Directors and Project staff to provide direction and leadership in managing all phases of the proposal development process (partner management, proposal conceptualizing and writing, personnel recruitment, budgeting, project management, post proposal assessment, etc.).
•   Lead development of proposals (as Proposal Manager or Lead Technical Writer) responding to high priority new business opportunities. When leading proposal teams, the NBD officer will be expected to:

o Develop proposal design strategy
o Lead or support partner negotiations including teaming agreements;
o Identify and contract technical consultants as needed;
o Coordinate with the Budget Unit to align the proposed staff, activities and interventions with the development of a compliant and competitive budget and cost proposal;
o Convene and chair proposal design meetings as needed and provide leadership on impact pathway and logical framework development;
o Coordinate with the Proposal Development Specialist on preparing and processing of required documents, representations and certifications, and the involvement of other organizational units (i.e., Information and Communications Unit, Human Resources, etc.);
o Ensure full and final submission of complete proposal and addenda; and
o Convene and facilitate post-submission debriefs;
o Engage in quality control for proposal review.

•   Support the Deputy Division Director in implementation
•   Perform a variety of other related duties as required

DIFFICULTY OF WORK

•   This position requires an extensive experience and ability to implement donor/funding agency application requirements, policies, procedures, and reporting guidelines to present project proposals and fulfill contract obligations.
•   The nature of this position requires the ability to prepare several proposals, speeches, and presentations simultaneously. Incumbent continuously interacts with Division Director in the development of technical proposals.
•   The NBD officer is expected to possess, develop and expand a large network of contacts within relevant donor agencies, other development implementation organizations, academic and research institutions with expertise in the area of agriculture and food security.

RESPONSIBILITY

•   This individual in this position must work to develop and keep current a business development plan for the Division, which identifies and prepares the Division to compete for sufficient levels of new funding to meet our growth targets.
•   This position requires analytical judgment concerning the selection of projects on which to concentrate proposal efforts, as well as the application of various negotiating strategies in working with teaming partners and internal customers for execution of a successful capture strategy.
•   The officer may be required to deliver speeches and presentations, and represent IFDC at conferences, meetings and other public events.
•   He/she is expected to develop strategies in collaboration with members of the Division’s management team. Project proposals and presentations are typically reviewed for overall soundness by the Senior Development Officer, Division and the President and CEO.
•   Undetected errors or failure to successfully fulfill requirements for proposal submission may result in unsuccessful bids which are both costly and demoralizing.
•   The PDO’s work is critical to the successful financial soundness of IFDC as an organization.

PERSONAL WORK RELATIONSHIPS

Most contacts are made with staff, donors, funding organizations, governmental ministries and agencies, and clients to present IFDC capabilities. This position negotiates project proposals and works to obtain funding support.

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position requires working in a normal office environment with no unusual physical demands or exposure to hazardous situations.  Substantial international travel is also required.

Qualification Required & Experience

This position requires proven and effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to apply those skills in project development, the negotiation process, and speeches/presentations while representing IFDC.

This job requires the following:

•   Extensive knowledge of constraints and opportunities in developing country agriculture with the creative ability to develop effective solutions to those challenges and to present them in persuasive high quality proposals in clear and concise terms.
•   Proven track record of success in capturing funding through competitive proposal submission, floating concepts for unsolicited proposals and developing strong donor relations.
•   Solid knowledge of proposal and donor funding requirements and the ability to apply that knowledge in preparing project proposals
•   Minimum of Master's degree in an agriculture-related field and 8 - 10 years relevant work experience (or Bachelor’s degree with 10 – 12+ years’ work experience) in analytical and strategic roles within the private sector and/or international development sphere with a record of proven success.
•   At least three years of experience in project design and implementation in the international development arena. Experience in agricultural development/agribusiness/economic growth/enterprise development required.
•   Knowledge of the international development donor landscape and proven track record of developing winning funding proposals.
•   Strong critical thinking, problem solving, coaching and mentoring skills.
•   Ability to perform under time pressure, be flexible, work independently, manage multiple tasks and work effectively as a leader and team member in fast-paced multi-cultural environment.
•   Passion for market-led approaches to helping the rural poor to improve their livelihoods.
•   Willingness and capacity to hold collaborators accountable for deliverables.
•   Demonstrated ability to manage senior-level executive colleagues.
•   Strong focus on results.
•   Strong written and oral communication skills with an enthusiasm for writing.
•   Good sense of humor.
•   Experienced traveler.
•   Fluency in both English and French required.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Please read these carefully. Failure to comply will adversely affect your application.

Interested applicants are kindly requested to send their applications in English in the form of a one page letter and current CV describing their experience, qualifications and three reference contacts by email.

Emails should be sent to:-

jobsinifdcghana@ifdc.org

Closing Date: 17 March, 2016

•   Applicants should indicate in the subject line of the email: New Business Development Officer.
•   Only short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview scheduled in Accra.
•   No telephone queries will be responded to.
•   The interview will consist of a panel interview and may include a written and/or oral test.