Business Development Specialist

This position is covered under CUPE Bargaining Unit.

Reporting to the Director, International Programs & Partnerships, the Business Development Specialist (BDS) will be responsible for designing and securing funding proposals for international development and humanitarian programs, with a focus on improving outcomes for children globally at Save the Children Canada (SCC). Working across teams, the BDS leads the development of high-quality proposals for a range of donors, including Global Affairs Canada (GAC), development banks, and philanthropic partners, while strengthening internal processes, tools, and learning.

• Lead prospect research, competitive analyses, and donor engagement strategies to identify and assess new funding opportunities aligned with SCC priorities.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with institutional donors (e.g., GAC, development banks) and external partners, supporting pre-positioning and donor strategy.
• Advise internal and external interest holders on donor requirements, Save the Children’s federated model, and partnership protocols to ensure compliant and competitive submissions.
• Guide internal approval processes for new opportunities, including financial and risk analysis, using structured assessment tools.
• Assist in the negotiation of pre-teaming agreements, partnership roles, and governance structures during proposal stages.
• Manage institutional and non-institutional proposal development (narrative and financial), ensuring alignment with donor criteria, internal strategy, and cross-departmental inputs.
• Navigate multi-country, multi-partner proposal teams, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and SCC internal processes.
• Leverage expertise in gender equality, sustainability, and core programming sectors to strengthen proposal quality and coherence.
• Maintain internal systems and documentation throughout opportunity and proposal phases, ensuring accurate records and knowledge transfer.
• Strengthen capacity of Country Offices and partners to develop proposals and pitch to institutional and non-institutional donors, especially GAC.
• Maintain and update donor-specific templates, guidelines, and training resources across shared platforms.
• Provide strategic input to improve internal systems, tools, and processes related to business development and proposal submission.
• Collaborate closely with SCC, SCI, and partner interest holders to drive efficiency and strong cross-functional coordination.
• Lead or support cross-member account management and partner engagement strategies, including building SCC’s profile with key institutional donors.

• Post-secondary education in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in International Development, NGO/INGO, or other not-for-profit sectors is required.
• Demonstrated experience with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) standards and guidelines including Results-Based Management (RBM) approaches and Gender Equality results expectations.
• Proven track record securing institutional funding, particularly from GAC, with strong budgeting skills and knowledge of GAC financial parameters.
• Understanding of how to efficiently guide proposal development processes to meet diverse donor needs across institutional and non-institutional opportunities.
• Familiarity with child rights programming across Health, Education, Child Protection, Livelihoods, and Gender Equality sectors.
• Advanced communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills for diverse audiences to build strong working relationships across cultural and organizational settings, both internally and externally. French/Spanish/Arabic language skills are an asset.
• Demonstrated project management experience for task execution of assigned objectives supported by proficiency with MS Office tools and relevant technologies. Ability to work under pressure within tight timelines to achieve SCC objectives.
• Displays analytical and problem-solving skills to support initiatives with demonstrated adaptability to support change management for successful task implementation.
• Applies judgment and makes sound decisions that are accountable, justifiable,…