Senior Program Design Manager

DRS is looking, on behalf of our client, an international NGO, for a skilled Senior Program Design Manager responsible for contributing to NGO’s engagement with and fundraising from bi- and multi-lateral donors in Central and West Africa with a focus initially on DR Congo and Cameroon with the aim of building and maintaining multi-donor portfolios of at least $10 million for each of the landscapes in those two countries. The work of the SPDM involves cultivating relationships that are key to programming overseas development assistance (ODA), advising country land landscape leadership teams on host government engagement strategies that deliver integrated conservation and development policies and programs, making the case for increased financing to biodiversity conservation nationally, and leading the development of NGO proposals to finance our work. The SPDM is a member of a global team that manages public donor relationships, prepares complex proposals in response to identified opportunities, tracks and ensures quality in project reporting to donors, and informs NGO leadership of developments in donor strategies and priorities. The SPDM may also support policy functions that are a priority to NGO’s DRC and Cameroon country strategies.

Working closely with the Director Program Design (DPD), the NGO‘s Country Directors/Coordinators, the Africa Policy lead and donor Account Managers, and the NGO leadership team, the SPDM will work to win support for the NGO’s strategy, cultivate existing and new donor and partner relationships, and elevate the conservation agenda in development cooperation and policy dialogues in DRC, and Cameroon and possibly other countries in West/Central Africa.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The SPDM will have an annual fundraising target contributing to the NGO’s institution-wide balanced scorecard measures and annual targets. The core responsibilities of the SPDM are designed to enable the incumbent to deliver on these targets.

Donor and Partner Cultivation and Management & Policy Support

• Lead NGO’s DRC and Cameroon Country Program’s fundraising targets and grew NGO’s relationships with bi- and multi-lateral donors in DRC and Cameroon with a primary focus on DRC and a more supporting role to NGO’s Cameroon Country Program.
• Collaborate with NGO leadership to establish and maintain relationships with key donors and Government institutions as well as key stakeholders in DRC, Cameroon, and the West and Central Africa region. Track and analyze donor and governmental priorities and strategies in relation to NGO conservation, policy, and fundraising objectives in DRC, Cameroon, and West/Central Africa and develop strategic interventions on how to secure funding.
• Track agendas of DRC’s and Cameroon’s development partners to brief the Country Director/leads and NGO leadership team, donor account managers, and International Policy & Government Relations (Global Leadership) team and provide technical advice on programming priorities in DRC, Cameroon, and West/Central Africa.
• Develop funding plans and strategies for DRC’s and Cameroon’s country, landscapes, thematic programmes, and emerging issues in the West/Central Africa region.
• Support Country and Landscape teams in effective donor servicing by soliciting, preparing for, and participating in donor field visits to NGO landscapes and projects in DRC, Cameroon, and West/Central Africa.
• Provide specific grant management support upon request with management and donor relations of existing grants; review project reports; donor compliance support to the management of grants, grant planning and financial tracking of ongoing grants.
• Work with the Country Directors/leads, Africa policy lead, and other key thematic and landscape leads to support the development of clear, innovative, consistent, and coherent messaging for donors.
• Promote increased financing for biodiversity conservation in DRC, Cameroon, and West/Central Africa.

Proposal Development and Writing

• Surface opportunities through donor engagement and networking in DRC, Cameroon, and the West and Central Africa region.
• Analyze and review funding opportunities and call for proposals and their fit for the NGO’s present projects, programs, and strategies.
• Manage project proposal development processes.
• Solicit and coordinate technical inputs from NGO’s country and landscape teams and technical experts as well as from other NGO departments, co-applicants, and implementing partners.
• Ensure that supporting documents from the Government and co-applicants are timely secured.
• Write professional and compelling log frames, concepts, proposals, budgets, etc.
• Work with PD/finance to present professional cost applications to secure public funding and ensure synergy in donor budgeting, contract development with partners and consortia, management, and reporting.
• Ensure that new proposals incorporate NGO’s rights-based standards and are aligned to donor requirements.

Other key roles

• Liaise with account managers and PD team members to support proposal development and cultivation activities as needed across the NGO’s fundraising portfolio.
• Coordinate with and assist the Philanthropy and Foundations & Corporations team’s fundraising efforts for DRC, Cameroon, and West/Central Africa, highlight local funding needs and priorities to these teams, function as a resource person, and ensure fundraising synergies are created.
• Support the rest of the PD, grants, and Program teams in implementing actions in their portfolios, adhering to donor conditions, and submitting reports in a timely manner.
• Represent the NGO in relevant meetings, conferences, and donor and partner events in DRC, Cameroon, and West/Central Africa.
• Collaborate with NGO communications and marketing teams to support the visibility of NGO projects in DRC, Cameroon, and West/Central Africa.
• Support filing, tracking, and reporting on PD grant and donor metrics and pipeline on a monthly and quarterly basis.
• Support preparation of supporting materials for meetings, trips, presentations, and other events/occasions.
• Assists with other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (or equivalent combination of education and experience) in relevant fields, including conservation, natural resource management, rural/international development, economics, political science, or similar.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in fundraising, proposal design, and donor engagement and relationship management, preferably in the field of conservation or environmental management.
• Experience in proposal design with demonstrated ability to develop high-quality Logical frameworks and results chains, design technical and cost proposals, and concept papers.
• Experience working with major public donor agencies such as USAID, EU, the GEF, France, or Germany.
• Track record of successfully writing proposals to and securing funding from bilateral and/or multilateral institutions.
• Good understanding of DRC’s and Cameroon’s public donor environment and government’s development agenda, as well as of issues faced by NGO in delivering its mission in DRC, Cameroon, and across Africa. A similar understanding of West and Central Africa in general and Niger is an additional advantage.
• Experience in policy making and engagement in the Government of DRC’s policy and strategy development processes is highly desired.
• Experience in partnership management with government and civil society stakeholders is an advantage. Highly skilled in conceptualizing project design and writing project documents (including budgets, log frames, and work plans) and reports.
• Existing relationships with donors in DRC and up-to-date understanding of bilateral and multilateral donor agencies’ priorities in DRC. Similar existing relationships for Cameroon and Niger are an additional advantage.
• Comprehensive knowledge of contemporary conservation and development issues in Africa, including good understanding of sustainable development, adaptive project management, MEAL, and knowledge management concepts and applications.
• Demonstrate commitment to and a good understanding of NGO’s Rights Based Conservation approaches, values, and principles.
• Well-developed emotional intelligence, including self-awareness, self-motivation, self-regulation, and empathy. This is a job that requires both independence and collaboration, and an ability to sense when to take leadership in a situation and when to put others forward.
• Have a logical perspective on things and the ability to reduce mechanisms, processes, proposals, ideas, or formulas to their basic parts and understand and explain how they interrelate in a project or contribute to the fulfillment of higher agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals, national development plans, and NGO’s mission, strategies, and plans.
• High degree of responsibility and accountability for tasks, projects, assignments, and commitments, including meeting strict deadlines.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide group of colleagues and partners, including proactive sharing of information and reporting.
• Proven ability to work independently, effectively, and collaboratively in cross-functional teams.
• Strong interpersonal skills, as demonstrated by the ability to work as a team member and the ability to negotiate and manage donor relationships.
• Excellent writing skills are necessary, including the ability to shift writing style and purpose to be appealing and persuasive to the designated target audience.
• Must possess strong editing skills and pay attention to detail.
• Fluency in spoken and written French and English.