Position Description:

The Business Development (BD) Associate will lead and/or support new business development efforts, from opportunity tracking and capture planning to proposal development, submission and follow up. The BD Associate will serve in the Capture Manager and Proposal Manager or Proposal Coordinator roles on new business opportunities. The BD Associate will lead special internal initiatives aligned with the division’s annual business development strategy. S/he will work under the supervision and direction of a BD Deputy Director (DD).

Responsibilities:

Proposal Development

• Prepare bid overview sheets, track bid – no bid updates, and communicate results to technical and programmatic teams.
• As proposal manager, oversee and manage all aspects of the proposal development processes, including:
  • Serve as an equal counterpart to the Technical Lead;
  • Delineate specific roles and responsibilities with the proposal coordinator, if applicable;
  • Manage capture work, including planning, research, partnering, brainstorming and solution design;
  • Lead kickoff meetings and preparation of accompanying documents (proposal calendar, outlines, agenda);
  • Compile clarification questions;
  • Facilitate solution design and story-boarding sessions;
  • Lead pink and red team review meetings;
  • Maintain relationships with partners;
  • Draft proposal pieces including Past Performance, Corporate Capabilities, Staffing and Management Plan, Country Context, and Security Plans;
  • Compile inputs from proposal team members, including consultants and partners;
  • Ensure responsiveness to and compliance with solicitation documents;
  • Manage and oversee competitive range and BAFO responses;
  • Conduct after action reviews.
• Work and coordinate with the pricing team members to develop initial cost estimates, including for labor and other direct costs, and facilitate cost proposal information from subcontractors.
• Work and coordinate with recruiters to help vet candidates, request inputs, and develop project teams, particularly for LTTA, ensuring HR has all the materials and supporting information for contingent hires if applicable.
• Coordinate with other divisions and support units involved in the proposal development.
• Provide QA/QC and compliance support on proposals.

Other duties may include providing administrative and logistical support to proposal teams, drafting consulting agreements, managing invoicing and payment of consultants, arranging travel, hotels, visas, and insurances for team members.

As Proposal Coordinator, support the Proposal Manager in accordance with proposal duties assigned.

Capture Planning

• Lead and assist in the identification, tracking and updating of new business opportunities across a variety of technical sectors and clients.
• As Capture Manager, conduct research for capture, including analyzing competition and potential partners, develop and update capture budgets, background information on the client and current implementation efforts, country context, and other on-the-ground knowledge.
• Write and contribute to capture plans.
• Organize and participate in capture trips.
• Conduct outreach to new partners, especially small businesses and local partners.

Outreach

Attend and coordinate BD opportunities such as domestic partnering meetings, think tank meetings, conferences, university events, career fairs, seminars, and other activities.

Special Initiatives and Other Duties

• Lead and/or support special initiatives, such as developing market entry strategies for new clients, developing/refining knowledge management tools for the department, and promoting learning and application of best practices.
• Participated and contribute to departmental and companywide strategy development.
• Manage interns, including work planning and supervision.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, including international relations, political science, public affairs, and communications; Master’s degree a plus.
• 3 years of work or internship experience related to international development, with at least 1 year experience with proposal management.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to follow through on multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong oral and written communications skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Foreign language skills desirable.
• Work or study abroad experience preferred.
• USAID experience a plus.
• Strong technical writing skills.