Institutional Funding Project Development Senior Lead (Maternity Cover)

Temporary, Full-time · Netherlands (Remote)

Your mission

As the Institutional Funding Project Development Senior Lead , you will play a key cross-functional role in securing institutional funding and strengthening project development quality across the War Child Alliance. Reporting to the Head of Institutional Funding and Grants Delivery, you will provide strategic leadership on the development of high-quality concept notes and proposals, support effective engagement with institutional donors and partners, and strengthen project development processes and capabilities. Working closely with country, regional and global teams, as well as internal functions including programme quality, research and finance, you will contribute to strong funding performance, effective partnerships and the delivery of impactful programmes for children affected by conflict.

What you will do:

Proposal Development & Bid Leadership
- Provide ongoing leadership on the development of strategic concept notes and proposals for institutional donors, including the write-up of coherent context analyses, Theories of Change and results frameworks.
- Provide strategic guidance throughout the proposal development process and lead and maintain oversight of bid planning, including scoping and go/no-go decision-making, roles and responsibilities, timelines and deliverables, to ensure high-quality submissions.
- Lead and coordinate internal and external stakeholders throughout the project development process to ensure effective collaboration and timely delivery.
Performance Improvement & Capacity Strengthening
- Manage efforts and initiatives to improve the performance and effectiveness of project development processes across the organisation.
- Lead the development, improvement and promotion of proposal development tools and resources, and organise learning and capacity-strengthening activities to strengthen proposal quality and project design, in alignment with War Child’s strategy and localisation agenda.

To learn more about the role, please review the Job Description.

Your profile

Education

Academic background in Development/International Cooperation and/or Humanitarian Aid or equivalent.

Experience

Relevant experience in a similar position in an international organization, particularly in project/proposal development and partnership management, with demonstrated capacity to successfully raise substantial funds from institutional donors (e.g. Dutch government, European Commission, USAID, SIDA, UNICEF, Dutch Post Code Lottery, Gates Foundation).
Demonstrable experience in project development, multidisciplinary coordination, proposal writing and leading bid processes.
Capacity to provide hands-on, practical support to War Child country, regional and global teams and European offices in co-creating projects to support fundraising for their programmes.

Skills and Competencies

Ability to write and tailor communication effectively for different donors and audiences in the English language; French, Arabic, Spanish or Dutch is an asset.
Strong leadership, facilitation and coordination skills, with the ability to guide multiple teams to deliver high-quality results under pressure and within tight deadlines.
Excellent planning skills, including strategic planning, time management and resource allocation, with the ability to prioritise as needed.
Flexible, results-oriented approach, with the ability to adapt to changing conditions and manage internal and external stakeholder relationships constructively.
Political, cultural and organisational sensitivity, with strong cost awareness.

Travel

Willingness and ability to travel to War Child programming areas.

What we offer

Location : We work with global teams with team members being based in different locations. War Child is currently operates in: Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Colombia, DR Congo, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine (soon to be registered), and Yemen. We also have offices in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Preference is given to applicants who reside and have valid working permits. War Child does not offer relocation.
Type of Contract : Local contract with salary and secondary labour conditions based on the in-country salary scale, local T&C's will apply.
Contract Length : April - October 2026
Preferable start date : 13th April 2026.

Why You Should Apply

Meaningful Impact : Contribute directly to improving the lives of children and families affected by conflict through quality education and long-term, sustainable change.
Professional Growth: Join a dynamic organisation that values learning, innovation, and professional development, with opportunities for capacity building and growth through the role and War Child’s global network.
Global Reach : Play a key role in scaling a ground-breaking programme across multiple conflict-affected contexts worldwide.
Collaborative & Inclusive Culture : Work alongside passionate, mission-driven colleagues in a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace that prioritises safety, fairness and equal opportunity for all.

How to Apply

Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit their applications (CV and motivation letter in English) by March 9, 2026. We are reviewing submissions on a rolling basis, so early applications are strongly recommended.

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By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established.

Disclaimer

Only applications received via our website are processed.
If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed.
It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.

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About us

The War Child Alliance is an international non-governmental organization committed to providing psychosocial support, child protection, youth empowerment programming and quality education to the children affected by armed conflict. We implement evidence-based interventions to empower key stakeholders—including governments, educators, caregivers, and communities—to foster children’s wellbeing, education, and self-determination. We work with global teams with team members being based in different locations. War Child is currently operates in: Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Colombia, DR Congo, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine (soon to be registered), and Yemen. We also have offices in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Learn more about War Child and our programmes https://www.warchild.net/

Safeguarding and Integrity
Our work with children and at-risk adults to keep them safe is the most important thing we do. We are committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults in all areas of our work. We have zero tolerance for any behaviours and practices that puts children and/or vulnerable adults at risk of abuse and/or harm. All (prospective) employees will be expected to be compliant with and sign up to our Child Safeguarding policy, our Code of Conduct and PSEA: Adults at Risk Policy. You can find the Child Safeguarding and Adults at Risk policy here: Integrity & Safeguarding - Home

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and Belonging (DEIB)
We value diversity and inclusion and are committed to ensuring that all our people and job applicants are treated fairly, irrespective of where, what or whom they were born, or of other characteristics. We want to offer a safe and inclusive workplace where all our people, especially those who are currently marginalised or underrepresented, can be themselves at work. You can read our Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and Belonging (DEIB) policy on our website, and if you have any questions about our commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and Belonging (DEIB) do get in touch: DEIB.team@warchild.net

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We are looking forward to hearing from you!

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