Project Design and Proposal Development Manager

Work Unit: Project Design and Proposal Development

Reports to: DSG for Programs

Terms of employment: Permanent

Salary: 79,473.00 birr

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) wants to recruit employees in the following vacant positions the details of which are mentioned below.

About the Ethiopian Red Cross Society

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) was established in 1935 and is one of the oldest and largest humanitarian organizations in Ethiopia. ERCS provides services to communities affected by natural and manmade disasters through the provision of emergency responses, ambulance and first aid, family reunification, essential drugs, water and sanitation, and other humanitarian services. ERCS also runs disaster risk reduction programs with the aim of creating resilience households and communities. Currently the ERCS has a structure consisting of 15 Regional Offices, Zonal Branches and District/Woreda Branches, Woreda Red Cross Committee and Kebele Red Cross committees.

ERCS also runs disaster risk reduction programs relating to food security, climate change adaptation, livelihood diversification, and institutional capacity building interventions, with the aim of creating resilience households and communities. ERCS works in partnership with the Ethiopian Government, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), partnering National Societies, members, volunteers and the communities we serve.

II. Job Summary

The Project Design and Development Specialist reports to the DSG for Programs and is responsible for the planning, design, and development of projects, ensuring they align with organizational goals and donor priorities. He/she leads needs assessments, proposal writing, ensures resources are secured for emergency and development programs and projects, maintains stakeholder engagement, and project feasibility analysis.

Additionally, he/she ensures projects integrate cross-cutting themes like gender, inclusion, and sustainability while adhering to donor compliance and monitoring frameworks. Additionally, he/she works with Partner National Societies and other consortium members to develop joint concept notes and grant proposals, providing technical support and training to branches on resource mobilization, grant proposal writing, and partnership expansion.

The specialist also supervises the design and development of grant proposals by branch offices and provides technical backstopping. Furthermore, he/she establishes systems to identify new strategies for maintaining and enhancing partner/donor relationships, serving as the main point of contact for all program funding requests from internal and external donors. He/she also ensures the timely submission of grant proposals and follow up on the outcomes.

Key performance area

• Plans, organizes, and coordinates proposal design and development, and fostering strong and smooth partnership with donors and partner organizations;
• Identify new potential donors through ongoing assessment & analysis, of calls / networks.
• Coordinate responses to calls for proposals, ensuring timely submission of competitive proposals that meet donor guidelines;
• Takes the lead for all program focused resource mobilization and partnership development endeavors;
• Collaborate closely with program operations technical team & finance team to ensure cost proposals are based on recent market analysis and responsive to the solicitation and to make sure all technical components are captured;
• Ensure effective communication within the NS and with external stakeholders to support fundraising activities and partnership development;
• Collaborate with internal teams, external partners, and donors to ensure alignment of strategies and activities towards common goals;
• Foster a culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and teamwork to enhance the organization’s impact and effectiveness;
• Organize trainings on, project design and proposal/grant writing for internal staffs and partners;
• Identify and track relevant upcoming funding opportunities (private and institutional donors) through donor funding intelligence gathering and nurturing partner relationships; develop and maintain tools, guidelines, templates for donor intelligence information;
• Lead preparatory actions for anticipated funding opportunities including identification of relevant partners (INGOs, NNGOs, Universities, research actors, line Ministries etc.), preparing teaming agreements and development of winning strategies;
• In collaboration with DSG for Programs, coordinators of Projects, and Communications team, facilitate donors’ and potential partners’ visits to operating areas, showcasing the achievements, impact and areas requiring additional funding;
• Provide oversight of and contribution to technical design, drafting management and other sections of the proposal both in advance of the solicitation and after solicitation;
• In collaboration with program manager, surge experts, coordinators, PMER and technical experts, lead the design, preparation, organization, and implementation of project identification studies (needs, feasibility, climate risk, resilience and vulnerability assessments etc.);
• Identify and cultivate relationships with potential donors, including individuals, corporations, philanthropic foundations, and government agencies;
• Facilitate program budget development in collaboration with Finance managers for new proposals ensuring maximum cost recovery and alignment of the budget to the donor budgeting guidelines;
• Solicit a variety of funding / financing opportunities from movement National Partner Societies and other back donors such as UN agencies and International NGOs;
• Coordinate the Preparation of high quality and marketable proposals and concept notes for potential donors which are aligned with the NS strategic priorities and core competencies;
• Oversees and coordinate base line surveys, need based assessments, landscape studies in emergency contexts;
• Participate in the development of Resource Map of the Society and feasibility study at National level for possible resource mobilization initiatives and for specific projects at branch level;
• Manage the Development of off-shelf project proposals to mobilize financial and material resources;
• Provide technical support and trainings to branches to design and develop project proposals by their own;
• Facilitate joint applications for funding opportunities with partners to address shared objectives, including consortium of partners that are part of the humanitarian response services;
• Oversees the design and development of grant proposals by branch offices and render technical backstopping when deemed appropriate;
• Identify and map potential donors using different platforms including web sites, internal call for proposals, newspapers and donors official web portals;
• Maintains and follows up stewardship and strategic development of existing and new donor partners;
• Ensures the timely submission of grant proposals and follow up the upcoming results.
• Take the Lead in Identifying and sniff-out valuable opportunities that can attract high-net-worth individuals, philanthropic organizations and donors and act fast to foster new relationship;
• Prepares and submits regular reports to DSG for programs;

Qualification Requirements:

• Second/First degree in Project planning and Management, Development studies, Economics, Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation, Management and
• 8/10 years of relevant work experience, out of which 4/6 years’ managerial position