Proposal Development Manager at Save the Children

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: (select only one)

Level 1: A basic criminal record background (DBS) check is required/equivalent police record check.

Level 2: either the post holder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work; or the post holder will be working in a ‘regulated’ position (accountant, barrister, solicitor, legal executive); therefore a police check will be required (at ‘standard’ level in the UK or equivalent in other countries).

Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

The New Business Proposal Development Manager (NBPDM) plays a central role in securing funding for Save the Children Egypt by leading high-quality proposal development, managing the funding pipeline, and ensuring strong coordination across technical, operational, and support teams.

The role ensures that funding opportunities are strategically pursued, well-designed, compliant with donor requirements, and aligned with country programme priorities and strategic objectives.

The NBPDM provides regular updates and analysis of the country portfolio and funding pipeline, generating data and insights to inform decision-making. The role establishes and manages effective systems and tools to identify, track, and develop new funding opportunities, ensuring visibility and timely action across teams.

The NBPDM leads ongoing funding landscape analysis and donor mapping to inform opportunity targeting, positioning, and engagement strategies.

The NBPDM Manager contributes to donor positioning through concept development, technical framing of opportunities, and active engagement in proposal discussions with partners and Member Offices. The role supports and, where appropriate, leads engagement with selected donors and partners, including participating in meetings, managing follow-up actions, and maintaining day-to-day relationships, under the strategic direction of the Head of NBD.

The role combines technical proposal leadership, portfolio oversight, cross-functional coordination, and direct donor engagement responsibilities to ensure the country office responds effectively, competitively, and in a timely manner to funding opportunities, while building progressive leadership capacity in external representation.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Head of New Business Development

Staff reporting to this post:

Direct:

Indirect : Awards Development officer

Budget Responsibilities: NA

Role Dimensions:

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :

Proposal Development Leadership (60%)

• Lead and manage the end-to-end development of multiple urgent, high-risk, and high-value proposals, ensuring quality and timeliness.
• Set priorities and allocate resources across concurrent opportunities.
• Ensure a structured Go/No-Go decision-making process and proposal steering meetings are established and implemented.
• Ensure availability and effective use of donor and Save the Children templates, tools, and guidance, and that teams understand donor requirements.
• Coordinate Value for Money (VfM) calculations as required.
• Ensure evidence-based design using assessments, literature, best practice, and lessons learned.
• Manage risk, timelines, delegation, and quality control systems.
• Lead After Action Reviews (AARs) and promote learning to improve proposal quality.
• Foster accountability and ownership across teams during submissions, including crisis-level submissions with limited notice.
• Maintain quality, compliance, and donor responsiveness.
• Support opportunity identification, concept development, and proposal design for private sector and other non-traditional funding streams, in coordination with the Head of NBD.

Pipeline Management and Portfolio analysis (20%)

• Act as NBD lead for portfolio and pipeline analysis, providing insights to inform decision-making.
• Ensure donor landscape analyses are updated at appropriate intervals.
• Track upcoming opportunities, donor engagement, and proposal progress; provide regular portfolio updates.
• Support the Head of NBD in implementing the Country Funding Strategy and Donor Engagement Plan.
• Participate in global and regional NBD coordination meetings also acting as focal point.
• Occasionally represent NBD at ESMT alongside the Head of NBD.

Staff Management and Cross-Functional Leadership (15%)

• Line manage and oversee proposal contributions from the Awards Development Officer.
• Strengthen coordination systems across technical and support teams.
• Lead cross-functional teams, set accountability frameworks, and ensure timely contributions.
• Improve proposal development quality standards, fostering accountability during high-pressure periods.

Donor Engagement & External Representation (5%)

• Support and participate in donor engagement with institutional, corporate, foundation, and other donors.
• Engage with institutional donors at country level to facilitate programme dialogue and identify funding opportunities.
• Participate in donor visits, forums, workshops, and conferences.
• Lead positioning and long-term engagement with specific donors under the guidance of the Head of NBD.
• Represent Save the Children in donor meetings and networking events.
• Support preparation of briefs, concept notes, and pitch materials.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)