New Business Development Intern (NBD) at Save the Children in Nairobi, Kenya

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    New Business Development Intern (NBD)

    Save the ChildrenNairobi, Kenya

    Posted

    2 days ago

    Apply by

    12 Oct

    Intern
    Contractor
    On Site
    Internship
    Charity, NGO & Non-Profit
    Volunteer & NGO Work

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    Job Description

    The NBD Intern will be part of Save the Children's East and Southern Africa Regional and Multi-Country Programmes (RMCP). The intern will provide resource mobilisation and new business development support to the RMCP team, reporting to the Head of Programme Development with a matrix line to the Head of RMCP. This role focuses on supporting the RMCP in New Business Development across 12 countries in East and Southern Africa.

    Key Responsibilities

    • Coordinate, lead and develop tools to track upcoming funding opportunities for decision and action.
    • Assist the team to research and gather funding intel from potential new institutional donors, regional corporates and other non-traditional funding donors and sources through research on funding platforms and through sector publications aligned to the RMCP Strategy.
    • Develop a plan to share gathered Intel with the Head of RMCP for further action and follow-up.
    • Develop a calendar of upcoming opportunities.
    • Coordinate and lead knowledge management using SharePoint and other SCI Platforms for the RMCP BD Work.
    • Maintain files and data sharing on SharePoint and other SCI Platforms for ease of access by all team members.
    • Assist the RMCP team in designing and developing concept notes, technical thematic briefs, communication materials and packages and other related collateral for use in members' and donors' engagement.
    • Assist the team in reviewing, proofreading, packaging and disseminating the above-mentioned documents as guided by the Head of the RMCP team.
    • Support the team in the coordination and management of multi-country and regional funding opportunities proposal development processes to ensure the process is well coordinated across teams and COs.
    • Assist the Head of RMCP to analyse the opportunities, organise and effectively run regional/ multi-country proposal kick-off meetings.
    • Follow up with proposal team members to ensure meeting attendance and timely implementation of agreed-upon action points.
    • Support the proposal lead in writing/ filling out the non-technical section of the proposal document as may be required to ensure timely production of high-quality applications for donor funding.
    • Assist the team to organise and facilitate key proposal development After Action Review Meetings.
    • Support the team in analysing the regional pipeline and strategic portfolios.
    • Support the Head of RMCP to analyse the regional monthly/ quarterly portfolio report by donor and sector to pick and document trends and factors affecting the RMCP success rate.
    • Perform any other BD related tasks as may be assigned by the Head of RMCP from time to time within the reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

    Required Qualifications

    • Accountability: Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
    • Holds self, the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary support to improve performance and timely applying appropriate channels to remedy the situations when results are not achieved or are delayed.
    • Creates an environment that enables and maintains our culture of child safeguarding.
    • Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.
    • Future-oriented, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
    • Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to, builds and maintains effective relationships with the team, other SCI colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.
    • Values diversity and different people's perspectives, able to work cross-culturally.
    • Being agile and flexible enough to work collaboratively and successfully within a geographically dispersed cross-disciplinary, matrix team structure.
    • Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
    • Cuts away bureaucracy and encourages an entrepreneurial approach.
    • Honest, encourages openness and transparency, builds trust and confidence.
    • Displays consistent excellent judgement.
    • Recently completed a degree or studying for a degree course in business management, project management, international relations, international development, or a related field who wishes to gain some practical experience.
    • Demonstrates some form of international development or fundraising BD experience in an NGO/ INGO sector is highly desired.
    • A high degree of attention to detail and the ability to lead key tasks to on-time completion under significant pressure and with minimal supervision.
    • Strong analytical and information management skills; Excellent computer skills, esp

    Job Details

    Estimated Salary Range

    KES 30,000 – 40,000 / monthBased on Kenyan market rates for similar roles

    Job Function

    Volunteer & NGO Work

    Education Level

    Bachelor’s Degree

    Area of Study

    Business

    Field of Study

    Business Management

    Languages

    English

    Additional Information

    How to Apply: Visit the application link provided on this page to submit your application for the New Business Development Intern role at Save the Children.

    Prove You Can Turn Funding Intel Into Winning Proposals

    This internship sits at the heart of Save the Children's regional resource mobilisation, so the hiring team will screen for evidence that you can track donor opportunities, manage proposal logistics, and keep a matrix team on schedule. They are not just looking for a degree — they want to see that you understand how NGO funding pipelines work and that you can handle detail under pressure.

    1. Map Your Donor Research Experience: On your CV, replace vague phrases like 'conducted research' with specifics: which funding platforms you monitored, what donor types you tracked (institutional, corporate, trusts), and how you shared intel with a team. If you have ever built a simple opportunity tracker in Excel or Google Sheets, describe the columns you used and how it helped decision-making. This directly mirrors the first responsibility of the role.

    2. Show Proposal Coordination Muscle: The intern supports multi-country proposal development, so prepare a story about a time you coordinated a group task with a deadline. Use the STAR method: what the proposal or project was, how you set up kick-off meetings, how you followed up on action points, and what the outcome was. Even a university group assignment can work if you frame it around coordination and timely delivery.

    3. Demonstrate SharePoint and Knowledge Management Skills: The role explicitly mentions maintaining files on SharePoint and other SCI platforms. If you have used SharePoint, Teams, or any document management system, say so and explain how you organised folders for easy access. If not, take a free tutorial and mention that you are quick to learn new platforms — then give an example of a time you mastered a new tool quickly.

    4. Prepare for Behavioural Questions on Accountability: Save the Children's requirements list accountability, ambition, and collaboration. Expect questions like 'Tell me about a time you took ownership of a task that was falling behind' or 'How do you handle competing priorities from different team members?' Have two or three concrete examples ready that show you manage your own work efficiently and flag issues early.

    5. Understand the Regional Context: The RMCP covers 12 countries in East and Southern Africa. Before the interview, skim recent news about humanitarian and development funding trends in the region — for example, shifts in donor priorities or major crises. Being able to mention one or two trends shows you are future-oriented and globally minded, which the posting values.

    6. Sharpen Your Writing and Proofreading: You will assist with concept notes, technical briefs, and non-technical proposal sections. Bring a sample of a well-structured report or brief you have written, even from coursework. In the interview, emphasise your attention to detail and your ability to proofread for clarity and consistency. If asked, be ready to describe your process for checking a document before it goes out.

    7. Highlight Cross-Cultural Teamwork: The role works with a geographically dispersed, cross-disciplinary team. Prepare an example of collaborating with people from different backgrounds or time zones. Mention any experience you have with virtual collaboration tools and how you keep communication clear when working remotely with colleagues.

    8. Ask Smart Questions About the Pipeline: At the end of the interview, ask about the current regional pipeline or the types of donors the RMCP is prioritising. This shows genuine interest in the work and helps you understand what success looks like in the first 90 days. Avoid questions about salary or benefits at this stage — focus on the learning opportunity and how you can contribute to the team's funding goals.

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    Tags

    business development
    fundraising
    proposal development
    NGO
    research