Position: Director, Development  

Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh  

Our vision:

A world in which more people survive and enjoy healthy lives

Our mission:

To solve public health problems through innovative scientific research  

THE ORGANIZATION

icddr,b is an international health research institute based in Bangladesh. Policymakers and practitioners utilize our evidence and expertise to improve health outcomes and prevent premature death and disability worldwide.  

In recognition of its scientific and humanitarian contributions, icddr,b has won many international awards, including most notably: 

• In 2001, icddr,b received the first Gates Award for Global Health for its development of oral rehydration solution, an innovation credited with saving 50 million lives, and
• In 2017, the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize in recognition of icddr,b’s innovative approach to solving global health issues impacting the world’s most impoverished communities.

Since icddr,b was established in 1960, our research focus has broadened from cholera and diarrhoeal diseases to encompass many other health challenges facing people living in poverty. While still addressing a range of health issues, we are implementing a focused research strategy that builds on our location and proven strengths, and enables us to concentrate our resources on some of the most pressing and intractable health concerns of the global South. We are engaged with the Government of Bangladesh as well as actively sharing our evidence and experience with other low and middle-income countries to ensure that our research benefits people in the greatest need. 

Our research priorities are organised around seven public health goals:

• Reducing maternal, neonatal, and child mortality and improving the well-being of women and children
• Preventing and treating maternal and childhood malnutrition
• Controlling enteric and respiratory infections
• Detecting and controlling emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases
• Achieving universal health coverage
• Preventing and treating non-communicable diseases
• Achieving gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights.

While these seven themes form the focus of our research, we have also established and invested in the following research initiative: 

• Examining health consequences of climate change

While continuing to conduct research in Bangladesh, we are developing more collaboration with research institutions in the global South, leading and participating in research studies in South Asia and other low-income countries. 

JOB PROFILE

The Director, Development has a significant opportunity to play a leadership role in taking icddr,b to the next level in donor acquisition and impact. Under the leadership of the Executive Director, Development Unit has secured core funding from the governments of Bangladesh, Canada, Sweden, and the UK through 2021-2022. icddr,b has also been successful in securing initial funding from a number of other governments, philanthropies, and corporations. 

Building on these achievements, the Director, Development will have the opportunity to develop and implement a comprehensive global resource development strategy.  As part of icddr,b’s senior leadership team, the Director, Development will provide strategic direction for overall resource development efforts with both current and potential donors in the government, foundation, and corporate sectors, as well as with individual donors. The incoming Director will assure successful stewardship of relationships with current donors and will lead efforts to identify and pursue new opportunities for acquiring the resources needed to fund icddr,b’s scientific and humanitarian programs over the next decade.

Reporting to the Board and Executive Director, the Director, Development will have a bold, exciting mandate:

• To provide vision, leadership, and strategy for significant growth across the fundraising spectrum;
• To build icddr,b’s small development team and transform it into a world-class fundraising operation;
• To position icddr,b for greater development innovation, execution, and success;
• To move icddr,b to greater visibility in the donor community and financial sustainability.

The Director, Development has the opportunity to expand icddrb’s fundraising capacity to achieve significantly higher revenue targets and greater success. The post holder will be an energizing, compelling and experienced leader with superior relationship skills. She or he will have a track record of growing teams and organizations. The Director will have extensive personal fundraising expertise and will have held leadership and management roles relevant to resource development. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific responsibilities include:

• Provide leadership for the strategic development and management of icddr,b’s global resource development strategy.
• Develop and implement a global resource mobilization strategy for icddrb, including cultivating and sustaining relationships with donors and potential donors, governments, NGOs, and other constituencies both nationally and globally.
• Provide strategic guidance to icddrb’s Board, Executive Director, and senior leadership on resource development issues to ensure a coordinated and synergistic approach between the organization’s resource development, communications, and scientific research activities.

Lead resource development efforts with governments, foundations and corporations

• Develop and implement strategies to effectively position icddr,b with global donor constituencies
• Work with icddr,b’s senior management team to develop and implement an effective and coordinated global resource fundraising strategy for the next decade.
• Cultivate and maintain long-term relationships with current donors in Europe, North America, and Asia, including overseeing timely and accurate reporting, regular donor briefings, and donor recognition and stewardship activities.
• Oversee the research, analysis, and tracking of the new government, foundation, and corporate funding prospects.
• Lead efforts to develop and maintain icddr,b’s capacity to identify and track funding priorities and prospects, key contacts, and funding mechanisms in current and potential donor countries and organizations.
• Take initiative in planning visits by donors and potential donors to icddr,b in Bangladesh, and arranging meetings with donors and prospects at their headquarters in North America, Europe, and Asia.
• Direct efforts to develop clear, concise, and persuasive funding proposals in support of icddr,b’s humanitarian and scientific priorities.
• Work closely with the Finance to monitor the spending of funds and the timely preparation and submission of financial reports and supportive documents to donors.

Strengthen the development team domestically and globally

• Develop and lead a team of dedicated resource development professionals, including domestic and international staff, and consultants working to advance icddr,b’s mission.
• Assess existing and future staffing needs and recommend changes to ensure adequate capacity within the Development Unit to achieve icddr,b’s fundraising goals.
• Recruit and retain staff and consultants by providing clear objectives, assuring accountability, and guiding and motivating them to perform at the highest level.

Professional Experience and Qualifications

• A successful track record of conceptualizing, designing, managing, and implementing resource development strategies and action plans.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain effective relationships with donors and potential donors from government, foundation, and corporate sectors.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to think strategically, delegate where appropriate, prioritize competing demands, and influence colleagues.
• A strong executive presence, leadership and communication/influencing skills, a high degree of energy, intelligence, and self-confidence.
• Knowledge of issues related to global health, the Sustainable Development Goals, and a working knowledge of or high interest in public health research and innovation.
• Experience acting as a mediator with the skills to build strategic relationships internally and externally.
• Familiarity with or experience working in developing countries, particularly in Asia.
• Exceptional written and oral English communications skills, including the ability to respond clearly, creatively, and decisively to donors and potential donors.
• Experience working and communicating effectively with an international network of donor representatives; experience identifying and managing consultants; excellent interpersonal and listening skills.
• Demonstrated experience as a partner and sounding board who is able to proactive advice, feedback, and counsel to the Board, Executive Director, and senior leaders.
• Demonstrated diplomatic skills; ability to deal with conflict productively; culturally sensitive.
• Energetic and able to display passion and a commitment to global health and the work of icddr,b.
• Able to undertake extensive international travel in pursuit of icddr,b’s fundraising priorities.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• A Master’s degree or equivalent is preferred in International Relations, Public Health, or other closely related fields.
• Minimum 10 years of experience and a track record of management-level resource development experience, preferably internationally, including in Europe and Asia;

Others

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are essential
• Demonstrated leadership ability and team management

Compensation

This is an internationally recruited position for which icddr,b offers internationally competitive remuneration at UN equivalent P5 level paid in US Dollars. The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 3 years, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds. Funds are also available for startup research.

icddr,b is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, and disability status.

Only short-listed candidates shall be contacted for interview.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled