Programme Development Officer at Save the Children

• Reports to: Head of Program Development
• Staff Reporting to this Post: None
• Key working relationships: Works daily with PDQII, MEAL, Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, Awards, HR, Security, and SC Members to deliver coordinated, compliant proposal submissions. Supports the Head of Program Development in donor-engagement but does not independently lead donor representation unless formally delegated.

• Contribute to opportunity analysis, proposal pipeline maintenance, and the preparation of materials that support fundraising actions under each strategic goal.
• Maintain and update funding trackers (pipeline, opportunity, proposal, donor, and member trackers), ensuring accurate inputs and timely reporting.
• Conduct background research on donor trends, funding landscapes, and programming priorities to inform strategic decision-making.

• Coordinate proposal coordination processes, including development schedules, consolidation of drafts, follow-ups, and ensuring compliance with donor templates and SCI standards.
• Prepare proposal templates, checklists, and other required documents (e.g., AMS setup, PART/AMET risk assessments, gender markers), ensuring complete and compliant filing.
• Lead coordination for small to medium proposals; provide drafting and consolidation support to large/complex proposals.
• Draft standard and contextual narrative sections (country context, organisational capability, needs analysis, cross-cutting themes). Prepare donor annexes and ensure budget-narrative alignment in coordination with Finance.
• Support drafting and editing of technical narrative sections working closely with Technical Specialists, Programme Managers, and MEAL.
• •Support and document proposal design workshops, produce summaries and action plans, and ensure proper archiving of materials.

• Regularly scan donor portals and external funding sources to identify new opportunities and update the opportunity pipeline.
• Support donor engagement preparation by conducting desk research, preparing briefs, and updating donor intelligence repositories.
• Maintain donor profiles, meeting notes, strategies, annual reports, and other intelligence resources in structured SharePoint folders.

• Maintain the team's knowledge management systems including proposal archives, donor intelligence libraries, trackers, capacity statements, templates, lessons-learned repositories, and version-control.
• Synthesize learning from design workshops, donor feedback, and proposal after-action-reviews and update learning repositories.
• Ensure standardized SharePoint file naming, storage, and accessibility across PDQII and Operations teams.

• Support humanitarian proposal coordination and drafting, including situation updates, response snapshots, and capability statements.
• Provide short term surge support for Category 1 & 2 emergencies when required.

• Takes responsibility for quality and timeliness of assigned tasks.
• Uses resources efficiently and supports partners and colleagues to deliver.

• Demonstrates a proactive, solutions-focused mindset.
• Sets ambitious personal development goals and seeks opportunities to advance skills.

• Builds strong, respectful working relationships across departments.
• Values diversity and communicates clearly and effectively.

• Brings forward new ideas to strengthen proposal quality and efficiency.
• Adapts quickly and positively to changing contexts.

• Demonstrates the highest levels of honesty and professionalism.
• Upholds SCI safeguarding, anti-harassment, and ethical standards always.

• Bachelor's degree (required) in Development Studies, International Relations, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or a related field.
• Master's degree (preferred) in any of the above or related disciplines.

• 3-5 years of relevant experience in programme development, proposal writing, grants coordination, or donor-facing roles within the humanitarian or development sector.
• Minimum 3 years of experience coordinating proposal development processes (including drafting, compliance checks, templates, and consolidation) for donors such as FCDO, ECHO, UN agencies, or philanthropic foundations.
• At least 2 years of experience supporting the preparation of donor proposal budgets in collaboration with finance teams.
• Experience contributing to or documenting multi-stakeholder design workshops and engaging with technical, operational, and MEAL teams.

• Strong writing, editing, analytical, and research skills, with the ability to develop high quality narrative sections.
• Excellent project coordination and time management skills, with demonstrated success managing multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Proven experience with SharePoint, Teams, and other knowledge management platforms, including version control best practices.
• Ability to maintain structured document repositories and ensure high data accuracy.

• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and ability to engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to lead coordination for small to medium proposals and support complex multi-sector or multi-country opportunities.
• Demonstrated capacity to conduct background research on donor trends, funding landscapes, and strategic priorities.
• Fluency in written and spoken English (required).

• Experience supporting humanitarian proposal development.
• Familiarity with Save the Children systems, templates, and tools.

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