Partnerships and Inclusive Business Advisor

Job Description

The role 

As the Partnerships and Inclusive Business Advisor you will support the growth of Bopinc Ethiopia’s project portfolio. You will drive the cultivation of new and growing existing relationships with donors, implementing partners, and private sector actors. You will coordinate proposal and partnership development. You will also liaise between the Ethiopia office and our global partnerships team.

We believe you are most effective in developing new projects if you also work on projects yourself. So the person in this role, like all of our partnerships team members, spends 40% of their time on developing new partnerships and projects and 40% of their time working on implementing projects with our global team and 20% slack time and internal meetings.

Responsibilities

• 1. Fundraising 
  • Proactively identify and assess funding opportunities that align with Bopinc’s mission and the country strategy.
  • Coordinate the design and writing of high-quality, compelling, winning technical proposals and concept notes, including budgets and supporting documentation in collaboration with our global team of experts
  • Proactively develop, sustain, and scale high-yielding partnerships with like-minded organisations, donors, and other strategic partners.
  • Sustain, scale, or deepen collaboration with existing strategic partners.
  • Maintain a partnership pipeline and regularly update internal systems with prospects and engagement status.

  2. Project Implementation 

  You will manage projects which strengthen inclusive business models, interacting with donors and ensuring quality implementation, evaluation and reporting within budget. You would also provide business advisory to companies that are seeking to enhance their commercial viability and social impact.  These can be early-stage or growth-stage companies, who are developing products and services targeted at low-income populations.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s or (preferably) Master’s degree in business, economics, marketing, innovation, or a related field;
• At least 7 years of relevant experience working with start-ups, scale-ups, and/or corporates in emerging markets, with a focus on inclusive business, reaching low-income customers, marketing and distribution, circular economy, business modelling, and/or digital innovation.
• Demonstrated track record of at least 4 years of experience in partnerships development, project development, fundraising and grant writing.
• Exceptional writing skills to craft compelling proposals tailored to the requirements of funders, with the ability to synthesize information coherently. You excel at grasping new concepts, connecting ideas, and crafting narratives in alignment with Bopinc’s style.
• Excellent communication in English, both written and verbal, able to build trust and influence senior-level client leadership, and manage complex stakeholder dynamics.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• An enthusiastic team player who is also able to coach and mentor other team members.
• Strong relationship management and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and thrive in a fast-paced, international environment and in a cross country virtual team.