The Program Development Specialist reports to the Director of Programs and works under the overall supervision of the Executive Director. The position is primarily responsible for supporting WEO’s resource mobilization, fundraising, and proposal development efforts. This includes identifying funding opportunities, conducting donor mapping and intelligence, coordinating the development of high-quality concept notes and proposals, and ensuring alignment with WEO’s strategic priorities and donor requirements.
The Specialist plays a key role in securing institutional and project-based funding by developing competitive and evidence-based proposals, fostering relationships with existing and potential donors, and coordinating inputs from technical and operational teams throughout the proposal development process. The role is responsible for planning, organizing, and overseeing all program development activities, ensuring timely submission of funding applications, maintaining a robust funding pipeline, and contributing to the organization’s growth, sustainability, and impact.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Programs Director and Overall Supervision of the Chief Executive Director, the employee shall perform the following duties:
· Lead the identification, assessment, and tracking of funding opportunities from institutional donors, UN agencies, international NGOs, foundations, government donors, and private sector partners.
· Develop high-quality, competitive, and donor-compliant concept notes, grant proposals, expressions of interest (EOIs), and other fundraising documents aligned with WEO’s strategic priorities and the needs of communities in Iraq.
· Coordinate and facilitate the proposal development process, ensuring effective collaboration among program, MEAL, finance, operations, and technical teams to produce timely and high-quality submissions.
· Conduct donor mapping, prospect research, and funding landscape analysis to identify new partnership and resource mobilization opportunities.
· Maintain an up-to-date funding pipeline and proposal tracking system, ensuring timely follow-up on opportunities, submissions, and donor communications.
· Analyze donor priorities, strategies, and compliance requirements to ensure proposals are responsive, competitive, and aligned with donor expectations.
· Develop strong theories of change, logical frameworks, results frameworks, indicators, implementation plans, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks for funding proposals.
· Lead the development of proposal budgets in close coordination with finance and program teams, ensuring cost-effectiveness, accuracy, and compliance with donor regulations.
· Gather, analyze, and synthesize contextual, sectoral, and needs assessment data to support evidence-based program design and proposal development.
· Support the design of innovative, impactful, and sustainable programs that address humanitarian, development, peacebuilding, gender equality, and climate-related challenges in Iraq.
· Build and maintain strategic relationships with current and prospective donors, partners, networks, and stakeholders to strengthen WEO’s visibility and funding opportunities.
· Represent WEO in donor meetings, coordination forums, conferences, and networking events to promote the organization’s mission, programs, and funding priorities.
· Contribute to the development and implementation of WEO’s resource mobilization and fundraising strategy, including donor engagement plans and partnership development initiatives.
· Develop organizational capability statements, donor presentations, fundraising materials, and other communication products that support business development efforts.
· Ensure all proposals and fundraising activities are aligned with WEO’s mission, strategic plan, organizational policies, and donor requirements.
· Monitor trends, emerging issues, and funding priorities within Iraq and the broader region to inform strategic program development and fundraising efforts.
· Maintain a repository of proposal templates, donor intelligence, lessons learned, and successful proposal content to improve organizational fundraising performance.
Required Qualifications and Skills
· • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (such as International Development, Social Sciences, Business Administration, or related disciplines). A Master’s degree or equivalent advanced qualification is considered an asset and is preferred.
· A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in program development, fundraising, proposal writing, and project management, preferably within the NGO, INGO, or international development sector, with a strong track record of successful resource mobilization and donor-funded project design and implementation.
· Demonstrated success in securing funding from diverse institutional donors, including the development of competitive proposals and successful resource mobilization strategies.
· Proficiency in English, Kurdish, and Arabic, with strong written and verbal communication skills in all three languages.
· Strong understanding of the NGO/INGO sector in Iraq, including local context, socio-political dynamics, and development and humanitarian priorities.
· Proven expertise in designing high-quality, donor-compliant funding proposals and programs that respond to the needs of local communities in Iraq.
· Ability to develop contextually relevant, culturally sensitive, and results-oriented program designs aligned with organizational mission and strategic objectives.
· Strong leadership and team coordination skills, with the ability to mentor, guide, and support multidisciplinary teams in a collaborative environment.
· Solid experience in donor relations and engagement, including understanding donor strategies, funding priorities, compliance requirements, and reporting standards, ensuring timely and accurate submissions.
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to represent the organization effectively in meetings, negotiations, and stakeholder engagements at national and international levels.