This role is for someone wanting to be part of a team that secures funding for programmes that deliver social impact.  As the Programme Engagement Officer, you will identify opportunities at the intersection of beneficiary needs, Seefar’s capabilities and donor interest. You will be responsible for implementing our business development strategy by helping identify new opportunities, driving proposal development, identifying partners, supporting the implementation of our donor engagement strategy and developing appropriate business development tools and materials.  

You will report to Seefar’s Programme Engagement Manager responsible for external communications, fundraising and marketing. Other members of your team have a focus on: strategic business development, marketing; graphic design; proposal development and project management.

You can be based anywhere in the world and occasional travel will be required. Seefar has been a remote-working organisation since 2014.

You will start on a full-time, 12-month consulting contract with a fee range of USD 3,500 – 5,500 per month. Success will enable the possibility of a long-term role and the possibility of an ownership stake in the Enterprise.

Job Description

We are a social enterprise with a mission to work with vulnerable people to build a better future. We work in East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, North Africa, the Sahel and Europe. For more information about us, please visit our website. You can also see examples of our research on the website but note that most of our research is unpublished – we are not an advocacy group and the priority for our research is to improve operations.

To succeed in this role, you must be motivated to work hard to generate funding from donors who may not immediately recognise the opportunities that you see. It is likely that you have:

• 3-5 years of experience in donor proposal development, donor engagement and fundraising.
• Knowledge of how donors in the international development sector make decisions.
• Experience developing and submitting proposals.
• Excellent listening skills as part of your broader influencing skills.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• A track record of supervising diverse teams.

Responsibilities

The following are the primary responsibilities of the role, with estimated allocations of time and attention.

Identify opportunities and develop proposals: 80%

• Tracking funding opportunities, prioritising and sharing with colleagues.
• Lead or support the preparation of concept notes and proposals.
• Develop partnerships and consortiums
• Track and prioritise external contacts and prepare for external engagements, such as presentations, reports and meetings.
• Liaise with donors and internal project teams to scope research.
• Monitor and influence the internal pipeline of research and project results to support external fundraising.
• Participate in meetings with people that influence donor funding decisions.
• Organise or attend seminars, workshops and conferences that have relevance to Seefar’s reputation and fundraising.
• Manage and develop external resources to support fundraising, for example graphic design or IT contractors.

Support donor engagement and external communications: 20%

• Pursue our donor engagement strategy and increase the depth of our relationships with existing donors, including through communications and marketing materials
• Maintain and develop communication tools that support Seefar’s branding, such as our website and social media channels.

Working with Seefar

Current and former personnel have noted the points below as positive features of Seefar’s work environment and culture:

• The Enterprise combines entrepreneurialism with a focus on social impact.
• You work with highly diverse people and across a diversity of contexts.
• There is a high level of trust that supports you to work autonomously.
• The people in the Enterprise encourage innovation and experimentation.
• Achieving results is prioritised over rigid structures and workflows.
• You are never bored and always challenged.

Current and former personnel have noted the points below as negative features of Seefar’s work environment and culture:

• Collaborating with geographically dispersed teams requires flexibility and patience.
• Working remotely can make you feel isolated and so requires you to invest time in communication.
• Travel schedules can sometimes be heavy.
• It can be fast paced so you need to be productive and able to prioritise effectively.

To Apply for this Role

On or before 31 October 2022, complete our online application form or click on Apply button below. Before you start, you should do the following:

1. Prepare a CV in Word or PDF format. You will upload this in our online application form.
2. In Word or PDF format, prepare an introductory letter that includes only the points below. You will upload this in our online application form:
   1. 1-2 paragraphs with an example of proposal development. What was the context? What was your role? How did you decide on your methods? What was the result? We will value more an example that involves novelty, such as a proposal for a new idea, or fundraising in an area where your organisation lacked brand recognition.
   2. 1 paragraph explaining a lesson you have learned about proposal development and fundraising.