Creating opportunities for the world’s poor

Programme Lead – Commercial Contracts

info@bracuk.net

+44(0) 203 434 3072 19 Wootton Street

London, SE1 8TG

Contact us

www.bracuk.net

Candidate Pack

February 2017

2

About BRAC

BRAC is dedicated to creating opportunities for people living in poverty.

BRAC was founded in Bangladesh in 1972 by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, and today is a global

leader in developing cost-effective, evidence-based poverty innovations in extremely poor,

conflict-prone and post-disaster settings. These include programmes in education,

healthcare, microfinance, girls’ empowerment, agriculture, human and legal rights, social

enterprises, a bank, a university, and the world’s largest mobile money platform. In 2016,

BRAC employed more than 100,000 people in 11 countries, with a total global expenditure of

over $900 million.

BRAC is also unique among the world’s major non-profits in that its overall budget is majority

self-financed. In Bangladesh, where BRAC was founded and is the location of its global

headquarters, BRAC financed 76% of its $682 million average annual national budget from

2011 to 2015 from its own socially-responsible businesses.

In January 2017 BRAC was ranked as the number one NGO in the world for the second

consecutive year by the Geneva-based NGO Advisor, an independent media organisation

committed to highlighting innovation, impact and governance in the non-profit sector.

“Pragmatic, adaptive, BRAC can now play any game, whether using for-profit or non-profit

approaches, to face and challenge systems of inequity,” said NGO Advisor in its review of

BRAC. “BRAC ticks every box this year, with extra scoring for the clarity of its five-year

strategic vision and its willingness to expand its international outreach…Today, BRAC is

more than a reference; it is leading the non-profit world toward its next degree of efficiency

and leverage” said NGO Advisor Editor-in-Chief Jean-Christophe Nothias.

About BRAC UK

BRAC UK, an affiliate of BRAC, works to raise resources for its programmes in Africa and

Asia, raise awareness about BRAC across Europe and develop partnerships with local and

global organisations, donor agencies, academic and research institutions and governments.

Between 2015 and 2020 BRAC UK aims to bring BRAC’s life-changing services to 10 million

people. We are well on our way. We are concentrating our efforts on three priorities;

education and empowerment, equitable economic development and access to health and

water, sanitation and hygiene services.

A small team of eleven staff, based in London work closely with our Headquarters in

Bangladesh and country programme staff to develop projects and funding proposals for a

range of donors, including DFID, EuropeAid, trusts, foundations and individuals. The BRAC

UK team also manage and support the accountability element of the grants received.

BRAC UK has a target of raising £50m by 2020 through funding direct to BRAC UK and also

supporting other BRAC entities to fundraise.

The Programme Lead for Commercial Contracts is a key role in the small BRAC UK team,

and is an opportunity to play a significant part in the huge impact that BRAC is having in the

poorest communities around the world.

3

Job Description

Job Title: Programme Lead – Commercial Contracts

Reports to: Programme Director

Location: Southwark, London

Salary: £35,000 + pension

Key relationships: Internally - Programmes team members, Chief Executive, Finance

and Grants Officer, Communications and Marketing team and BRAC UK Trustees

Externally - Donors, suppliers, auditors, finance staff in BRAC Bangladesh and BRAC International and country programmes

Main Purpose

To identify, develop and leverage successful partnerships with donors and lead with the

preparation of suitable programmes that respond to commercial contracts.

Responsibilities

Business Development:

Working with your programme team colleagues you will identify and engage funding partners

and opportunities to support BRAC’s global work from donors in the UK, Europe and Middle

East; specifically, leading the programmes team with the preparation of suitable programmes

that respond to commercial contracts (e.g. Payment by Results) from European and UK

institutional and bi-lateral donors.

This includes working with colleagues in BRAC Country Offices (from the UK and in country

as needed) and Bangladesh to respond to requests for funding from the wider BRAC family.

You will be responsible for mapping donor priorities, cultivating, and sustaining partnerships

with donors, INGOs, private sector businesses and government in implementing countries,

the UK, Europe and the Middle East. As a member of the programmes team you will support

the decision-making processes when assessing and applying for funding opportunities. You

will analyse, share and record lessons learned from contract submissions and provide

assessment and feedback as required.

Sector Leadership:

You will lead a technical area complementary to your skills and experience in one or more of

the following: WASH, Ultra Poor Graduation, Education, Agriculture, Health, Gender, Youth

empowerment, legal aid and human rights and/or Skills development. You will provide

technical advice and support to the BRAC UK team and Country Offices and guide the

development of BRAC UK’s programming in your priority sector(s). This will include

participation in sector events and representing BRAC in your specialism.

4

Programme/Contract Management:

You will be responsible managing projects and contracts, and reporting for selected projects

within the BRAC UK portfolio in West Africa (currently Sierra Leone and Liberia). This

includes assisting with the development, management, delivery and promotion of

programmes in country.

The role entails:

- Facilitating sub-contract agreements

- Advising on and ensuring contract compliance

- Delivering high-quality internal project quarterly reports and external donor reports

- Liaising with the finance team to ensure accurate and timely project finance reporting

- Supporting audits

- Providing contract updates and

- Keeping up-to-date and accurate records of all materials such as, log frames and

contract amendments

You will also co-ordinate and support preliminary assessment requests, contract set up

procedures from donors (e.g. DFID, EC) including, providing training to project teams, due

diligence checks and liaising with Fund Managers and donors. In particular, this role will lead

on managing donor commercial contract compliance and improving in house skills in relation

to such contracts, which will be for projects across the world. Finally, to support compliance

and reporting responsibilities you will undertake in-country field visits to monitor and report

on the outputs, outcomes and status of the implementation of contracts awarded.

Reports:

You will take an active role in supporting the communication teams to promote the BRAC

brand, competitive advantages, impacts and value addition to internal and external

audiences. This includes, providing materials and information for internal and external

communications. In particular, you will lead on materials for your chosen sector leadership

and in relation to commercial contracts.

5

Person Specification

Essential Desirable

Qualification

BA/BSc in business, international development, international relations, politics or similar

An MA or MSc

in a related discipline

Skills

Strong record of accomplishment in business development having taken leading roles in developing and securing multi-million pound grants with bi-lateral, multi-lateral and large foundations

Strong and proven sectorial knowledge and experience in at least one of the following: WASH, Ultra Poor Graduation, Education, Agriculture, Health, Gender, Adolescent development, Livelihoods, Social Business, and/or Skills development

Excellent standard of written and spoken English and ability to confidently and clearly communicate across languages and cultures

Business and contract orientated profile, able to develop new business and high value partnerships and supporting contractual arrangements

Excellent at building and maintaining key partnerships and relationships with a broad range of stakeholders

Knowledge of a

second language in particular, French, German, Spanish or Bengali;

Project and programme management skills and/or qualifications

Experience

At least 2 years’ practical experience developing and implementing development projects in low-income countries

Proven track record of driving and delivering new business including the development of key partnerships with a wide range of partners including, corporations, research institutes, small business, government agencies, INGOs, local partners and fund managers

Experience in Liberia and/or Sierra Leone

Qualities

Strong commitment to BRAC’s mission, approach and values

An attention to detail and adherence to deadlines

Good organisational skills and ability to get the most from a wide range of your colleagues in a collaborative and transparent manner

Ability to travel at short notice to West Africa & Bangladesh and within Europe and the UK

Cultural sensitivity and ability to develop strong and trusting relationships across the world and different cultures

Flexible and adaptable with excellent interpersonal skills and a ‘can do’ approach and a appetite for problem solving and innovation

Ability to work in a small, motivated and dynamic team often to tight deadlines on complex multi-facetted programmes and initiatives

6

Next steps

Please send your application consisting of your CV and a cover letter to

recruitment@bracuk.net. The cover letter should be a maximum of two pages

and should briefly outline how your skills and experience match the requirements of

the role and BRAC’s mission.

The deadline for applications is: Friday 31st March 2017

Only applications from persons with existing permission to work in the UK will be

considered. You will be asked to provide evidence of this permission prior to

interview.