Business Development Manager - Digital Green

Kira Topik

Apply here |

About Digital Green

Digital Green is a global development organization that empowers smallholder farmers to lift themselves out of poverty by harnessing the collective power of technology and grassroots-level partnerships. We join forces with governments, private agencies and, most importantly, rural communities themselves to co-create digital solutions that are of the community and for the community. When farmers have the tools they need to connect with one another, they’re far more likely to apply what they’ve learned on their farms and in their households–improving their own livelihoods and those of others in their community, in a manner that’s nutrition-sensitive, climate-resilient, and inclusive.

So far, Digital Green has reached 2.5 million rural community members across over 8,000 villages in India, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Ghana, Niger and Tanzania. Collaborating with over 20 partners, Digital Green has helped facilitate the production and dissemination of over 7,000 localized videos in 50 languages. In addition to this, through our online training courseware, we have trained 17,000 frontline workers, 7,000 of whom have been trained through mobile applications. Digital Green operates from offices in San Francisco, New Delhi, Addis Ababa and Washington, DC. Digital Green is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the US. For more information, please visit Digital Green’s website: www.digitalgreen.org.

Digital Green is entering an exciting phase of development as it expands its activities to additional countries in Asia and Africa. As part of this expansion, Digital Green is building a small team of exceptional individuals with a passion for finding solutions to pressing development problems, a curiosity about complex issues facing the world’s poor, and a drive to tell our story. This is an exciting opportunity to join Digital Green’s new and growing team, supporting our ongoing programs, country expansion and start-up operations.

Job Summary

This Business Development Manager will be responsible for: developing grant proposals, shaping program design and forming partnerships for a growing number of opportunities, primarily in India, Ethiopia and Kenya; and developing collateral focused on communicating Digital Green’s value proposition to prospective donors. The successful candidate will be able to craft funding proposals and communication materials in a clear and compelling manner for a wide range of audiences (foundations, bilateral and multilateral donors, corporations, individuals). Excellent writing, communication, and analytical skills are essential. Candidates must be self-motivated and detail oriented.

The Business Development Manager will be a member of the US based Strategy team and report to the Head of Philanthropy. This position will be based in the US but is remote (or in-person if based in San Francisco, CA) and the individual may be based out of the following states:  California, Nevada, Kansas, Washington D.C., Washington State, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, or Texas.

Key Responsibilities

Proposal Writing and Business Development

• Work in collaboration with country technical, M&E and finance staff and the 3-person business development team to develop compelling, responsive and winning proposals.
  • Analyze calls for proposals to develop and ensure responsive project concepts and proposals.
  • Lead technical design discussions with country offices to shape program design.
  • Synthesize proposal content and succinctly convey technical concepts, project plans, expected results and financial cost requirements.
  • Write, edit, and proof concept notes, proposals and budget narratives to meet donor-specific priorities, formats, guidelines and deadlines.
• Engage with potential partners in-person and remotely to represent Digital Green and assess and develop partnerships.
• Participate in business development planning activities, including pipeline reviews and preparing and communicating status updates for internal meetings.

Donor Communications

• Collaborate with strategy and communications teams to develop communications and outreach materials for current and prospective funders (e.g. briefs, presentations, blogs, reports, website content).
• Write or contribute to organizational-level quarterly and annual reports for unrestricted funding donors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred.
• 8-10 years of professional experience working with international development organizations in business development capacity. Work experience with international development organizations focused on agriculture and/or climate or technology for development preferred.
• Successfully demonstrated experience writing proposals for US-based foundations in addition to USAID.
• Superior writing, proofreading and editing skills. Able to produce a range of written materials (structured proposals, concept notes, free-form briefs, reports, donor newsletters) quickly and in a persuasive manner.
• Demonstrated experience organizing, analyzing and communicating organizational budget information and results data.
• Demonstrated ability to lead calls with country teams to develop concepts and gather the information required to develop compelling proposals.
• Strong research skills and ability to synthesize complex information for a variety of formats.
• Strong verbal and interpersonal communication skills.

Skills and Competencies

• Able to interact with a wide range of individuals from varied backgrounds at all levels within the organization and work well with others on small multi-cultural teams.
• Able to work independently with strong organization and time management skills.
• Able to manage complex processes on tight deadlines.
• Excellent critical thinking and analysis, planning, and problem solving skills
• Close attention to detail and ability to work under the pressure of deadlines
• Flexible attitude towards changing priorities and ability to multi-task.
• Comfortable taking initiative within own authority.
• Willing and able to work in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
• Willing to travel occasionally nationally and internationally and engage with people of multiple cultures.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills.