Hey there Reader,
When we surveyed over 75 of our peers working in business development back in January, we expected to see a reflection of the great reshuffle happening across industries. What we found?
Even more concerning. Just over 50% of business development folks surveyed changed jobs in 2021 and of those who had started and ended 2021 in the same role, 65.9% said that they were either actively job seeking or considering looking for a different job in 2022.
This shouldn't be too surprising, given how much the global pandemic has led to many of us re-examining our priorities and re-considering what we really want out of our professional lives.
The most common reasons for job seeking we found are the bane of any HR department, because they are so challenging to address - unrealistic workloads, dysfunctional workplace dynamics, and difficulties navigating work/life balance.
Even pre-pandemic we saw humanitarian and development organizations struggle to hold on to business development talent. Particularly at the mid-level, the best people were incredibly in-demand, making it hard to fill job postings. Today, the problem has seemingly tripled, leading more and more of our clients to explore their option for long-term business development support to cover staffing gaps.
While we are happy to jump in to support, what we really want is for organizations to recognize the challenges of life in BD and craft retention strategies that acknowledge these realities. It may not have an immediate ROI, but the long-term rewards of right-sizing BD team workloads and investing in mid-level managers will set your organization up for better win rates and lower turnover.
The BD teams that are shifting their approach to staff care and retention are already starting to see benefits, so the question is simple - is your team going to choose to keep up or fall behind?
Whitney
Sara Jane Baublitz & Whitney Kippes
Helping international development professionals win more and avoid burnout.
PS: Also genuinely so excited to be celebrating the launch of our first self-directed course, An Overview of Color Team Reviews, which is based on how we've seen international development organizations adapt the classic Shipley model to fit our industry. Click to start today!
Meet a boss...
Meet Jessie Goff!
Jessie has been a long-time member of the Bid Boss team! She brings over 15 years of experience scoping, leading and writing competitive proposals to diverse U.S. government, foundation, and corporate donors, with a focus on agricultural market systems development. Jessie has trained small and large nonprofits on fundraising strategy and proposal development, and mentored junior staff on business development processes and roles. Reach out today to access Jessie's support on your next proposal effort!
Looking for a specific skillset to support your next proposal? Check out our team and schedule a discovery call to find out who is available.
Opportunities...
NEWS! We are considering creating a separate weekly newsletter for business development job opportunities. If you would like a recap of job postings every week, please click here to indicate your interest.
Here's your monthly recap of new opportunities:
- World Vision is looking for a fully remote business development and proposal manager.
- The team at FHI360 is looking for an experienced senior proposal manager.
- Encompass is looking for a technical proposal writer and a hands-on senior business development manager.
- Children International is looking for a senior grant writer / proposal specialist.
- The Atlantic Council is seeking an entry-level development operations assistant.
- The team at Social Solutions International is hiring a senior proposal manager.
- WFP is looking for a DC-based corporate partnerships manager.
- Our friends at IntraHealth International are looking for a senior proposal specialist and business development officer to support a range of donor efforts.
- The team at CRDF Global is seeking a junior- to mid-level business development specialist / proposal manager.
- Crown Agents is looking for a specialist new business development.
- The International Justice Mission is looking for a global specialist for business development / grant partnerships.
- Our friends on the Global Communities humanitarian team are hiring a senior manager for humanitarian business development.
- ME&A is recruiting for a proposal writer / editor.
- Old friends at the Kaizen Company are looking for a business development coordinator.
- DAI is hiring a partnership manager based in DC.
- The team at URC-CHS is recruiting for a senior manager for business development.
- Results for Development is recruiting for a senior program associate with BD responsibilities.
- Our friends at CNFA are hiring a program development coordinator.
Ready to see your posting here? Shoot us an email at info@bidboss.org