Senior Programme Development Specialist

About Siren Analytics

Siren Analytics helps organisations accelerate their digital transformation journey. We blend holistic change management support with cost efficient technologies so our partners become more responsive, efficient and impactful. We are a joint venture between CME, a multinational company providing digital services to Fortune 1000 companies, and Siren Associates, a change management advisory that has been reshaping the public sector across the Middle East for over a decade. Working at the intersection of technology and international development, Siren Analytics is helping organizations in the MENA region and beyond better serve their communities most pressing needs.

To learn more, visit https://materials.sirenanalytics.com/brochure.

Our Opportunity

Siren seeks to hire a Senior Program Development Specialist to lead the development of proposals that will accelerate our growth regionally and internationally.

You love writing and rigorous project design, with the ability to both write clear and concise winning proposals and bring the various components of proposals – M&E, compliance, budgets, and the like – together into a cohesive whole. You have the confidence and capability to lead the proposal development process independently, with exceptional organizational skills and the ability to be decisive under pressure and with imperfect information.

As a key member of Siren Analytics’ vibrant Program Development Team, you will report to the Program Development Lead and work closely with senior leadership in developing our program development strategy. The role will be fast-paced and varied and will occasionally require working outside of office hours as we push for proposal submission. In return, we offer a working environment that is centred around employee wellbeing, flexible working arrangements, and the opportunity to leave a tangible positive impact on the communities we work with.

You will have the opportunity to design innovative, out of the box, and impact-driven projects – often starting from a blank slate and driven by first-principles thinking. You will work with software developers, data scientists, and AI specialists as well as public policy and subject matter experts from sectors ranging from education to environment to media and beyond, helping to translate their big ideas into tangible realities.

You Will

Core Responsibilities: Lead on Proposal Development

• Lead the proposal development process from A to Z: driving impactful project design by articulating a clear theory of change, developing LogFrames and budgets with internal teams, and coordinating inputs from finance, compliance, M&E, and subject matter experts as part of the timely submission of full project proposals.
• Draft proposals using concise, clear language that communicates Siren’s unique offering and our understanding of the context needs.
• Quality assure proposals to ensure full compliance with stated requirements
• Engage our clients in a co-creation process, helping our clients to articulate their needs and priorities within a cohesive proposal that is responsive to RfP requirements.
• Identify and engage strategic partners to incorporate into our proposals, negotiating the division of workstreams, activities, and budgets between partners.
• Create, on short order and in response to donor and client demands, concept note pitches that demonstrate Siren’s unique added value and understanding of context.
• Show financial acumen in designing proposals, ensuring the profitability and sustainability of business activities.
• Quality assure our opportunity monitoring system to ensure we are identifying relevant grant and tender opportunities early from bilateral donors, multilateral donors, private foundations, and governments.
• Advise senior leadership on Go/No-Go decisions, in line w/ Siren strategic priorities.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support the Program Development Lead in all phases of developing new project opportunities, including market research, business forecasts and analysis.
• Assist in networking, maintaining client relationships, and closing on new program leads, utilizing strong interpersonal skills and a focus on building connections and fostering long-term relationships.
• Implement internal processes related to business and project development, demonstrating strong organizational skills and a thorough approach.
• Assist the Program Development Lead in managing and coordinating the Program Development Team, including by utilizing and improving core business processes (e.g., CRM) to ensure effective management of existing resources
• Contribute to strategy development and identification of new program opportunities, staying abreast of emerging trends and technologies and reflecting a forward-thinking and growth-oriented approach.
• Adhere to the highest ethical standards in all activities, displaying integrity and transparency.

To be Successful in the Role, You Need

Competencies

• Results driven: The ability to independently assess proposal opportunities, set priorities against Siren’s objectives, and then execute against those priorities, with an unrelenting drive to deliver quality and, ultimately, results.
• A structured, analytical, and systematic mindset with strong organizational and coordination abilities that has made you successful in spearheading the development of winning proposals that required the alignment of various inputs (budgeting, compliance, partnerships, M&E) to an overarching theory of change that is responsive to both RfP requirements and client needs.
• The ability to excel under pressure and work independently, confidently and decisively making strategic decisions within the proposal development process to ensure our proposals are financially competitive, compliant, on-time, and designed to deliver impact for our clients.
• Exceptional English writing ability, with the ability to write compelling, cogent, and concise proposals or pitches quickly with confidence.
• Experience with all facets of proposal development, including monitoring and evaluation, compliance, budgeting, and partnership formation.
• Advanced interpersonal skills that allow you to independently create and manage relationships with donors, clients and partners, including pitching projects and conducting negotiations.
• Capable of managing and tasking staff such that all of our resources are directed towards achieving results.
• Excellent research, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong ethical values.
• Good knowledge of the context of Lebanon and the MENA region considered a plus.
• Knowledge of the technology sector a plus.
• Knowledge of bilateral and multilateral donor processes for grants and tenders a plus.
• Arabic language a major plus, particularly if the candidate can write effective and impactful project proposals in Arabic

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in business administration, international development, public policy,  or equivalent.
• At least 7 years of professional experience in business/program development (or 5 years with relevant master’s degree) in NGOs or private sector – a mix is considered a plus.