Regional Business Development Specialist - East Africa Regional Division at Handicap International

Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

18 May, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

17 Feb, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Business Development, Fundraising Strategy, Proposal Writing, Donor Relationship Management, Strategic Positioning, Operational Strategy, Financial Planning, Budget Development, SMART Indicators, Donor Contract Analysis, Negotiation, Communication, Networking, Capacity Building, Project Cycle Management, CRM Utilization

Industry

Non-profit Organizations

Description

Contract information Place: Ethiopa/Uganda/Kenya, Starting date: 1st April 2026; Duration of contract: 24 months; Closing date for applications: 24 February 2026. Humanity & Inclusion presentation Humanity & Inclusion is an independent and impartial aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. The organisation works alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. Since its creation in 1982, HI has run development & humanitarian projects in more than 55 countries and responded to numerous emergencies. Today, we have a budget of approximately 200 million euros, with 4,000 employees worldwide At Handicap International-Humanity & Inclusion, we truly believe in the importance of inclusion and diversity within our organisation. This is why we are engaged to a disability policy to encourage the inclusion and integration of people with disabilities. Please indicate if you require any special accommodation, even at the first interview. For more information about the organisation. JOB CONTEXT: Regional context - East Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia/Somaliland, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan) and later in 2026 possible new countries. East Africa region faces multiple challenges: armed conflicts and insecurity, population displacement (refugees and internally displaced persons), epidemics and public health issues, food insecurity and famine, and various protection incidents. These factors exacerbate the vulnerabilities of people with disabilities and marginalized groups. East Africa is home to approximately 3.8 million refugees, representing 10% of the world's refugees but faces growing challenges in terms of resources and integration. Ongoing crises in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia are exacerbating displacement. In this context, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) implements humanitarian and development actions aimed at improving access to essential services, strengthening community resilience, and promoting inclusion. HI's interventions focus on several areas: physical and functional rehabilitation, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), inclusive education (and EI in emergencies), protection, food security and humanitarian mine action (including clearance, victim assistance and risk education). HI's approach is based on community participation, promoting a “do no harm” policy, and seeking to achieve a lasting impact that promotes human dignity and inclusion in humanitarian action. HI has around 350-400 employees in this region, with a budget of €20 million. As part of its commitment to continuous improvement, HI has embarked on a process of regionalization and decentralization of its operational governance, with the aim of bringing decision-making closer to local realities. This change is accompanied by greater pooling of resources, harmonization of practices, and increased efforts to ensure programmatic consistency across its various areas of intervention. By early 2026, the program teams will work closely and in an integrated manner within a strengthened regional space to maximize the impact, responsiveness, and relevance of actions carried out as close as possible to the populations concerned. The security situation in the region varies from country to country, with some areas affected by tensions or travel restrictions, particularly in Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. Appropriate risk management mechanisms are in place to ensure the safety of teams. YOUR MISSION: Under the hierarchical supervision of the Technical Head of Program (THOP), and in close collaboration with the Regional Director, Country Managers, Country Directors, country-based business development officers, Operations Managers, shared service managers and other technical Unit members, the Business Development Specialist actively contributes to the development of the East Africa regional program by designing, implementing, and monitoring its fundraising strategy. The role includes identifying funding opportunities and leading the development of concept notes and project proposals through submission to donors, including public institutions, foundations and private sector partners Responsibility 1: Strategic positioning and planning Participate in the development and monitoring of the operational strategy (StratOp), with particular focus on the fundraising action plan and internal project documents Ensure follow up, implementation and monitoring of the fundraising strategy Observe donor strategies and priorities at country/regional level and monitor opportunities in order to anticipate calls for proposals and identify bidding opportunities Interact with identified donors to understand their perception of HI's current programming, and identify their areas of interest in order to target fundraising efforts Draw up a mapping of (regional) humanitarian and development actors (INGOs, UN agencies, government representations) to monitor trends and remain competitive Analyse fundraising trends and inform the program on transformation rate, project coverage, duration and amounts secured Coordinate fundraising efforts, especially networking, monitoring of donor opportunities Liaise and mobilise adequate team members to support fundraising efforts (technical specialist, program directors, country managers, etc). Organise regular meetings with country directors/country managers/operations managers Coordinate with other programs/countries