Senior Manager – Regional Business Development

ICRISAT seeks applications from dynamic and professional personnel for the position of Senior Manager – Regional Business Development. The incumbent will be working under the direction and supervision of Assistant Director General and will be responsible for Resource Mobilization, Fundraising, Partnerships, Donor Intelligence, and Donor Relations.  The selected candidate will maintain the institutional pipeline and grants and contracts management system.  The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi- arid or dryland tropics has over 2 billion people and 644 million of these are the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower these disadvantaged populations to overcome poverty, hunger and a degraded environment through better agricultural production systems.

ICRISAT is headquartered at Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT envisions a prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics. Its mission is to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics. ICRISAT conducts research on its mandate crops of chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on the drylands and in protecting the environment. Tropical dryland areas are usually seen as resource-poor and perennially beset by shocks such as drought, thereby trapping dryland communities in poverty and hunger and making them dependent on external aid. Please visit - www.icrisat.org

Responsibilities:

• Collate data on donor intelligence and mapping and assist the Assistant Director General & Regional director Africa–in devising effective resource mobilization and fundraising strategies.

• Contribute to and oversee the generation of Management Information Systems (MIS) reports on projects pipeline, grants and contracts periodically as required by the management.

• Create and implement timely and effective donor intelligence dissemination to all internal stakeholders.

• Proactively follow up and provide support to Team ICRISAT in Africa by tracking opportunities under development, monitoring submitted proposals, and engagement with donors to strengthen partnerships and secure funding.

• Advise research programs and working groups on relevant donor requirements/compliance, potential funding opportunities, changes in donor priorities, and ensuring quality grant management for all related projects.

• Coordination of the planning, development, and management of the resource mobilization initiatives and activities, including the development of grants management tools to ensure the effective engagement of stakeholders in raising resources for the institute.

• Advise and assist scientists in the preparation and processing of proposal packaging as per donor requirements; draft and provide letters of support, etc.

• Support the Assistant Director General in business development activities.

• Any other responsibility as directed by the Assistant Director General.

Competencies: 

• Ability to closely liaise with Leaders and staff of different units such as Financial Services, Program/Regional Directors, Research Leadership and scientists etc.

• A broad understanding of intellectual property concerning reviewing and processing contracts and agreements. 

• Ability to proactively liaise with the researchers and line staff across different cultures.

• Ability to facilitate multi-locational administrative processes/procedures. 

• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and as a team member. 

• Ability to manage tasks independently or with limited supervision to meet agreed timelines. 

• Familiarity with the use of Microsoft Office software, IT tools Like Salesforce. 

• Experience with CG Systems will be an added advantage.

 Requirements: 

• Masters in International Relations, Communications, Business Management / Post Graduate Diploma with a specialization in Marketing or Business Management. 

• At least 8-10 years of experience in resource mobilization, fundraising and or grants. management in an international or national research organization within the development or R4D sectors. 

• Demonstrable experience of leading, supporting and monitoring large, multi-country, bilateral, multi-lateral, private sector and philanthropic projects and partnerships.

• Experience implementing medium- to large-scale programs in agriculture research, nutrition or agri-business.

• Experience working across various teams and functions, and working directly with and supporting research and/or program delivery teams.

• Experience developing and leading successful complex proposals and providing impactful reporting for high value donors.

• Ability to effectively manage and coordinate with geographically dispersed teams throughout all stages of the donor grant lifecycle. 

• Experience managing donor compliance, budgeting, negotiating agreement provisions, technical and financial reporting.

• Ability to analyze and synthesize information and strong attention to detail.

• Willingness and ability to regularly travel within the regions.

• Outstanding people skills: strong ability to communicate constructively across culturally diverse teams and contribute to a pleasant work environment.

• Solid organizational skills: ability to be flexible and to work within a dynamic team environment 

• Knowledge of related IT-enabled or CRM (customer relationship management) tools like Salesforce, MS Office products, etc. is necessary.

• Hands-on problem-solving with strong analytical abilities. 

• Fluency in written and spoken and written English is mandatory.  Knowledge of French will be an added advantage.

• Existing network of global, national and/or regional donors,

General:

This is Contractual position initially for a period of three years (36 months) renewable based on the performance of the incumbent and the institute’s continuing need for the position.

How to apply:

The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. Shortlisting will start from February 2026.  All Applicants should apply with their latest Resume, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining a progressive and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether they have a disability.