The Proposal Writer/Researcher is an integral member of CARE USA's Competitive Bids Unit (CBU), which leads the organization's global efforts in the acquisition of financial resources through competitive solicitations, exclusively from the US Government.  CBU provides direct support to and builds the capacity of CARE's geographic and technical teams worldwide to strengthen and maintain relationships with US Government to fund CARE's work in combatting poverty and discrimination.

The Proposal Writer/Researcher has primary accountability for writing and editing proposals in response to US Government solicitations. S/he collaborates with CBU’s 7 bid coordinators and HQ and Country Office technical experts to analyze solicitations, determine proposal requirements, and produce a compliant, responsive and well-crafted proposal. The Proposal Writer/Researcher works autonomously as well as collaboratively, managing multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, often changing environment. S/he serves as the lead writer on a limited number of strategic prime bids and will contribute to other proposals, as necessary. S/he provides technical guidance and advice and tailors proposal content and contributes to the strategy and/or editing of key sections of the technical proposal management, technical, past performance, and other annexes as appropriate.

Responsibilities:

• Develop proposals and concept notes for USG donors across multiple technical sectors. This may involve leading (or supporting) a team to design the program, write the proposal, and develop materials to support the proposal (capacity statements, workplans, results frameworks, organizational charts, management plans, M&E plans) as wells as reviewing and extracting lessons learned from other programs to adapt and design new concepts and proposal responses. Conduct background and other necessary research to develop innovative and compelling concept notes and proposals that highlight CARE’s unique ability
• Provide technical guidance and advice regarding the approach, strategy and content of the technical proposal; participate in win strategy/theme development, including participation (as needed) in-country pre-design and design workshops and combining any inputs from other drafters of proposal section. As needed, be prepared to rework any sections that do not meet quality standards. Circulate completed draft technical proposal in time for critical review by key stakeholders. Incorporate new information, clarifications and additional inputs received from key stakeholders
• Support other writing and documentation projects of the unit. This may include writing project summaries and other documentation and dissemination projects as may be required (including the Landscape Analyses, USG Client Snapshots, and USG Report Literature Reviews, and other internal documents). Draft and/or update various CBU documents, reports, and supporting CBU’s KML Coordinator on the Sharepoint site.
• Build capacity of teams in program design and strategy development to achieve 100% alignment/responsiveness of program design to the solicitation’s requirements.  Contribute to the design of training and guidance tools and participate in capacity building workshops as needed.

Qualifications:

• The position requires outstanding writing skills; excellent communication and presentation skills; and experience in proposal development, including demonstrated success in contributing to winning proposals. Also required are exceptional skills working cross-culturally to support program design, strategy development, documentation, and proposal development programming in development and humanitarian contexts.
• Generalist. But if candidate has a specific technical background (food security, governance, health, education, gender, etc.), this will be considered in context of upcoming projected USG solicitations.