Proposal Writing Officer
ICARDA, Egypt

Reports to: Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Reporting to the Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization and working closely with researchers, financial, legal, and other administrative staff, the Proposal Writing Officer will ensure effective development and clearance of project ideas and development and delivery of diverse, relevant, and bankable research-for-development projects for ICARDA. This will also include timely and solicitous engagement with internal and external stakeholders, as well as supporting the head of the unit as and when needed in the delivery of data and other information related to project delivery.

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.

ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org

All CGIAR Centers are currently engaged into a reform process (One CGIAR’) that will help ICARDA and CGIAR achieve better impact through more strategically integrated research, unified governance, an integrated structure, and new research modalities across participating Research Centers. This transformation is supported by CGIAR donors who have committed to increased funding as a result of these reforms.

• Lead the institutional full-cycle of proposal development, from idea generation to submission to donor, in line with in-house established procedures and proposal quality-control mechanisms to ensure development and design of high-quality and competitive project proposals (including the articulation of logical frameworks, measurable outputs, outcomes, deliverables and indicators) that fully comply with donor criteria and requirements.
• Undertake the development of competitive project proposals including but not limited to, preparing outlines, drafting whole or parts of the text, supporting gathering and finalizing administrative documentation, and any other tasks required for successful project proposal delivery.
• Identify resource needs for effective proposal development across ICARDA and identify business risks and flagging issues for discussion and report on a rolling basis.
• Manage scheduling and resources to meet proposal deadlines by establishing priorities with available resources or planning for additional (staff, consultants, etc.) and by coordinating with the PGU, Finance Unit and other related departments.
• Lead and provide oversight and guidance for the design and development of cross-cutting proposals and large initiatives by scientists or proposal writing staff and consultants in coordination with research teams.
• Provide overall guidance and support to planning, implementing, and evaluating quality and efficiency of PGU project proposal development activities.
• Improve proposal-writing results by evaluating and re-designing processes, approach, coordination and boilerplate, and make recommendations for changes.
• Respond to requests for donor calls and project proposal-related reports and statistics.
• Strengthen the Center’s capacity in project design, development, and reporting, including through training and coaching of researchers, project managers and new team members.
• Lead the review of calls for proposals, including preparation of call summaries and information dissemination to facilitate process to funding opportunities.
• Manage ICARDA’s in-house database and archives of project proposals, ensuring data and information is current and accurate and providing regular analytical reports to management.
• In coordination with other Unit Managers, manage the review and edit technical progress and final project reports to ensure information is presented in a concise, coherent and results-focused manner and complies with donor requirements.
• Act as focal point for ICARDA with donors and external partners in project proposal preparation and negotiation toward proposal approval.
• Supervise relevant PGU staff and consultants in accordance with ICARDA’s policies and proced

Job Rewards and Benefits