Business Development Lead

Contract: Permanent 

Hours of work: Full time/35 hours per week 

Location: London Office/Hybrid/Home Working

Job Profile

The Business Development Lead Global will contribute to CAFOD’s involvement in Asia and the Middle East in line with agreed Core Programme strategies, by engaging in programme development, securing

institutional funding for CAFOD-supported programmes and partnerships, and contract management.

A key function of this role will be to increase and diversify the current institutional funding base of our (and partners') core programme work in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka[1] and the Middle East. This will include engaging with and supporting the programme teams on programme development to ensure opportunities for institutional fundraising are maximised

The post-holder will be responsible for fostering strong working relationships with peers across the International Programmes Group and Advocacy Teams to promote and ensure effective collaboration and knowledge-sharing across programmes, learning, innovation, good practice, and fundraising within and between regions or areas of work.

They will also work closely with other team members within CAFOD’s Integrated Funding and Business Innovation Unit in London, ensuring alignment with corporate institutional fundraising strategies and the commitments of the Integral Ecology Programme Model. This model underpins all CAFOD’s programme work, guiding the development of Programme Strategies in partnership with local stakeholders to address the root causes and impacts of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.

Whilst an Asia and Middle East focused portfolio will be allocated to the post holder, a degree of flexibility is expected and therefore the post holder may be required to support other programmes and colleagues within the international programme team during particularly busy times or emergencies. The post holder’s portfolio of countries may change/evolve over time to meet CAFOD’s and partners’ needs.

The role will have a core focus on securing new and managing existing funding opportunities in Asia and the Middle East in line with core programme strategies. These may include unforeseen humanitarian and emergency funding opportunities subject to the discretion of the HFTL. The post holder will be expected to hold pieces of cross organisational work if required. This may, for example, include maintaining a cross-organisational relationship with a particular donor or supporting a piece of cross-organisational thematic work or reporting.

The post-holder may need to undertake travel for approximately four weeks a year, sometimes at short notice. This may include to unstable or insecure environments.

The post-holder sits in the Integrated Funding & Business Team and reports to the  Humanitarian Funding Team Leader. They are not a budget holder but may carry out some supervision tasks for staff members. They may also be matrix or task managed by other staff within specific contexts. They will be expected to work closely with relevant Heads of Region and Country Representatives during the execution of their tasks.

The post holder will be expected to have flexibility if required to provide timely support to emerging crisis in a humanitarian context. This may include working overtime or at weekends. In such cases, TOIL would be agreed in advance with the HTFL

Key Responsibilities

Programme development in line with the direction set by the Core Programme Strategy

• Work with programme staff and partners in the design, development (and where appropriate, implementation) of high-quality programmes and projects in line with Core Programme strategy and programme frameworks.
• Contribute to the development of country, resource development plans, as well as identifying new funding opportunities through donor mapping and support regional or joint programme funding opportunities, as necessary.
• Participate in surge requests from other International Programmes Teams as necessary.

Programme funding and partners’ fundraising capacity

• In agreement with partners and programme staff, assess existing partner capacities and systems to manage and implement institutionally funded programmes and, jointly develop programme and project funding proposals.
• Lead, co-ordinate or support the preparation of institutional funding applications for donors such as: Misereor, FCDO, EC, UN, ECHO, DEC, or other donors.; in close co-operation with programme colleagues and partners within the allocated Core programme portfolio.
• Keep up to date with donor policy developments and trends,  within allocated core programme areas; raise awareness of donor requirements and partner obligations to fulfil these; more generally, and represent CAFOD in funding review groups/networks as appropriate.
• Contribute to investing in partners’ capacities, by jointly identifying funding needs, developing plans to strengthen capacities, e.g. proposal writing, programme development, monitoring & evaluation, etc., or identifying sources of support.
• Support the development of Partner Direct Funding approaches in agreement with the CAFOD Country Representative and CAFOD guidelines.
• Provide training to staff and partners on topics including proposal development, budgeting, report writing and donor compliance requirements.

Contract Management and Quality Control

• Lead on reporting, monitoring, and evaluation of institutionally funded programmes, in line with CAFOD and donor standards.
• Working with colleagues and partners to manage various contracts, including financial and narrative reporting, and monitoring and evaluation of institutionally funded programmes, in line with jointly agreed standards (Programme Cycle Management), donor requirements, and CAFOD’s value of Stewardship.
• Support programme staff and partners on the development of plans, accounting frameworks and work plans, etc.
• Responsible for capturing and sharing learning and best practice with colleagues and partners from externally funded programmes.

