Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO)

Position Title: Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO)

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Employment Type: Full-time

Organizational Background

JaRco Consulting is a leading international consulting firm headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with operations across East Africa and beyond. We specialize in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL), delivering evidence-driven insights to donors, NGOs, UN agencies, and private sector actors. With expertise across agriculture, livelihoods, health, nutrition, gender, and capacity development, JaRco is committed to driving impact through high-quality research, evaluation, and advisory services.

Position Summary

The Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) is a senior leadership position responsible for shaping and executing JaRco’s global growth strategy. The CBDO leads the organization’s business development function, ensures strategic alignment with corporate goals, and positions JaRco as a partner of choice for international donors and clients.

The role provides executive oversight to the Business Development Manager and team, ensuring high-quality proposal development, strategic partnerships, and market expansion. The CBDO also plays a critical role in external representation, stakeholder engagement, and guiding JaRco’s long-term business positioning.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership

• Define and lead JaRco’s overall business development strategy in line with the organization’s mission and long-term goals.
• Supervise and mentor the Business Development Manager and team to ensure delivery of high-quality outputs.
• Provide executive-level guidance on capture planning, competitive positioning, and partnership strategies.
• Advise the CEO and Board on donor trends, funding landscapes, and strategic opportunities for growth.

2. Business Development Oversight

• Oversee the full lifecycle of business development activities including market intelligence, opportunity identification, proposal development, and post-award negotiations.
• Ensure proposal quality by reviewing and approving technical approaches, budgets, and compliance with donor requirements.
• Lead high-value and strategic bids, especially with multilateral and bilateral donors.
• Develop, strengthen, and institutionalize business development processes and systems across the organization.

3. Partnership and External Relations

• Cultivate and maintain high-level relationships with donors, government agencies, NGOs, and private sector partners.
• Represent JaRco in global forums, donor consultations, and strategic networking events.
• Negotiate consortium agreements, subcontracts, and partnerships to secure competitive positioning.

4. Organizational Development

• Contribute to corporate strategy, resource mobilization, and financial sustainability planning.
• Identify and support capacity building for staff to enhance JaRco’s competitiveness and market reach.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability within the Business Development Unit.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree (or higher) in International Development, Public Policy, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressively senior experience in business development, fundraising, or program design within the international development sector.
• Demonstrated success in securing large-scale, multi-country projects from bilateral and multilateral donors.
• Proven leadership and management experience with ability to supervise teams and drive organizational growth.
• Strong technical writing, strategic communication, and negotiation skills.
• Native-level proficiency in English is required; knowledge of French or other international languages is an asset.