United States Government (USG) Business Development Specialist

Plan International is seeking a US Government Business Development Specialist that will coordinate with Country Offices, subregional Clusters, the Regional Hub and Plan International USA to build US Government engagement strategies, across the development and humanitarian funding streams.

With a good understanding of US Government funding mechanisms and a strong network of relevant contacts and relationships within US Government entities, the USG Business Development Specialist will coordinate and support engagement and business development efforts across the countries of concentration of the Region of the Americas (ROA), helping to ensure Plan International is well-positioned with the USG agencies.

Accountabilities

Account Management (Build and maintain proper relationships with development & humanitarian donors)

• Establish and maintain relationships with profit and non-profit organizations, both public and private, focusing on USG development and humanitarian opportunities.
• Develop and/or strengthen relationships with the in-country representatives of US institutional donors.
• Collect and analyze data and intelligence on donor activities and competitor strategies to inform engagement efforts.
• Identify and track relevant upcoming USG funding opportunities through portals and advance intelligence gathering to support Plan International positioning.
• Collaborate with Plan International USA, clusters, and country offices to co-develop and implement a clear engagement plan for the USG portfolio.
• Represent Plan International interests at relevant meetings, events, and within resource mobilization or donor-specific peer networks, as it relates to USG funding streams.

Management of funding portfolio

• Work with US based BD staff to gather information on relevant upcoming USG funding opportunities to support Plan International positioning.
• Lead grants resource mobilization efforts during humanitarian responses to identify, develop, secure, and follow up on USG funding opportunities.
• Support Country Offices (CO) by communicating donor priorities, developing strategies in alignment to Plan strengths and identifying opportunities and linkages to increase relationships and funding.
• Support, as needed, on the development of live opportunities in close coordination with US based BD staff, both for country-based programs and regional programs, ensuring responsive proposals to USG donors’ interests
• Partner with US based BD staff on the capture stage for new USG opportunities within the Latin American & the Caribbean region.
• Support the recruitment of qualified personnel, as needed.

Work collaboratively between the countries of the cluster

• Strengthen capacity of country offices (Business Development, Programme and Finance teams), and other internal stakeholders, to fully understand what is required to pursue opportunities with USG donors, including the processes of identification, implementation, and compliance.
• Gives direction and strengthens organizational capacities at country level to increase Plan International’s competitiveness for USG opportunities.
• Coordinate efforts with internal stakeholders (Programmes, Finance, Communications, PMERL, amongst others) to assure projects are fit for the donors (according to their priorities and requirements).