Swisscontact is represented in 38 countries with over 1200 employees. The foundation is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

The Acquisition team of the Global Office oversees Swisscontact’s global business development efforts. We provide strategic guidance and professional support to bid managers in regional and country offices, ensuring that new project proposals align with internal organizational criteria and donor requirements, and managing institutional risks. Additionally, we promote knowledge sharing across regions to strengthen our global project portfolio.

In an effort to further decentralize our team, we are looking for a new team member by 1 November 2025 or upon agreement as

Business Development Advisor

based in the Swisscontact Country Office in Kigali (Rwanda)
Contract period: 1 year, renewable

The position reports to the Head of Acquisition, based at the Global Office in Zurich. It serves all Swisscontact regions, with a focus on the Central, Eastern and Southern Africa region.

Tasks 

• Support in monitoring the global acquisition pipeline
• Assessment of financial and legal risks of pipeline projects, including financial viability
• Advise to bid managers on requirements of key donors
• Review of financial offers and budget adjustments
• Review of donor and partner contracts according to legal and organizational criteria
• Coordination for the bid submission process
• Coordination of inputs from the various departments of the Global Office (e.g. Finance, Compliance, Operations, Executive Board) and the global team of thematic experts
• Promotion of internal exchange of experience and best practices related to bid processes and donor requirements, and ensuring their documentation.
• Active participation in the further development of tools relevant for Swisscontact’s business development (e.g. processes, guidelines, AI applications)

Requirements

• Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience in business development, project acquisition and public tenders in the context of international development cooperation, including budget reviews
• Minimum 3 years of working experience with public or private sector donors funding development cooperation projects. Experience with SDC, EU, ENABEL, and DANIDA is an advantage.

• Master’s Degree in relevant fields (e.g. economics, business administration, international management, law)
• Excellent language skills in English (C1) and good language skills in French (B2).
• Skilful use of Excel and good knowledge of the Microsoft 365 applications
• Ability to prioritize under high workload/time pressure, to deliver qualitatively and quantitatively good results and to alternate between different tasks
• Fast comprehension for quick familiarization with the various topics, analytical thinking and decision making
• High service orientation and reliability as well as performance and result orientation
• Willingness, pleasure and ability to work in the team and with changing team constellations
• Professional and goal-oriented communication skills in a multicultural context and with different target groups
• Ability to integrate into the global team despite working remotely, proactively searching and sharing information
• Availability to travel to Zurich at least once a year

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents in English: letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, diplomas and references (can also be in French). Application deadline is September 3, 2025. For further information please visit www.swisscontact.org.