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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How to apply
Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile. Please refer to this link for guidance on the IOM Job Category. Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation. This selection process may be used to staff similar positions in various duty stations. Recommended candidates will remain eligible to be appointed in a similar position for a period of 24 months.
Appointment will be subject to all clearances, including medical and security, as well as accreditation, and any residency or visa requirements. Vacancies close at 23:59 local time in Geneva, Switzerland, on the respective closing date. No late applications will be accepted.
IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and any forms of discrimination. IOM is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.
IOM conducts reference checks and background verification, including through system-wide databases such as ClearCheck, to help ensure that candidates have no record of misconduct, including on sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, or fraud. Candidates are expected to uphold these standards and principles at all times.
IOM does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process—whether for application, interview, processing, training, or otherwise—and does not request any information related to bank accounts.
IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM WAVE system (for internal candidates, link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies.