Senior Business Development Officer

Business Development and Partnerships

Grade: 6

Reports to: Director of Business Development and Partnerships

Salary Range: $80,000-$95,000

Anticipated Start Date: ASAP

Term of Employment: Full-time

Apply by: ASAP

Base of Designation/Remote Eligible: Hybrid (Washington, DC)

Conditional on Funding? No

The Senior Business Development Officer (SBDO) will provide proposal development support to our portfolio of education, international exchanges, and development programs funded by USG. In this role, the SBDO will be responsible for coordinating with program units to identify or develop promising new funding opportunities and build positive relationships with funders and industry partners. They will manage proposals, including strategy development for positioning, conducting competitor analyses, developing partnerships, overseeing the development of technical and cost proposals, and ensuring proposal compliance and submission on schedule. The SBDO will report to the Director of Business Development and Partnerships.

Responsibilities:

Proposal Development

• Manage the proposal process for significant new business opportunities across World Learning's government funding pipeline, including competitive bids for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts.
• Develop positioning strategies and lead the proposal process for bids; this includes but is not limited to supporting and leading scoping trips, coordinating resources and unit support from across the organization, and ensuring a competitive and compliant submission.
• Develop, oversee, and maintain the proposal calendar, and monitor adherence to the defined process and deadlines for technical proposals, rosters/recruiting, proposal budgets, production schedules, and quality standards for proposals.
• Problem-solve to resolve issues with delays or other roadblocks in the proposal process.
• Facilitate design sessions with technical specialists and program staff to incorporate lessons learned and best practices.
• Draft proposal sections as needed and requested.
• Provide quality control on technical annexes for high-priority bids through feedback, writing support, and staff mentorship.
• Ensure technical and cost volumes are unified and cross-checked to ensure alignment.
• Monitor and ensure staffing strategy alignment with Human Resource policies and procedures, and technical unit needs to meet proposal staffing priorities.
• Participate in the review and compilation of lessons learned and after-action-reviews of proposal submission processes for World Learning.
• Conduct international travel, as required.

Business Development Strategy and Pipeline Growth Responsibilities

• Assist the leadership of BDP and technical units in identifying partnering opportunities and forming new strategic alliances with implementing partners and other stakeholders to advance program development for World Learning.
• Represent World Learning at events and disseminate information regarding World Learning's overall capabilities.
• Responsible for managing and disseminating business intelligence and positioning information obtained from networks, technical units, and field teams.
• Manage interns and consultants; mentor junior BDP and technical unit team members, building their proposal development skills.
• Support projects, marketing, and other unit/divisional activities in ways that tap sector or geographic expertise.
• Support information management and knowledge management practices within the unit.

Home Office and Business Development Support

• Take an active part in the development and training of program unit staff on processes, procedures, and standards for program design and proposal development.
• Develop and build business development skills of program unit staff as needed.
• Support field-based business development activities and preparations for new and follow-on projects, including review of internal and external evaluations of projects.

Requirements

Required Experience/Education:

• The following combination of education and experience is required:
  • • Bachelor's Degree in international relations, education, or international development or related field; at least five years of experience working in the international field; at least three years of experience in supporting proposal development, especially for U.S. Government opportunities such as for U.S. State Department Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and USAID.

    OR

    • Master's Degree in international development or related field; at least three years of experience working in international exchanges or development; at least one year of experience supporting proposal development, especially for U.S. Government opportunities such as ECA and USAID.
    • Experience with program management, technical design, or writing proposals for ECA and USAID is highly desired.
    • Experience with U.S. Government procurement policies, procedures, and mechanisms (such as Indefinite Quantity Contracts, Cooperative Agreements, etc.) for international development activities preferred.
    • Experience using Salesforce or similar systems.
    • Experience coordinating budget preparation.
    • Applicants must be authorized to work in the location where this position is offered.

Required Skills:

• Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills, especially when facing tight deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, including outstanding writing and editing skills.
• Language proficiency in Arabic, French, or Spanish is a plus.

Required Behaviors/Competencies:

• Willingness to assume responsibilities and take initiative; ability to be a team player.
• Familiarity with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Overseas experience in developing countries, either short- or long-term, preferred.

Benefits At World Learning, we believe in doing everything we can to help employees succeed in their careers. Headquartered in Vermont and Washington, DC, and with offices around the world, we offer a comprehensive benefits package for all staff.

Core Benefits

• Generous paid leave, including:
  • 12 vacation days for first year of employment; 18 vacation days for second year of employment
  • 12 sick days per year
  • 2 personal days per year
  • 5 days for bereavement per year
  • 20 days for parental leave (additional unpaid parental and family leave available)
  • 10 federal holidays per year, plus one floating holiday
  • The week between Christmas and New Year's Day
• Health insurance
• Dental and vision plans
• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Retirement savings plan-403(b)-with match provided by World Learning
• Supplemental retirement fund
• Full employer-paid life insurance
• Supplemental term life insurance
• Full employer-paid short-and long-term disability insurance
• Full employer-paid travel accident plan for domestic and overseas staff
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Domestic partner coverage
• Flexible schedules
• Tuition assistance for World Learning programs
• Childcare referral service
• Pet insurance

Other Benefits (may depend on location)

• Parking and transit benefits
• On-site fitness center

Vaccination is required for all employees in our U.S. offices except for those receiving medical or religious exemptions. If boosters are subsequently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then employees and faculty will be required to receive the booster within thirty (30) days of their eligibility.

The World Learning Inc. Family

For more than 90 years, World Learning Inc. is a thriving global organization made up of The Experiment in International Living, the nation's most experienced provider of international education through exchanges for high school students; School for International Training, offering accredited undergraduate study abroad programs through SIT Study Abroad and internationally focused master's degrees through SIT Graduate Institute; and World Learning, a global development and exchange nonprofit organization.

World Learning | worldlearning.org

World Learning has worked to create a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world. World Learning's education, development, and exchange programs help people find their voices, connect with their communities, strengthen the institutions that form the backbone of a democratic society, and build relationships across cultures. With World Learning's support, these emerging leaders tackle critical global issues like poverty, conflict, and inequality.

The Experiment in International Living | experiment.org

The Experiment in International Living is the nation's most experienced provider of international education through exchanges for high school students. For more than 90 years, The Experiment has empowered young people to step off the beaten path, experience the world as a classroom, immerse themselves fully in another culture, and build the knowledge and skills needed to confront critical global issues.

SIT | sit.edu

School for International Training (SIT) was founded in the early 1960s as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. For nearly 60 years, SIT has prepared students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world's most critical global issues. SIT Study Abroad offers accredited summer and semester undergraduate programs in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs on multiple continents. SIT Graduate Institute offers global and hybrid certificates, master's, and doctoral degrees.

An organizational commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.

We are a globally diverse community of staff, faculty, board members, alumni, students, and participants who believe that inclusive and equitable practices are at the heart of a peaceful and just world. Each of us strives to honor diverse voices and lived experiences, examine our own biases and privileges, actively work to address inequities in our structures, and foster a community of open dialogue. We are committed to acting with accountability, transparency, reciprocity, authenticity, and empathy.

World Learning is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action/veterans/ADA employer, committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce.