Partnerships and Business Development (BD) Manager (Salary 550k-650k)

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Reporting to: Head of Business Development, UK

Role level in NIRAS Architecture: Business Development Manager Level 2

Background

NIRAS is an international consultancy firm founded on Nordic values, focused on sustainable development for over 50 years. With 64 offices in 34 countries, NIRAS delivers solutions across diverse areas to drive positive change and innovation, collaborating with clients and partners worldwide.

NIRAS International Consulting (NIC) is a division within NIRAS specialising in development cooperation. NIC designs and manages projects that support economic growth, reduce inequality, improve education, and foster environmental resilience. Serving multilateral agencies, bilateral partners, NGOs, and private sector clients, NIC operates via a matrixed structure based on client, competence, and country, providing comprehensive project management and technical assistance throughout the project cycle. NIC implements around 400 projects annually, with over 400 staff based in Europe and regional offices in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

NIC is currently organised into 1 Division Management Team and 4 Business Units with focused client focused responsibilities around tier 1 to 3 clients and geographic accountabilities.

Business Unit 1 (BU1) provides a client platform for ADB, AFD, EU, EIB, MFA Finland and Sida. It consists of NIC offices in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, France, Belgium, Poland and Serbia and Asia. It is the home of the EU framework unit.

Business Unit 2 (BU2) provides a client platform for UKAid, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the World Bank. It consists of NIC offices in the UK and Africa.

Business Unit 3 (BU3) provides a client platform for Danida, GIZ, KfW and SDC. It consists of NIC offices in Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

Business Unit 4 (BU4) Syspons, based in Germany, is focused on strategy, management and monitoring and evaluation services for public institutions, federal ministries, foundations and non-profit organisations, primarily in Germany.

Each BU has their own management team covering the core functions of management, Business Development (BD), operations (project delivery, quality, risk processes), finance and administration. Each BU is organised through a combination of technical/market oriented teams that undertake BD, consultancy and project management supported by a dedicated core BD team. Staff are responsible for winning bids and delivering projects covering all of NIC’s technical areas and across global geographies. Staff work with colleagues from all BUs on a routine basis.

The Role

The post holder will play a key role in building client relationships and winning new work for NIRAS. The focus will primarily be on the East Africa countries covered by the NIRAS Africa office in Nairobi (Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and Rwanda) but may also be required to work with clients and bids for other countries across southern, central, west and north Africa. The role will work with the Head of BD for BU2 (based in the UK) and with project and BD staff based in NIRAS’s Kenya office. The postholder will foster strategic relationships with key clients, partners, and experts based in the region, including foundations. They will also provide hands-on guidance and support to project and BD staff based in the Kenya office (and beyond) for all aspects of business development, as well as be directly involved in positioning, partnership development, bid writing and budgeting. Additionally, the role supports NIC-wide reforms, system improvements, and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen business development across the organisation.

Responsibilities

The primary responsibility for this role is to build and maintain client relationships, and to work directly on bids. The role may also be required to manage small number of projects run from the NIRAS Kenya office. The approximate anticipated split of time for the post holder across this and other responsibilities, is as follows:

Market engagement and strategic relationships (35%)

Build and nurture relationships with Regional Bodies, Foundations/Philanthropies, Development Finance Institutions and NIC clients in the East Africa region and beyond. This will require some travel around the region.

Build and nurture relationships with key experts and potential partner organisations based in the region, ensuring that key expert profiles on NIRAS’s internal BD platform are accurate.

Maintain a current database of key clients, partners and experts for Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Rwanda.

Represent NIRAS at conferences and industry events in Kenya and neighbouring countries to enhance brand visibility across the region.

Bid leadership and operations (35%)

Provide leadership for positioning NIC in the market for priority bids led from the Kenya office.

Lead/support scoping missions and gathering market intelligence to inform NIC bids. This will require some travel around the region.

Lead the preparation of go/no-go materials for relevant opportunities to ensure timely follow up and movement of opportunities into active bids.

Perform Bid Manager, Recruitment Lead, Budgeting and Bid Writer roles for relevant bids drawing in appropriate geographic, technical and client knowledge as required.

Ensure the Africa team is adhering to NIC’s BD processes and systems.

Pipeline building and management (10%)

Review the consolidated NIC opportunities pipeline for East Africa and lead/participate in weekly meetings to ensure that opportunities are appropriately prioritised and resourced.

Ensure the pipeline for the bids led from the Kenya office are monitored and updated in a timely manner and that revenue forecasts are accurate and current.

Project Management and/or Consultancy (up to 20%)

As a Project Manager, coordinate the smooth delivery of projects. This includes ensuring team members understand project timeframes and deliverables, managing the quality assurance process, preparing subcontracts, and updating the project risk matrix and budget.

As a Consultant, provide technical inputs on projects as billable work to the client. For the senior level role also, quality assure the technical inputs of others.

Success Criteria

Sales

Growth in net revenue value for the adjusted (probabilised) Africa pipeline and project portfolio (@ €X million)

Achievement of NIC capture and hit ratios for the East Africa office

Achievement of annual BD targets for East Africa office

Processes and Systems

Accountability for effective use of BD systems and pipeline management for target countries

More consistent and efficient utilisation of BD systems and tools by colleagues across NIC Africa offices

Strong NIRAS/NIC brand management and promotion with target clients and partners

Person Specification

We encourage applications from those who want to be part of a supportive culture, often working to tight deadlines across multiple time-zones and in multi-cultural teams and environments. You will be an effective communicator and able to develop flexible solutions in line with client requirements. You will be expected to demonstrate a growth mindset which is matched by an established track record in winning new business in the international development sector. You will be highly professional, ambitious and keen to play a key role in a growing consultancy company.

A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, International Development, or a related field. A relevant Master degree would be a desirable.

Significant, demonstrated experience working within a similar role at a corresponding level of responsibility within the international development sector.

Strong knowledge of business development best practices, including proposal development, client relationship management, and contract negotiation.

Proven experience in building and maintaining relationships with key donors in the East Africa region.

Evidence of a commercial focus and a strong understanding of commercial drivers in an international consulting setting.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and identify new business opportunities.

Technical expertise in one or more of the following focus sectors: Climate, Infrastructure, Clean Energy, Agriculture, Private Sector Development, Governance, Education, Blue Economy, Gender and Human Rights, Peace and Stability. Experience working with DFIs and Foundations would be valuable.

Demonstrated relevant experience in working with international teams and in multicultural settings.

Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to communicate clearly and concisely.

Strong business acumen, with a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit.

Outstanding attitude and work ethic, capable of handling confidential information; accustomed to working under pressure towards tight deadlines.

Team player, with demonstrated ability to work autonomously and take initiative with success.

Excellent written and oral English language skills.

Availability to travel within Kenya and across East Africa up to 30% of the time.

Requirements

We are the specialized HR advisory division of East Africa’s premier talent platform. We focus on creating strategic connections between exceptional professionals and forward-thinking organizations. When you apply for a role through our team, you enter a curated talent ecosystem. Our experts evaluate your unique skills, experience, and aspirations to align you with opportunities that don't just offer a job, but provide a platform for meaningful impact and long-term career growth

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