Business Development Officer (BDO)_@The Well in Action, Ethiopia

Position Title: Business Development Officer (BDO)

Job by: The Well in Action

Category: Program Development

Employment Type: Full Time

Duration: One Year (Possibility of Extension)

Salary: Negotiable,

Number of Positions: One

Application Deadline: seven days from the date of posting

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

The Well in Action (TWA) is an Ethiopian Resident Charity Organization. TWA intervention in Ethiopia is to contribute to the sustainable improvement of the living conditions of the smallholder farmers and deprived people. This can be achieved by performing projects which focus on improving agricultural productivity, and stimulating entrepreneurship that are implemented both in rural and urban contexts.

1. Purpose of the Position

The Well in Action (TWA) is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Business Development Officer. This position will support resource mobilization, donor engagement, and proposal development for our programs. The Business Development Officer will play a key role in securing funding, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring the growth and sustainability of the organization’s initiatives in humanitarian and development contexts.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Proposal Development & Coordination

• Lead or support the development of high-quality concept notes and proposals.
• Coordinate proposal development processes, including kick-off meetings, timeline management, and follow-up with technical, finance, MEAL, and field teams.
• Draft concept notes, proposals as per the donor interest
• Ensure proposals comply with donor guidelines, templates, and submission requirements.
• Work closely with finance teams to ensure accurate budgeting and value-for-money considerations.

B. Funding Identification & Donor Engagement

• Track and analyze donor trends (bilateral, multilateral, UN agencies, foundations, INGOs).
• Maintain an updated funding opportunity tracker and circulate regular alerts to relevant teams.
• Conduct initial donor research and mapping for strategic partnerships.
• Support the leadership in donor engagement preparation, including briefing notes and background documents.

C. Internal Capacity Strengthening

• Support the development and roll-out of internal business development guidelines, tools, and templates.
• Train staff on donor requirements, proposal writing, and resource-mobilization processes.
• Maintain a resource library for past proposals, organizational capability statements, success stories, and donor profiles.

D. Partnerships & Networking

• Build and maintain relationships with partners, including INGOs, local NGOs, networks, and government stakeholders.
• Participate in cluster meetings, coordination forums, and partnership discussions as delegated.
• Support the development of MOUs, teaming agreements, and partnership frameworks.

E. Reporting & Documentation

• Maintain an organized filing system for all business development documents.
• Prepare monthly updates on business development progress, new opportunities, and proposal status.
• Document lessons learned from proposal processes for continual improvement.

F. Safeguarding and Accountability

• Ensure that all activities respect the law of the land and adhere to universally accepted safeguarding principles.
• Comply with the safeguarding policies and procedures of The Well in Action
• Promote gender equality and social inclusion in all aspects of TWA implementation.
• Ensure the participation and representation of marginalized and vulnerable groups in program activities.

4. Core Values & Behaviors

• Commitment to humanitarian and development principles.
• Integrity, accountability, and professionalism.
• Respect for diversity and gender equality.
• Adherence to safeguarding, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and child protection standards.

• Women applicants are highly encouraged to apply.

N.B.: – TWA requires that all employees take seriously their ethical responsibilities to safeguard our intended program participant, their communities, and all those with whom we work. Staff at all levels have responsibilities to support and develop systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents harassment, sexual exploitation, and abuse, safeguards the rights of program participants and community members (especially women, children’s and people with disability).

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field (Master’s degree is an advantage and preferable).

Experience

• At least 4–7 years of relevant experience in NGO business development or program development,
• Proven experience drafting or coordinating donor proposals (USAID, EU, UN, ECHO, etc.).
• Proven Experience with partnership building and stakeholder engagement.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong writing and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of project cycle management and logical framework approaches.
• Ability to coordinate multiple tasks and work under tight deadlines.
• Excellent communication, networking, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with the teams and across departments.
• Proficiency in MS Office; familiarity with online grant portals is an asset.