Business Development Officer

Description

Purpose of the Role

The primary purpose of the Business Development Officer is to establish and manage a structured business development pipeline for RIZ Consulting and to strengthen strategic partnerships that generate new opportunities, expand RIZ’s technical portfolio, enhance organisational visibility, and contribute to sustainable growth.

The position will take ownership of business development, from identifying and pursuing opportunities to proposal preparation, submission, follow-up, and support, through to securing new assignments. The role requires proactive outreach, initiative, and persistent follow-through to attract new clients and convert opportunities into viable business, working closely with Director Programs and Finance.

Responsibilities

• Proactively identify and track funding, consulting, technical assistance, research and partnership opportunities relevant to RIZ Consulting, and initiate timely action to pursue suitable prospects.

• Build and maintain relationships with prospective donors, clients, partners, government institutions, private-sector organisations, foundations, UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs and other stakeholders. Initiate introductions, arrange meetings, present RIZ’s capabilities and follow up on agreed actions.

• Screen opportunities against RIZ Consulting’s strategic priorities, technical capacity, geographic footprint, eligibility, financial viability and organisational risk. Provide clear recommendations on which opportunities to pursue and identify the resources, partners or expertise required.

• Lead and personally undertake the writing and substantive editing of concept notes, expressions of interest, technical proposals, capability statements, partnership proposals and other business development materials. Ensure submissions address the client’s requirements and clearly present RIZ’s relevant experience, proposed approach and value.

• Take responsibility for managing each approved proposal through to submission, including planning the work, assigning and following up on contributions, consolidating inputs, checking compliance, and obtaining the necessary internal approvals. Ensure submissions are accurate, coherent, complete, and delivered by the required deadlines.

• Maintain an active business development opportunity pipeline and ensure timely follow-up. Keep clear records of the client, opportunity, estimated value, status, deadlines, responsible parties and next steps, and update records as opportunities progress, change or close.

• Establish a proactive system for identifying new business opportunities rather than relying solely on invitations to bid. Use direct outreach, professional networks, referrals, market intelligence and engagement with potential clients and partners to identify and develop prospects.

• Track donor and country strategies, upcoming procurements, funding cycles and strategic priorities, and translate this information into timely engagement and business development actions.

• Ensure that RIZ maintains an up-to-date business development toolkit, including its corporate profile, service descriptions, project references, staff and expert CVs, capability statements and proposal materials. Coordinate with relevant teams to keep this information accurate, accessible and suitable for client engagement and submissions.

• Follow up on submitted proposals, respond to client requests for clarification in coordination with relevant internal teams, and support presentations and negotiations within approved parameters. On award, ensure an orderly handover of the agreed scope, proposal, budget and commitments to the delivery team.

• Maintain organised records of business development correspondence, submissions, approvals and partnership discussions. Exercise sound professional judgement, protect confidential information and promptly disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest.

• Maintain and update BD tracker on weekly basis

Qualifications Required:

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, Public Policy, International Relations or a related field. A Master's degree in a relevant discipline will be an added advantage.

Experience

3 Years

Apply By

Nov 22, 2026

Required Skills

• Market Research
• Negotiation Skills
• Strategic Planning
• Client Relationship Management
• Fundraising Strategies
• Stakeholder Management
• Agility
• Business Development and Resource Mobilisation
• Proposal and Concept Note Development
• Donor and Stakeholder Engagement
• Communication and Presentation Skills
• Research and Market Intelligence
• Opportunity Analysis and Pipeline Management
• Relationship building and networking
• Digital and Technical Skills
• Coordination and teamwork
• Planning & Organizational Skills
• Professional Integrity
• Attention to detail
• Result-Oriented
• Proactive
• Business Proposal Development

Nice to Have Skills

• Monitoring and Evaluation