Program Development Advisor

About Cordaid

Cordaid is an internationally operating value-based emergency relief and development organization, working in and on fragility.

The organization was established in 2000 when several Dutch aid organizations joined forces. But our history goes back more than a century. Cordaid has changed over the years, the organization now is focusing more on the localization of its operations and programs to empower local human capacities and knowledge in serving communities and people. Reducing fragility has become our core priority and we work in all contexts of fragility, from relief, through rehabilitation to long-term development. To do this effectively we seek funds, start partnerships, and compete in a global market.

We believe in a world where people can break through barriers of poverty and exclusion, influence decisions that affect them, and participate in equitable and resilient societies. A world with an economy not driven by greed and growth, but by inclusivity, social justice, and gender equality. That world is our goal. We work towards it in everything we do.

Cordaid has been active in Afghanistan since 2001, working for a stable and prosperous country. Abiding by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence, Cordaid is committed to standing by the people of Afghanistan and delivering its lifesaving support.

Cordaid through its work and need-based programming, is committed to delivering lifesaving, resilience, and development assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

About the job

Responsible for leading Cordaid Afghanistan’s fundraising efforts, cultivating and managing donor relationships, and developing high-quality, competitive proposals. The advisor proactively scans the donor landscape, identifies funding opportunities, and aligns them with Cordaid’s strategic priorities to grow and sustain the country office portfolio.

Job Responsibilities

Resource Mobilization & Donor Engagement

• Develops and leads the implementation of a dynamic fundraising strategy aligned with country and global program priorities.
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with institutional donors, bilateral and multilateral agencies, and philanthropic organizations.
• Maintains an up-to-date donor mapping and tracks trends in humanitarian and development financing in Afghanistan.
• Represents Cordaid in donor meetings, roundtables, and coordination platforms to raise visibility and identify funding opportunities.
• Leads donor cultivation efforts, including organizing donor visits, pitch presentations, and strategic communications.

Resource Mobilization & Proposal Development

Leads the development and execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy to meet the Country Office’s income targets. Translates the strategy into a dynamic Business Development Plan that aligns with donor priorities and Cordaid’s thematic focus. Proactively identifies and builds relationships with a broad spectrum of institutional, bilateral, multilateral, and private donors. Manages the full lifecycle of proposal development—leading bid design, coordinating inputs, ensuring compliance with donor rules and policies, and submitting high-quality proposals. Negotiates strategically on assigned opportunities and leverages donor intelligence and partnerships to enhance Cordaid’s competitiveness. Oversees internal coordination, task delegation, and communication across teams and with consortia to ensure successful proposal outcomes.

Strategic Program & Planning

Actively participates in senior management meetings to shape strategic direction and strengthen Cordaid’s positioning for current and future funding opportunities. Supports reputation management by aligning program design with donor interests, national priorities, and Cordaid’s global frameworks. Leads programmatic resource planning, ensuring the right expertise and capacities are in place to develop and implement high-impact, fundable interventions. Builds the capacity of project managers and technical staff in areas such as program design, theory of change development, donor engagement, and adaptive programming, to enhance quality, coherence, and sustainability across the project portfolio.

Network Representation

Proactively identifies, engages, and builds strategic partnerships with local and international NGOs, UN agencies, government entities, and donor representatives. Explores opportunities for collaboration that align with Cordaid’s mission, thematic focus areas, and localization strategy. Represents Cordaid in coordination platforms, donor roundtables, and strategic forums to increase visibility, foster trust, and position the organization as a key actor in humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding sectors. Strengthens networking efforts to support joint programming, consortium development, and access to funding opportunities.

Compliance & Accountability

Reviews the current processes and ensure compliance with the Standard Cordaid Procedures. Ensures donor compliance including partners and consortium members in all aspects of narrative an financial reporting, field monitoring, spot-checks and audits, and interim as well as final evaluations. Assesses the consequences of non-compliance and advise on measures to reduce the impact for Cordaid. Ensures donor standards and quality assurance on donor reports. Responsible for national governmental relationship and accountability, including reporting and legal requirements.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

Provides strategic oversight of Cordaid Afghanistan’s MEL framework, ensuring it supports evidence-based decision-making, program improvement, and donor accountability. Oversees the development and timely submission of the Country Strategic Report and Annual Country Report in alignment with organizational standards. Leads the design and integration of learning agendas, research initiatives, and knowledge products that inform program design and advocacy. Promotes the use of data and evidence for adaptive programming by facilitating regular reflection sessions, after-action reviews, and learning workshops. Ensures robust monitoring from project implementation to post-completion using tools such as SharePoint, DevResults, and IATI, and ensures data quality and consistency across platforms. Supports the documentation and dissemination of promising practices and lessons learned to improve program outcomes and strengthen Cordaid’s credibility with stakeholders and donors.

Personnel Management

Leads and mentors the Business Development, Communications, and PMEAL teams to ensure high performance, collaboration, and strategic alignment with organizational goals. Encourages professional autonomy, creativity, and accountability in task execution while fostering a supportive and inclusive team environment. Identifies and nurtures individual and team strengths through coaching, capacity development, and performance management. Promotes a culture of teamwork, learning, and results-oriented project implementation. Ensures optimal use of human and financial resources, while upholding high standards of quality, efficiency, and ethical conduct in all deliverables.

Integrity

Demonstrates and upholds the highest standards of ethical behavior and integrity in accordance with Cordaid’s Integrity Framework and Standard Operating Procedures. Serves as a role model for integrity and accountability, both within the team and in external partnerships. Actively fosters a culture of openness, trust, and respect by encouraging dialogue and reporting without fear of retaliation. Promotes awareness and adherence to Cordaid’s policies on safeguarding, anti-corruption, fraud prevention, and code of conduct. Contributes to creating a safe, inclusive, and transparent work environment where misconduct is addressed and integrity is a shared responsibility.

Others

Any other duties assigned by the Country Director. 

Job Requirements

• Master’s degree in International Development, Business Administration, Fundraising, or a related Social Science field.
• Manimum 7 years of relevant experience. 
• Proven track record of developing successful, large-scale proposals and securing funding from institutional donors (e.g., ECHO, USAID, UN agencies, Dutch MFA, GIZ, SIDA).
• Strong understanding of the current humanitarian and development donor landscape in Afghanistan or comparable fragile settings.
• Demonstrated experience in managing both humanitarian and development programs, with added value for peacebuilding integration.
• Sound knowledge of core thematic areas such as health, agriculture, livelihoods, microfinance, DRR/climate change, and emergency response.
• Extensive knowledge of project cycle management, donor compliance, reporting standards, and quality assurance mechanisms.
• Strong leadership and team-building skills, with demonstrated experience in managing and coaching multi-disciplinary teams across business development, communications, and MEL functions.
• Excellent English writing and communication skills, particularly in proposal writing, donor communications, and strategic presentations.
• Familiarity with localization strategies, partnership development, and working with national and local NGOs.
• High-level interpersonal and negotiation skills; adept in stakeholder engagement, consortium coordination, and conflict resolution.
• Demonstrates behavioral values including accountability, respect, diversity & inclusion, sustainability, entrepreneurship, teamwork, and collaboration.

Salary and other terms of employment

Not applicable at this time.