Job
21871 Business Development Officer (P)
- Organization: International Organization for Migration
- Location: South Africa
- Deadline: Tue Jul 28 2026
- Category: Donor Relations/Grants Management
About this opportunity
Under the supervision of the Sub Regional Director, the Business Development Officer will play a key role in advancing the strategic objectives of the Sub Regional Office, with a focus on strengthening the sub region's portfolio of initiatives and partnerships, resource mobilisation, and institutional positioning across Southern Africa.
The Business Development Officer will provide substantive technical guidance and hands-on support to Country Offices, working closely with Regional Thematic Specialists, HQ departments, and external partners to strengthen the design, development, and strategic positioning of programmes and proposals. The position will place particular emphasis on supporting the development and dissemination of strategic analyses, lessons learned, guidance, and tools that can inform business development efforts across the region. It will also contribute to greater consistency of regional messaging and articulation of resources mobilization priorities, helping ensure that engagement with donors and partners is coherent, well-positioned, and aligned across Southern Africa. The role therefore requires independent judgement, strong analytical capacity, and the ability to engage effectively with senior stakeholders.
**Responsibilities and Accountabilities**
1. **Contribute to Strategic Resource Mobilisation Efforts at the Regional Level**
Identify and analyse funding opportunities, donor priorities, and strategic entry points to strengthen IOM’s regional funding pipeline by guiding COs and contributing to the prioritisation of resource mobilisation efforts across Southern Africa.
2. **Provide Technical Guidance on Project Development and Portfolio Quality**
Coordinate and support the development and review of concept notes, project proposals, and programmes to enhance quality, strategic coherence, and competitiveness, ensuring alignment with IOM frameworks and donor requirements.
3. **Support External Engagement and Partnership Development**
Participate in key briefings, strategic fora, and partnership engagement platforms to support IOM’s engagement with key donors, financial institutions, and partners. This includes identifying and prioritising potential strategic partners across the region, supporting the cultivation of those relationships, and contributing to selected high-level engagements to advance IOM’s positioning, partnerships, and resource mobilisation objectives.
4. **Guide and Support Country Offices in Business Development**
Provide structured hands-on support to Country Offices to strengthen their business development capacity, including supporting prioritisation of portfolios, identification of programmatic niches, and development of strategic pipelines.
5. **Coordinate Implementation and Operationalisation of SRO Priorities**
Coordinate and guide the implementation of SRO priority actions on resources mobilization across COs to ensure consistency, accountability, and measurable progress.
6. **Promote Use of Data, Evidence, and Strategic Analysis**
Support the integration of data, evidence, and foresight analysis into business development processes to strengthen strategic decision-making and programme relevance.
7. **Develop and Institutionalise Tools and Knowledge Products**
Design and refine guidance, tools, templates, and knowledge products to improve consistency, efficiency, and quality of business development practices across the region.
8. **Monitor Regional Trends and Provide Strategic Advice to Leadership**
Analyse migration, donor, and policy trends to inform SRO strategic planning and decision-making, providing regular analytical inputs and recommendations to senior management.
9. Any other duties as may be assigned.
**Required Qualifications and Experience**
**Education**
- Master’s degree in Political or Social Sciences, Business Administration, International Relations, Law, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience; or,
- Bachelor’s degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.
Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.
**Experience**
- Solid experience in resource mobilisation, programme development, donor engagement, and advisory support;
- Experience in Project Cycle Management (PCM) and Results-Based Management (RBM);
- Experience in the field of migration issues, including operational and field experience, IOM project development, management, and reporting; and,
- Experience in liaising with governmental authorities, donors, academia, other national/international institutions and NGOs.
**Skills**
- Strong analytical, drafting, coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills
- Excellent team-building skills with a track record in team coordination and building trust;
- Knowledge of proposal writing as well as IOM project management;
- Knowledge of different donor agreements; and,
- Knowledge of the project management cycle.
**Languages**
For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).
Working knowledge of another official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is an advantage.
Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.
The Business Development Officer will provide substantive technical guidance and hands-on support to Country Offices, working closely with Regional Thematic Specialists, HQ departments, and external partners to strengthen the design, development, and strategic positioning of programmes and proposals. The position will place particular emphasis on supporting the development and dissemination of strategic analyses, lessons learned, guidance, and tools that can inform business development efforts across the region. It will also contribute to greater consistency of regional messaging and articulation of resources mobilization priorities, helping ensure that engagement with donors and partners is coherent, well-positioned, and aligned across Southern Africa. The role therefore requires independent judgement, strong analytical capacity, and the ability to engage effectively with senior stakeholders.
**Responsibilities and Accountabilities**
1. **Contribute to Strategic Resource Mobilisation Efforts at the Regional Level**
Identify and analyse funding opportunities, donor priorities, and strategic entry points to strengthen IOM’s regional funding pipeline by guiding COs and contributing to the prioritisation of resource mobilisation efforts across Southern Africa.
2. **Provide Technical Guidance on Project Development and Portfolio Quality**
Coordinate and support the development and review of concept notes, project proposals, and programmes to enhance quality, strategic coherence, and competitiveness, ensuring alignment with IOM frameworks and donor requirements.
3. **Support External Engagement and Partnership Development**
Participate in key briefings, strategic fora, and partnership engagement platforms to support IOM’s engagement with key donors, financial institutions, and partners. This includes identifying and prioritising potential strategic partners across the region, supporting the cultivation of those relationships, and contributing to selected high-level engagements to advance IOM’s positioning, partnerships, and resource mobilisation objectives.
4. **Guide and Support Country Offices in Business Development**
Provide structured hands-on support to Country Offices to strengthen their business development capacity, including supporting prioritisation of portfolios, identification of programmatic niches, and development of strategic pipelines.
5. **Coordinate Implementation and Operationalisation of SRO Priorities**
Coordinate and guide the implementation of SRO priority actions on resources mobilization across COs to ensure consistency, accountability, and measurable progress.
6. **Promote Use of Data, Evidence, and Strategic Analysis**
Support the integration of data, evidence, and foresight analysis into business development processes to strengthen strategic decision-making and programme relevance.
7. **Develop and Institutionalise Tools and Knowledge Products**
Design and refine guidance, tools, templates, and knowledge products to improve consistency, efficiency, and quality of business development practices across the region.
8. **Monitor Regional Trends and Provide Strategic Advice to Leadership**
Analyse migration, donor, and policy trends to inform SRO strategic planning and decision-making, providing regular analytical inputs and recommendations to senior management.
9. Any other duties as may be assigned.
**Required Qualifications and Experience**
**Education**
- Master’s degree in Political or Social Sciences, Business Administration, International Relations, Law, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience; or,
- Bachelor’s degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.
Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.
**Experience**
- Solid experience in resource mobilisation, programme development, donor engagement, and advisory support;
- Experience in Project Cycle Management (PCM) and Results-Based Management (RBM);
- Experience in the field of migration issues, including operational and field experience, IOM project development, management, and reporting; and,
- Experience in liaising with governmental authorities, donors, academia, other national/international institutions and NGOs.
**Skills**
- Strong analytical, drafting, coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills
- Excellent team-building skills with a track record in team coordination and building trust;
- Knowledge of proposal writing as well as IOM project management;
- Knowledge of different donor agreements; and,
- Knowledge of the project management cycle.
**Languages**
For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).
Working knowledge of another official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is an advantage.
Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.
Donor Relations/Grants Management
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