Oxfam Syria is looking for Business Development Manager 

Job Purpose

To proactively fundraise for the Syria programme. To support and capacity build the programme teams and country office in planning, securing and managing restricted funds. To ensure that donor procedures and processes are adhered to.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Business development, partnerships and resource mobilisation strategies (25%)

• Leads the design and implementation of country resource mobilization strategy intended to strengthen income and partnerships to deliver the country strategy. Under the supervision of the Deputy Country Director – Programme and in close coordination with the Senior Management Team (SMT), leads the production and updates of the Country Office (CO) funding strategy and annual plans.
• Actively identifies, qualifies and tracks funding and partnership opportunities in a systematic manner in pursuit of supporting Oxfam’s CO and programs; with Oxfam Affiliates, institutional and other donors. Makes propositions, to the Deputy Country Director – Programme and SMT, on how to best seize them, attract and establish new partnerships and support.
• Seeks to grow income for the country program and for the confederation through funding opportunities and scoping new consortium partnerships with stakeholders at national, regional and global levels.
• Facilitates inter-affiliate negotiations on prime applicant selection and supports the Deputy Country Director – Programme for the final decision.
• Monitors the funding pipeline and leads on income planning and forecasting at national level in link with the region. Collaborates to support confederation public fundraising by effective matching of program needs within the country to affiliate based public fundraising efforts. Monitors and mentors the country office’s performance on fundraising and, in consultation with the Institutional Funding Units at PA level, provides the country office input into relevant monitoring tools and systems.

Building Strategic Donor relations and Affiliates’ engagement - (25%):

• Together with the Deputy Country Director-Programme, ensures the development and management of Oxfam’s relationships with institutional - and other types of - donor representatives within a country and multi-country context, building on Oxfam’s track record and reputation.
• In close cooperation with the Deputy Country Director and Policy teams, proactively engage in influencing donors’ policy and thinking, and identify key areas of potential cooperation, including program funding, and promote Oxfam’s strategic and operational positioning, and thereby contribute to an effective and proactive fundraising.
• Co-ordinates business development and funding activities with relevant Oxfam staff in country and at regional level as well as with Oxfam Affiliates, and reports on progress to the Deputy Country Director – Programme and SMT.
• Active engagement in Oxfam co-ordination mechanisms within the region to improve inter-country and inter-affiliate collaboration
• Links with the confederation funding architecture to access intelligence, opportunities and skills.
• Brokers and streamlines assistance from donor account managers in Affiliate HQs and shared services and builds collaborative relationships with these.
• Participates and actively engages in relevant regional Funding bodies.
• Support preparation for affiliate and donor visits of donor funded programs as required.

Bid Development, management & Compliance Assurance - (25%):

• In close collaboration with the programme and finance teams, prepares all necessary groundwork for proposal development and bid management - including multi-country and multi-affiliate ones -, helps assemble bid development teams, ensures effective and qualitative bid development to ensure high quality competitive proposals.
• Liaise closely with the MEAL unit to ensure it is incorporated in each step of the PCM and adequate budget is allocated for MEAL functions for new proposals
• Contributes to drafting and editing proposals in coordination with the programme team. Manage all required internal sign off and facilitate the submission of all bids and proposals in close consultation with the Deputy Country Director. 
• Provides technical advice in negotiations with institutional donors or business partners over contracts, costs, governance and accountability, and compliance requirements. Advices programme and finance staff to deliver strong donor compliance and undertake quality assurance for reports for donors in the region considered to be high risk, to help minimise any negative impact to Oxfam’s income and reputation
• Supports staff to adhere to funding policies and guidelines of the Oxfam confederation.
• Analyse and provide advice/training to relevant staff on funding policies and formal requirements of donors.

Grant Management (25%):

• Coordinates and leads on Donor Contract Management (DCM) of restricted funds, including support to grant management, reporting, revisions and close out. Monitor and track restricted grants for compliance with donor guidelines, and capacity building of country teams and partners.
• Supports programme teams (including logistics, HR and finance) to effectively plan, secure and manage donor contracts using appropriate methodology, including formal training, technical guidance, coaching and accompaniment to ensure the timely submission of quality proposals and reports. Provide specific advice and support to country team (with Finance Department) in all aspects of the financial management of specific restricted and unrestricted funds, including donor budgeting, compliance with donor requirements, managing income, financial reporting and the necessary financial reconciliation on Oxfam management systems.
• Works closely with the teams (in particular finance) to ensure greatest use of restricted funds through strategic recharging to donor contracts where possible, and to ensure budget spend is maximised.
• Strengthens the capacity of partner organisations in funding skills as part of their organisational development with Oxfam.

Management (cross-cutting):

• Manages and ensures capacity building of the Funding Team, with development plans drawn up and fulfilled.
• Help individuals and the team to achieve objectives through day-to-day support, monthly face to face meetings, regular team meetings, which include discussions of progress against objectives, giving feedback, challenges and encouragement.
• Keep abreast of changing donors requirements and policies for Syria to ensure that information is always up to date
• Participate in the SMT, ensuring a consistent standard of excellence in resource mobilization and business development. Advises management as needed on recruitment, risk identification, skills training and capacity building and help ensure that the country programs are adequately resourced.
• Strengthen the capacity of the local partner organisation teams in relation to grant management and donor compliance.

