The Grants Acquisition & Management Manager (GAM Manager) will play a key role in shaping the future of World Vision’s programming and partnerships in Papua New Guinea (PNG), leading business development, project design, and strategic external engagement for World Vision PNG. The GAM Manager will work with senior leadership, technical and programmatic staff, donors, government, and external partners to build strategic relationships, identify common ground, design excellent projects, and deliver high-quality concept notes and proposals. A successful GAM Manager will be an inquisitive self-starter with strong communication skills and a track record of success leading competitive acquisition or proposal processes.
World Vision PNG maintains a vibrant grants portfolio and a strong foundation of technical and programmatic credibility with its partners in Papua New Guinea, where it has operated for over 30 years. World Vision PNG manages more than 20 grant-funded projects ranging in size from $300,000 to $21 million funded by a diverse array of institutional donors, including the governments of Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. These projects work to improve early grade literacy and numeracy, maternal and child health, disease prevention and control, health systems strengthening, WASH, agriculture, disaster risk reduction, gender equality, child protection, and emergency response.
Submit concept notes and full applications that are on time, on cost, and on scope:
- Lead and manage all aspects of project design and proposal development for World Vision PNG.
- Work closely with the Country Director and others to make timely go/no-go decisions.
- Coordinate the investment of necessary resources for positioning and pursuit of opportunities. Work with support offices, WV PNG, and WV Pacific-Timor Leste offices to obtain necessary support.
- Manage consultants hired for in-country business development purposes.
- Engage with line management and senior leadership to ensure promised support is delivered and high priority is given to active proposals.
Facilitate project success through effective project design and budgeting:
- Manage the bid / proposal process effectively, including appropriate consultation with internal stakeholders.
- Liaise with the Finance and Operations teams to prepare budgets that include adequate resources to deliver promised objectives.
- Provide limited compliance support through timely review of agreements and MOUs.
- Conduct clear and consistent handover of recently-awarded grant agreements to the appropriate programmatic team.
- Ensure proposals appropriately integrate gender, social inclusion and child participation and protection.
- Identify and negotiate for opportunities to enhance impact on child well-being, especially for the most vulnerable children.
Facilitate strategic engagement with external stakeholders, including donors, Government of PNG, and other partners:
- Support engagement of technical and programmatic staff with donors, government, and external partners.
- Support and broker partnerships for new projects or funding.
- Work with communications staff to prepare government- and donor-facing materials.
- Monitor and understand strategies and priorities of donors and external partners, identifying implications for World Vision and its programs.
- Coordinate or lead strategic engagement as requested by the Country Director.
Participate in strategic decision-making as a member of the WV PNG Extended Senior Management Team:
- Provide regular pipeline updates to key internal stakeholders and contribute to effective portfolio planning.
- Identify, advocate for, and support internal changes that are likely to enhance donor responsiveness, cost effectiveness.
- Lead in ways that support an organizational culture marked by trust, candor, skill, and responsibility.
- Maintain exceptionally high standards of financial accountability and reporting.
Manage the GAM team to achieve and exceed performance targets:
- Adopt a determined and thorough approach to grants acquisition and management.
- Apply analytical skills and creativity to understand issues, and identify and implement solutions.
- Provide leadership and ensure the accountability and performance of GAM unit; manage performance of 1x GAM Coordinator.
- Identify, request and coordinate training and other support to strengthen the capacity of staff to deliver the project with the highest possible quality and consistency.
- Other duties as required.
- At least 3 years of relevant professional experience required, including experience in new business development, project management, or project budgeting.
- Track record of success in leading complex competitive acquisition or proposal processes.
- Excellent problem solving and project management skills, creativity, and proactive working style and attitude.
- Robust understanding of major government donors and grant funding mechanisms. Understanding of major corporate donors, foundations, and non-traditional mechanisms will be considered an asset.
- Experience managing a high-volume, deadline-driven workload in productive and healthy ways. Demonstrated ability to effectively discern priorities, manage expectations, and deliver results under pressure.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Experience working in cross-cultural settings or teams.
- Strong skills in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Experience:
- Additional qualifications or expertise in a technical subject directly related to World Vision’s programming.
- Experience in international development sector in a role with significant resource mobilization and project design responsibilities.
- Experience negotiating consortium and other financial partnership arrangements.
- Experience living or working in a developing country.
Work Environment/Travel:
- The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 20% of the time.
- A valid driver’s license.
- The ideal candidate will exhibit a strong desire to learn and grow, persistence in the face of challenges, and the readiness to meet demands of working in a fast-paced professional environment.