Internal and external representation

• Develop, nurture and manage relationships with donor organisations, and create opportunities to share CAFOD’s programme experiences with donor staff and other INGOs where relevant.
• Communicate with other teams within CAFOD to ensure that the programme is understood, and that information is available for fundraising and communication needs. This may involve participation in sessions/events with supporters, communities of practice, working groups, etc.
• Where appropriate, consult with the International Programme colleagues to ensure coherent donor engagement strategies are developed and maintained.
• Collaborate with partners to regularly assess the quality of the relationship, ensuring that effective communication channels are in place, and that funding-related issues are timely addressed.
• In agreement with partners, contribute to raising the profile of partners’ work with relevant donors.

Systems and compliance

• Effectively use CAFOD’s programme management information systems to ensure programme and project information and documentation is up-to-date.
• Ensure the effective use of CAFOD’s systems to share knowledge and inform decision regulations and requirements attached to our work and donor contracts; and keep appropriate records.

• Ensure compliance with agreements, regulations and requirements attached to our work.

Supporting the development of new business opportunities for CAFOD

• Increase and diversify the institutional funding base of our work in the allocated  programme portfolio.
• In consultation with the CAFOD Country Representative and Funding and Business Innovation teams in London, monitor, identify and map potential new business opportunities and calls for proposals in country, which are aligned with CAFODs strategic direction.
• Regularly monitor local and international donor data bases and websites for new funding opportunities and business intelligence for CAFOD, in country.
• Monitor and advise the Country Representative about new and innovative approaches to funding development and humanitarian programmes.
• Supporting cross organisational work if required, such as for example holding a relationship with a particular donor or leading a specific piece of thematic work or reporting.

Safeguarding

All CAFOD staff share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.

Your role is responsible for ensuring that the programming work you are accountable for is safe, accessible, dignified and inclusive, providing ongoing support and follow-up to our partners in this area.

This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect.  CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse.  CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount.  Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Understanding our context

• Understanding international development: Understanding and experience of international development and programme management and quality standards within the Asia/Middle East context. 

Working together

• Communicating: Able to communicate with colleagues and partners at a distance.
• Looking outwards: Understanding of effective and values-based partnership work between northern and southern organisations and communities.

• Whilst the role is 80% the post holder will be expected to have flexibility if required to provide timely support to emerging crisis in a humanitarian context. This may include working overtime or at weekends. In such cases TOIL would be agreed in advance with the HTFL
• Generally, the post holder will be expected to attend team meetings that may occur from 930AM UK time onwards. On occasion, the role may require flexibility to work from 0830AM to accommodate the difference in time zones with partners in other regions 

Making change happen

• Managing resources: the ability to prepare and monitor budgets, contribute to assessing the appropriateness of partner financial systems, and ensure compliance.
• Achieving results: experience of developing successful funding applications for institutional donors; experience of participatory project design, and use of analytical tools.
• Managing our performance: experience of developing and implementing monitoring systems to track the effectiveness of programmes.

Job-specific competencies

• Understanding and first-hand experience of institutional funding work/projects, priorities, trends and donor conditions within the international development sector.
• Experience of developing theories of change and using programme cycle management tools effectively to deliver work within an agreed programme framework. Able and committed to working with and strengthening or complementing the capacity of partner organisations and colleagues.
• Finance management and budgeting understanding and experience.
• Applicants should have relevant experience within CAFOD thematic AREAS (Resilient Livelihoods, Peace and Reconciliation, Local Leadership, Agency and Voice, Environmental Justice, Gender Justice, Governance, Peacebuilding and Accountability, Humanitarian Preparedness, Response and Recovery). This should include experience of peacebuilding.
• First-hand work experience with a values-based partnership approach (between northern and southern organisations and communities
• Able to travel for up to four weeks a year, sometimes to unstable and insecure environments.

Desirable Criteria

• First-hand work experience with a values-based partnership approach (between northern and southern organisations and communities
• An understanding or experience of Humanitarian/Development/Peacebuilding Nexus programming
• Fluency in French and/or Spanish

Please click here for a full list of CAFOD’s Staff Benefits

Come and join us and help make a real difference in the lives of the world’s poorest communities.

CAFOD is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures. 

[1] CAFOD will be exiting from Sri Lanka in March 2027