Essential:

• A university degree - or equivalent - in Social Sciences, Business Administration, Law, Economics or International Development or other relevant experience.
• At least 5 years of demonstrable experience and success working in fundraising and/or programme development and management in the humanitarian & development sector.
• Demonstrable experience and success in engaging with bilateral and multilateral donors for an international agency; demonstrated ability to devise and implement resource mobilisation strategies; and proven ability to identify new business opportunities and partnerships.
• Experience with key institutional donors’ guidelines and procedures (EU, ECHO, UN, DFID, GAC, SDC, SIDA, etc).
• Solid Experience working in a confederation setting
• High level of analytical skills and critical thinking with the ability to research, analyse, and report
• Knowledge of Project Cycle Management with previous field experience
• Solid experience, very good knowledge and understanding of the donor and funding context, environment and key players in the Middle East.
• Experience of or very good understanding of the Middle East context and of key issues of development and transition.
• Excellent written skills with proven ability to develop and present proposals and donor reports, for both internal and external audiences.
• Strong numeracy and financial skills, particularly in developing budgets, financial management/monitoring and reporting.
• Experience in staff management, capacity building; coaching and delivering training at an individual and group level.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication and relationship skills with ability to influence external organisations and individuals and ability to work effectively with others in diverse team situations to achieve fundraising targets
• Information management and IT skills with attention to detail to develop and analyse donor budgets and financial reports; and to develop/maintain, and give guidance on electronic and manual contract management and reporting systems.
• Self-motivated, target-driven and a proactive approach to funding
• Ability to manage his/her time effectively.
• Ability to work within a multicultural, multilingual, and multidisciplinary environment and to work effectively with others in a team across institutional boundaries and business units. Proven ability to utilise talent and expertise of team members to achieve objectives.
• Solid understanding and convictions of a rights-based approach and gender sensitive, and experience in the NGO sector
• Excellent command of English
• Ability to make effective, timely decisions and take prudent risks.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Oxfam GB’s internal contract management system (“PEOPLESOFT”)
• Proficiency in Arabic
• Knowledge of the Syrian context and the current situation of donors and funding trends in Syria
• Good knowledge and awareness of issues related to Oxfam’s strategic objectives and 2020 model.

Key Behavioural Competencies:

• Decisiveness:  We are comfortable to make transparent decisions and to adapt decision making modes to the context and needs.
• Influencing:  We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organization We spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.
• Humility: We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of each individual. We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.
• Relationship Building: We understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organisation.
• Listening: We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear, and consider different preferences.
• Mutual Accountability: We can explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values.  We are ready to be held to account for what we do and how we behave, as we are also holding others to account in a consistent manner.
• Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity: We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.
• Systems Thinking: We view problems as parts of an overall system and in their relation to the whole system, rather than reacting to a specific part, outcome or event in isolation. We focus on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. By consistently practicing systems thinking we are aware of and manage well unintended consequences of organisational decisions and actions.
• Strategic Thinking and Judgment: We use judgment, weighing risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with organizational strategies and values.
• Self-Awareness: We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.
• Enabling: We all work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organizations goals through creating conditions of success. We passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job.  We provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support. We give more freedom and demonstrate belief and trust, underpinned with appropriate support.

We offer:

We offer a competitive salary and a range of additional benefits to staff including annual leave, additional leave allowances, company sick pay, life assurance and a range of other benefits. 

From the day you join Oxfam we invite you to stretch and learn in your role. Our wide range of Learning & Development opportunities includes in-house courses, e-learning modules, on-the job learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring, and much more. 

You can read more about all Oxfam has to offer here.

How to apply:

As part of your online application, please upload your up to date CV and Cover Letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.  

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB 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 these recruitment procedures.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

About us

Oxfam is a global community who believe poverty isn’t inevitable. It’s an injustice that can be overcome. We are shop volunteers, women’s right activists, marathon runners, aid workers, coffee farmers, street fundraisers, goat herders, policy experts, campaigners, water engineers and more. And we won’t stop until everyone can live life without poverty for good.

Oxfam GB is a member of international confederation of 21 organisations working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries. 

A thriving diverse Oxfam:

It’s people power that brings about change. To play our part as a global organisation working to overcome poverty and inequality, we need equality, diversity and inclusion across our community of staff, partners and volunteers. Together, we’re committed to becoming a more diverse workforce, better able to tackle the global challenges that face our world today.

To do that:

• We need to dismantle the unequal power structures that exist everywhere, this including Oxfam and the wider development and charity sectors.
• We need an inclusive Oxfam where everyone can bring who they are to our work and feels celebrated for the differences they bring.
• We want and need everyone, and that means we need you.