SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

JOB DETAILS

LOCATION: Gaza

 

 

CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed Term <12 months>

 

JOB FAMILY: Program

ONE OXFAM GRADE: D1

DEPARTMENT: Funding  

                                                                           

TEAM: Funding / OPTI  

 

Starting Salary:  ILS per annum

 

HOURS: (FTE) 40 hours / week

FLEXIBLE WORKING

‘We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we’re open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you. We think this role would work particularly well as an office-based position.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE:

TEAM PURPOSE: to contribute to the development and implementation of resource mobilization strategies to establish strategic partnerships between Oxfam and institutional donors to identify and develop new funding opportunities and overall compliance and grant management

 

JOB PURPOSE: The Senior Business Development Officer leads on the development and submission of high-quality concept notes and proposals/budgets with program teams. This will include Calls for Proposals, as well as proactive development of concept notes. The postholder will be responsible for ensuring proper internal processes are followed, including sign off procedures. S/he shall ensure programme and support teams are fully informed of relevant regulations and Oxfam procedures, including supporting the grants management team to ensure full compliance with donor and Oxfam requirements, strong internal systems, proactive risk management, and high-quality reporting. The postholder will also manage contract negotiations and oversee contracts with donors and Oxfam affiliates, coordinate donor and other external communications, and lead grant/proposal revisions. The postholder will lead donor engagement and communications for designated institutional donors.

JOB REPORTS TO

Business Development Manager

ROLES REPORTING TO THIS JOB

<None>

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY

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GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE

OPT & globally

IMPACT

Internal country team, OPT and Oxfam confederation

External, Global  

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Programme Teams, Support Teams, Oxfam Affiliates, Regional Team and institutional donors.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (Technical, Leadership, People and Resource management)

1. New Business Development and Donor Engagement

• Lead the identification, development, and submission of high-quality funding proposals, including tracking donor priorities, requirements, and submission timelines.
• Proactively drive the opportunity pipeline, initiating internal discussions on funding opportunities, leading bid/no-bid decisions, and coordinating the bid planning process.
• Lead donor engagement efforts for business development purposes, including relationship-building, donor mapping, representation in meetings, and participation in field visits where relevant.
• Serve as primary focal point for selected donors during the pre-award phase, ensuring strategic positioning of Oxfam and alignment with donor priorities.
• Coordinate and lead proposal development processes across Program, Finance, and partners, ensuring strong technical design, clear results frameworks, and competitive positioning.
• Take primary responsibility for proposal writing in coordination with program lead, editing, and quality assurance, ensuring submissions meet donor and Oxfam standards.
• Ensure proposals are designed in a participatory, inclusive, and gender-sensitive manner, and that these approaches are clearly articulated.
• Facilitate collaboration with partners, affiliates, and other stakeholders to develop joint proposals.

1. Pre-Award Compliance, Risk, and Transition to Grants Management

• Work in close collaboration with the Grants and Compliance Coordinator to ensure early integration of compliance, contractual, and risk considerations during proposal design.
• Ensure that all proposals undergo compliance review prior to submission, including donor eligibility, budget alignment, and key contractual risks.
• Lead on proposal revision and amendment processes during the pre-award stage, ensuring proper documentation and version control.
• Support initial contract negotiation processes in coordination with the Grants and Compliance Coordinator, particularly on programmatic and design elements.
• Ensure a structured and documented handover of awarded grants to the Grants Management Unit, including: Approved proposal and budget, Donor requirements and risks, Key commitments and assumptions
• Maintain alignment between proposal commitments and donor expectations to support smooth transition into implementation.

3. Collaboration with Grants Management Unit (Post-Award Interface)

• Transition primary responsibility for donor compliance, reporting, and contract management to the Grants and Compliance Coordinator upon award.
• Provide targeted support to the Grants Management Unit on:
• Clarifications related to proposal design and donor expectations
• Donor communications linked to original proposal intent
• Lead on amendments that require programmatic redesign or donor negotiation
• Contribute to donor reporting quality assurance selectively, focusing on consistency with proposal commitments and positioning for future funding (not leading compliance checks).
• Collaborate with the Grants and Compliance Coordinator to identify follow-on funding opportunities, and extensions.

