Donor Engagement Specialist, World Bank - Global, Remote

Job Summary

The Donor Engagement Specialist will provide high-quality support to CRS teams to pursue strategic funding from the World Bank and other World Bank-financed entities, including national governments, UN agencies and NGO.  The Specialist will support the World Bank Support Unit (WBSU) team lead and work closely with colleagues in the WBSU, Global Awards and Project Support, the global Business Development (BD) community and others to contribute to positioning, capture planning, proposal development, and donor knowledge management. The Specialist collaborates with peers across the organization to aggregate and analyze institutional knowledge and past experience with World Bank-financed operations and conducts regular analysis of CRS’ value proposition and competitiveness to inform positioning and capture efforts. 

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Identify and track new business opportunities with the World Bank and other World Bank-financed entities. Collaborate with colleagues across the BD community to maintain and support accurate business pipeline and performance data through CRS’ online system.
• Collaborate with countries, Marketing and Communications colleagues and senior leadership, to advise on actions to position CRS with prioritized donors, including organizational visibility, and opportunity creation.
• Research and advise on the World Bank regulations and requirements. Maintain donor intelligence and funding requirements for broad dissemination and use within CRS.
• Provide BD expertise in positioning, capture planning, and proposal preparation for specific funding opportunities. As appropriate, serve as proposal coordinator, writer, or other lead role on proposal teams. 
• Effectively engage with CRS’ BD team and senior leaders in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of awards, as appropriate.
• In support of the WBSU team lead, build direct relationships with institutional donor representatives and relevant networks to cultivate intel gathering, knowledge sharing, and collaborate on funding opportunities. 
• Advise on institutional donor marketing and communications efforts to develop strategies and products that elevate our institutional donor relationships, position and capture, results, and the CRS brand.
• Collaborate with colleagues in the BD community to maintain past performance records with prioritized donors and perform regular analysis of lessons learned across CRS awards from prioritized donors. 
• Facilitate knowledge management and learning to improve CRS performance and competitiveness and maintain institution records and promote use of CRS’ centralized systems. 
• Identify needs and guide and support development of relevant World Bank-focused guidance and tools for positioning, capture planning, proposal development, and donor knowledge management.
• Support global colleagues across a variety of teams to ensure CRS meets donor expectations. 
• In support of the WBSU team lead, ensure that high level achievements, learning, and challenges are communicated to the donor in a timely and professional way, facilitating any meeting between CRS colleagues and donor staff as needed. 
• Support the facilitation of donor visits to programs to engage with CRS colleagues and partners. 
• Actively participate in the global BD community of practice and share learning, donor intelligence.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of World Bank priorities, funding instruments, and business processes, as well as an entrepreneurial and service-oriented mindset. 
• Knowledge of funding mechanisms, regulations and programming priorities of relevant government and multi-lateral institutional donors. 
• Ability to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders in multiple geographic and cross-cultural locations.
• Ability to gather, comprehend new information, distill it and then communicate it to others based on the audience, strong presentation and communication skills.
  • Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to work independently and in a team.
  • Ability to cultivate new relationships and instill confidence through a customer service orientation.
  • Ability to adapt approaches and plans based on evolving contexts and client needs.
  • Ability to ask probing questions and to learn about a range of projects and programs.
  • Express sense of personal accountability and drive to serve others.
  • Excellent writing and analytical skills, with strong attention to detail and capacity to translate complex concepts for internal and external audiences.
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required, knowledge of Salesforce, Oracle, Web Conferencing Applications, and other systems a plus and knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to support BD a plus. 

Required Languages: Fluency in English required; working ability in French and/or Spanish highly desirable. 

Travel: Willingness to travel up to 35%.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in international relations/development or related field.
• Minimum eight years of international development experience.
• Significant experience supporting and navigating high-level engagement and complex partnership issues.
• Demonstrated experience with government and multi-lateral funding agencies, including technical and cost requirements of multi-lateral organizations and donors, such as the Global Fund, UN agencies, and development banks. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master’s degree in international relations/development or related field.
• Experience with World Bank funding and familiarity with World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers and General Conditions for IDA Financing, Investment Project Financing strongly preferred. 
• Demonstrated experience in leading resource mobilization efforts in organizations similar to CRS. 
• Minimum of two years’ experience working in a developing country.
• Experience in negotiation and representation.

Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions. 
• Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission.  Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

What we offer

CRS offers U.S. based staff a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.  Benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the candidate will perform the role.  CRS' work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.