Afghanistan: Development Director

Business Development Director

Terms of Reference

Duration of contract: 12 months renewable

Duty station: Kabul, Afghanistan (with travels to Dubai, UAE and other ATR operating areas security permitting)

Organisation Profile

Assess, Transform & Reach Consulting (ATR) is a research and capacity development firm registered in Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates which provides context-driven solutions to the Afghan Government, Embassies, the United Nations and other Institutional Donors, contractors, NGOs and the private sector.

Founded in 2012, ATR consists of a team of 40 Afghan and international development professionals with extensive experience in Afghanistan and other conflict and post-conflict countries. The firm has recognized expertise in the field of Local Development, Governance, Rule of Law, Stabilization and Countering Violent Extremism, providing the following services:

§ Research and Atmospherics

§ Monitoring and Evaluation

§ Polling and market survey

§ Strategic Advisory

§ Capacity Development

Business Development Director Position

The Business Development Director will shape ATR’s growth strategy and will spearhead activities designed to increase the depth and breadth of ATR’s activities. The incumbent will be responsible for generating new business in ATR’s sectors of expertise and identifying new opportunities for business development. The Business Development Director will be an integral part of ATR’s Executive team and will report to the Managing Director.

The Business Development Director leads the Business Development Unit, based out of Kabul with regular trips to Dubai and other countries of operations.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

Strategic Development

· Contribute to the strategic vision of ATR for Afghanistan and targeted markets for expansion

· Contribute to the design and planning of ATR’s expansion strategy in collaboration with the Executive team

· Investigate the feasibility of new income streams for ATR beyond consultancy contracts

· Facilitate interactions and a flow of ideas and debate within ATR, to enable new cross-cutting initiatives

§ Generate activities (events, seminar series, publications) that contribute to major cross-cutting strategic goals

Bid Management

§ Undertake Bid/No Bid exercise to decide whether to make a submission or not against strategic objectives

§ Support the Development Officers in assessing what information is required for bids, identify partners if necessary, extract the right information and coordinate the response material from all parties involved (including Subject Matter Experts, joint partners), ensure that this is translated into effective written messages, liaise with clients/donors

§ Put together concept notes, pitches, technical and financial proposals or quotes for clients

§ Set up / improve bid management systems and processes for the unit

§ Ultimately responsible for an effective retro-planning and the respect of deadlines for submission of tenders

§ Obtain feedback from tendering agencies when tenders are unsuccessful in order to improve in future

§ Provide insight and analyses of forthcoming opportunities, tendering agencies’ mindsets, best practice and dealing with tendering agencies

§ Review drafts, taking input from others in the team and re-writing if required, providing systematic feedback to team members and conduct training sessions individually and collectively

§ Support quality management and quality assurance functions, improve effectiveness and efficiency of operations;

§ In consultation with the Managing Director, produce and disseminate Terms of Reference, interview, evaluate and recruit program staff;

Team Management

§ Line manage Development Officers in the unit, ensure they have clear objectives and are regularly provided with direction, feedback and performance appraisals;

§ Ultimately ensure effective use of time, personnel and financial resources in the Business Development unit;

§ Lead the selection, recruitment, induction and review processes across the unit;

§ Analyse and monitor performance of Development Officers;

§ Identify skills to be built to increase business development capacity, design and deliver a training plan to support this;

§ Ensure internal learning and promote knowledge sharing within the unit through effective documentation and communication;

§ Produce the annual plan and budget for the Business Development unit in cooperation with the Finance department;

Client Relations and Communications

§ Promote the work produced by ATR and enhance the communications, outreach and impact of the firm; represent ATR as necessary in official meetings with current and potential clients, partners and other stakeholders;

§ Develop, maintain and/or advance the creation of new productive partnerships and networking opportunities within and external to ATR Afghanistan

Reporting Arrangements:

The Business Development Director will report to the Managing Director.

Required competency:

§ Masters’ degree in Social Sciences or any other relevant fields (or, equivalent professional experience);

§ Minimum of two years of experience in leading business development efforts for similar organisations, including designing plans and strategies for expansion;

§ Demonstrated capacity for leading and building the capacity of teams;

§ Proven skills in writing proposals, concept notes, and delivering effective presentations to clients;

§ Experience planning and managing research and M&E projects in conflict-prone areas or in an international development context;

§ Field experience in Afghanistan an asset;

§ A strong personal research record in a relevant field recommended;

§ Fluency in English; knowledge of another language is recommended;

§ Ability to travel to ATR’s countries of operation and potential markets of expansion;

The successful applicant will be required to work in challenging and unfamiliar circumstances, collaborating with a wide range of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Thus, ATR is looking for someone who can demonstrate their excellent communication skills, sense of initiative, cultural awareness, and a strong temperament. Previous experience working in a multi-cultural setting (preferably in an Islamic context) is also highly beneficial.