to gather and promote best practices, facilitate dialogue with donors (for prospection / replication of activities) Responsibility 2 : Relationship management External Work with the Country Directors, Country Managers & Technical Unit members to strengthen HI's attractiveness and influence, developing key relationships with relevant decision makers in, national and local organizations, donors and major international organizations; Develop active and quality working relationships with donors and strategic partners in the country identify potential consortium. Participate in various platforms and meetings on behalf of the Geographical Director, Country directors/country managers to increase HI's visibility and allow for information gathering on funding opportunities Promote HI's technical positioning, approaches, know-how and skills within the relevant networks with a view to developing consortium agreements with the support of the Technical Unit. Develop supporting documents, such as "project sheets" and/or "donor sheets"; and develop new tools such as capacity statement Internal Share funding opportunities with country teams Ensure that CRM is updated, if needed send reminders to people in charge As long as necessary (depending on CRM use) maintain internal BD communication and sharing tools up to date (Teams channel, follow up table of ongoing opportunities…) in order to allow country teams to have access to the latest, up to date documents Responsibility 3 : Proposal development Coordinate proposal development, distributing tasks among the key people involved in the writing of the project proposal for submission to the donor, in accordance with HI's proposal writing process and tools (PDM tool, PD-tool, CRM, etc.), including the development of: logical frameworks, MEAL plans, narrative descriptions planning, staffing and budgeting Ensure the position of primary writer for some complicated, multi country projects. Ensure coordination and triangulation framing with, IPSO, shared services, operational teams and (global) technical specialists Proactively coordinate the involvement and input of all relevant technical advisors (HQ and mission staff) for all proposal development Identify, where appropriate, relevant/competitive arrangements (consortia, multi-country projects, etc.) and facilitate negotiations; For consortia: ensure coordination and communication, coordinate initial screening, (pre) teaming agreements and manage stakeholder input during project development; Review the project proposal/final concept note prior to submission for compliance with donor guidelines and expectations, consistency between the budget and the technical description, and overall quality; Proceed (if necessary) with the final submission of concept notes and project proposals to donors. Coordinate and collaborate with HI national associations (IPO/IPSO) for all relevant donor proposals Responsibility 4 : Capacity building Develop training modules on proposal writing and project cycle management for all programs' staff and local partners when relevant Provide training on donor rules, regulations and strategies for all programs' staff involved in the writing of proposals Provide training on the use of CRM to new users, coaching as needed. Support the country teams in the use of new features Ensure proper transition between Business development and project implementation You have a minimum of 5 years of professional experience in development and/or humanitarian work You have at least 3 years of business development experience You have a strong experience in proposal writing, financial planning and budget development (including co-funding principals) You are able to develop SMART indicators You have experience in Donor Contract Analysis and negotiation capacities You have excellent written and verbal communication skills, suitable for high-level external representation and proposal development You are autonomous, flexible, and can prioritise English and French mandatory At HI, the conditions offered are up to your commitment and adapted to the context of your mission: Join the team 24 months International contract starting from 1st, April 2026; The international contract provides social cover adapted to your situation: Unemployment insurance benefits for EU nationals; Pension scheme; Medical coverage with 50% of employee contribution; Repatriation insurance paid by HI; Salary from 2757€ gross/month upon experience; Perdiem: Ethiopia : 489€ net/month/Uganda 645€ net/month /Kenya 606€ net/month - paid in the field Hardship: Ethiopia 250€ net/month paid with your salary; Paid leaves: 25 days per year; R&R: according to the level of the mission Ethiopia : 5 days every 3 months/Uganda and Kenya: 1 day per month Position: Unaccompanied: Payment for travel costs (air ticket & visa) and transport of your personal effects; Mission of more than 12 months: a child allowance of 100€ per month, per child (from the second child) paid in the field; open to couples: Support travel costs (air ticket & visa) for accompanying dependent and health/ repatriation insurance if the dependent has no income; Payment of one yearly additional return flight; open to families: Family package: a child allowance of 100€ per month, per child (from the second child) paid in the field; Contribution to school registration fees for children over 3 years; Family-wide health coverage; Payment for travel costs (air ticket & visa) and transport of your personal effects; Housing: Individual taken in charge by HI; If you are resident in the country: local package.

Responsibilities

The Business Development Specialist actively contributes to the East Africa regional program by designing, implementing, and monitoring its fundraising strategy, which includes identifying funding opportunities and leading the development and submission of concept notes and project proposals to various donors. Responsibilities cover strategic positioning, relationship management with external and internal stakeholders, coordinating comprehensive proposal development, and building internal capacity related to business development functions.