Business Development Consultant: Government

Position Description – February 2022 Beyond Conflict, a global 501(c)(3) focused on peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and democracy strengthening is looking for a Business Development Consultant to help grow revenue from government sources and to build strategic partnerships with peer organizations in an effort to promote the growth of our programs.   About Beyond Conflict and our Programs  Beyond Conflict combines insights from brain and behavioral science with nearly 30 years of experience in conflict resolution to advance new strategies to prevent violence and promote peace. Our team addresses the need to better understand how humans think through the application of rigorous science matched to the needs and input of communities in conflict.  Beyond Conflict has catalyzed the field of transitional justice, facilitated the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa, and charted a course towards peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, Central America, Cuba, and other divided societies grappling with difficult social challenges.  In 2010, Beyond Conflict began to explore the fields of brain and behavioral science in depth, and found that the combined knowledge of emerging research within science matched to direct real-world experiences offered powerful new approaches to revolutionize the fields of conflict resolution, reconciliation and social change. Beyond Conflict has become widely acknowledged as the champion in catalyzing the field of Neuroscience and Social Conflict.  This role will help mobilize resources for our three programmatic areas: Democracy and Social Identity, Trauma and Violent Conflict, and International Peacebuilding.  The role will be a part-time remote consultancy (16-24 hours/week) with the potential to grow into a full-time role.  The ideal candidate is mission-driven, interested in the impact potential of science in peacebuilding and conflict resolution, and can navigate government funding processes with ease.  The Business Development Consultant will report to the Director of Development and will work hand in hand with our three program directors.   Job Responsibilities:  The principal duties and responsibilities of the position are focused on business development and include:
  • With guidance from the Development Director, manage and/or substantially contribute to pre-solicitation proposal preparations and bid planning including intelligence gathering, partnership building, bid strategy development including identifying win-themes and gaps, and intelligence gathering and sharing.
  • Track business development forecasts, assist with go/no-go decision making, manage pre-bid preparations, act as capture manager, proposal manager or section writer on various bids, and oversee compliance of proposal submissions.
  • Create capture plans that strategically assess bids, draw on our organization’s available resources, and help our program directors to develop winning bid plans.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact across program teams to coordinate proposals, facilitating teaming, staffing, technical, and budget strategy discussions, communicating compliance requirements, and sharing updates, and amendments with the proposal team.
  • In cooperation with technical team leads, identify emerging areas for Beyond Conflict to shape opportunities with donors, and contribute to the identification and creation of innovative funding or project implementation models.
  • Prepare analysis of Beyond Conflict’s BD efforts that go beyond the win rate, and provide information about the quality of proposed approaches, implementation strategies, and activities, as well as lessons learned and best practices in framing and presenting our ideas.
  • Manage logistics and administrative tasks for proposal cycles.
  Skills and Experience Needed:
  • Bachelor’s degree in international development or similar field
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in a business development role writing, running capture, and proposal (narrative and budget) development for US Government (USG) bids, particularly targeting USAID and US Department of State (DoS)
  • Experience collaborating with field-based teams on proposal development
  • Strong understanding of the USG funding landscape
  • Familiarity with USG Rules & Regulations and USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) 
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Strong analytical and conceptual skills
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Prior experience leading the development of USG proposal submissions
  • Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification
  • Prior project management experience with USAID or other international donor-funded programming
  • Prior experience working  in the field, preferably in conflict-affected or political transition environments
  • Foreign language fluency in Spanish or Arabic
Beyond Conflict is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. In the near term, this role will be performed remotely from anywhere within United States territory, provided the candidate can be available for the most part during East Coast business hours. To apply, please complete this form. Your cover letter should express your interest in working for Beyond Conflict and your qualifications for the role.  Please state the job title: “Business Development Manager” in your cover letter.