(RFP301463) SENIOR ASSOCIATE - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ADVERT)

SENIOR ASSOCIATE - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ADVERT)

THE ORGANIZATION

The Alliance of Bioversity International (www.bioversityinternational.org) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) (www.ciat.cgiar.org) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crisis of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis.

The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The SERVIR network is made up of regional “hubs” dedicated to environmental management through the integration of Earth observations and geospatial technologies. The SERVIR hubs have a team of local specialists with expertise in geoscience, environment and natural resource management, and community engagement. Through their collaboration, these hubs lead a co-creation process to develop tools and services that meet local needs. SERVIR Eastern and Southern Africa is hosted by the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Senior Associate will lead strategic outreach, secure diverse funding streams, and cultivate partnerships to maximise the impact of the platforms and SERVIR across Eastern and Southern Africa.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategy Development: Capture expected outputs from the evolving platforms to create business development strategies and market-entry plans.
  
• Funding Oversight: Actively scout for funding opportunities, input them into the SERVIR tracking database (e.g., ticketing forms, Hubspot), and follow the SERVIR’s proposal development SOP to write proposals.
  
• Align and liaise with the Alliance proposals team to ensure internal proposal processes are fulfilled.
  
• Innovative Partnership: Design and implement business models tailored for non-traditional donors such as philanthropic organizations, private sector entities, and individuals.
  
• Donor Relations: Work with SERVIR Secretariat and Alliance partnerships team to maintain contacts of the donors and partners. Keep up to date data on donor requirements and their priorities.
  
• Decision support: analysis of opportunities to assist in making informed go/no-go decisions in alignment with organizational/SERRVIR goals and probability of a positive outcome.
  
• Business development strategy, models, and roadmap
  
• Draft concepts and proposals to respond to calls or for strategic pitching.
  
• Maintain up-to-date research area focused profiles and capacity statements of SERVIR and the Alliance and expertise database.
  
• Proposals developed and incorporated into the SERVIR Hubspot and the Alliance proposals pipelines
  

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (agricultural, environmental sciences, international development, business administration, science communications or related)
  
• Relevant course on resource mobilization or business development very advantageous
  
• Proven passion for applying science to support a more sustainable world
  
• 3–4 years of experience in business development activities, preferably in a non-profit organization
  
• Experience working with multi-cultural, distributed or cross-institutional teams
  
• Experience working with environmental, geospatial, or climate-focused program areas and organizations
  
• Good understanding of donor and development partners landscape, priorities and funding models
  
• Knowledgeable on national and regional development strategies and emerging challenges and priorities.
  
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
  
• Great inter-personal skills and team player
  

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

• Assessment of stakeholder needs
  
• Concept and proposal development
  
• Ability to assess complex proposals and provide strategic input to enhance success rates.
  
• Good knowledge of AI tools to increase efficiency
  
  

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

This position is a nationally recruited position based in Nairobi, Kenya. The initial contract will be for one (1) year subject to a probation period of three months and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources.

This position is graded at BG07 level, at 60% FTE with a minimum basic salary of 227,931.00 Kenya Shillings in a scale of BG01 to BG14 (BG14 being the highest level according to the Alliance job classification framework policy). We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits including but not limited to insurance, retirement plan, staff training and development, paid time off and flexible working arrangements.

The Alliance Bioversity-CIAT is committed to fair, safe, and inclusive workplaces. We believe that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority. We encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability statuses, sexual orientations, marital status, and gender identities. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

APPLICATIONS

Applicants are invited to visit  https://www.bioversityinternational.org/jobs/ to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference (RFP301463) – SENIOR ASSOCIATE - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT as the position applied for. Application and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name and first name for ease of sorting.

Note: The Alliance does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). The Alliance also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.

Applications closing date: 28th October 2026

Please note that email applications will not be considered.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We invite you to learn more about us at:

                                                                     http://alliancebioversityciat.org