4. Systems, Pipeline Management, and Knowledge Management

• Maintain and regularly update the business development pipeline, ensuring visibility of upcoming opportunities, proposal status, and strategic priorities.
• Ensure all proposal-related documentation is properly stored, structured, and accessible for organizational use.
• Work with the Grants Management Unit to ensure accurate reflection of proposal data in internal systems (e.g., SAP, OPP), particularly at award stage.
• Capture and share lessons learned from proposal processes, including donor feedback and competitiveness analysis.

5. Internal Coordination and Strategic Contribution

• Work closely with Program, Finance, and senior management to align funding opportunities with country strategy and program priorities.
• Provide strategic input into resource mobilization planning and donor targeting.
• Actively contributes to strengthening business development processes, tools, and ways of working within the unit.
• Represent the Business Development Unit internally and externally as required.

 

General Other Responsibilities

• Eager and required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values (click here) as well as the promotion of gender justice and women's rights (click here). 
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.

 

Key Attributes

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.

 

CORE DIMENSIONS (see Standard Role Profiles)

• Leads and coordinates the development of a strong and strategic funding pipeline, driving high-quality proposal design and submission across multiple donors and thematic areas.
• Exercises sound judgment in managing competing business development priorities, donor expectations, and opportunity risks within a complex and fragile context.
• Synthesizes information from internal and external sources, including donor intelligence, programmatic priorities, and contextual analysis, to inform strategic positioning and proposal development.
• Influences the quality and competitiveness of funding proposals by ensuring alignment with donor requirements, Oxfam standards, and programmatic priorities, in close collaboration with Program, Finance, and the Grants Management Unit.
• Communicates complex programmatic, strategic, and donor-related information clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, including senior management, partners, and donors.
• Builds and maintains collaborative relationships internally and externally to strengthen donor engagement, partnership development, and resource mobilization outcomes.

 

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Most importantly, every individual in Oxfam needs to be able to:

• Live our values of INCLUSION, ACCOUNTABILITY, EMPOWERMENT, COURAGE, SOLIDARITY and EQUALITY (read more about these here)
• Ensure you commit to our ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES (including adhering to the Code of Conduct):

 

                                                       

1. Be committed to our feminist principles, and to applying them in your day-to-day behaviour and your work. Be ready to keep learning, with accountability to those who experience oppression as a result of their identities, such as their gender, race/ethnicity, disability, class, or LGBTQIA identity."

 

2. Be committed to undertaking Oxfam’s safeguarding training and adhering to relevant policies, to ensure all people who come into Oxfam are as safe as possible.

 

 

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & COMPETENCIES

ESSENTIAL

• Self-Awareness
• Relationship building
• Mutual accountability

In addition:

• 5+ years of progressive experience in business development, proposal development, and donor engagement, with at least 2+ years in an international NGO in a similar role.
• Demonstrated experience in leading the development and submission of successful funding proposals to institutional donors (humanitarian and/or development).
• Strong knowledge of donor priorities, funding mechanisms, and requirements (e.g., UN agencies, EU, OCHA pooled funds, and other institutional donors).
• Proven hands-on experience in submitting proposals through donor online platforms and systems (e.g., UN Partner Portals, OCHA Grant Management System, EU portals), ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with submission requirements.
• Strong proposal writing, editing, and coordination skills, with the ability to produce high-quality, competitive, and donor-compliant submissions under tight deadlines.
• Experience in coordinating multi-departmental inputs (Program, Finance, MEAL, partners) into coherent and strategically positioned proposals.
• Good understanding of donor compliance, budgeting principles, and contractual requirements, with the ability to integrate these considerations during proposal development in collaboration with grants management colleagues.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, including the ability to analyze donor trends, identify opportunities, and position proposals competitively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with donors, partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple proposals and deadlines simultaneously.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications (particularly Word and Excel); familiarity with internal systems (e.g., SAP, OPP) is an asset.
• Sound understanding of NGO programming and humanitarian/development contexts.

 

Desirable

• Knowledge or experience of Oxfam’s program work;
• Knowledge and awareness of issues related to Oxfam’s strategic objectives and theories of change;
• Strong proven ability to identify and articulate strategic and policy issues through effective oral and written briefs

 

 

SAFER RECRUITMENT

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.