Background

Hivos is a human rights and social justice organisation driven by humanist values. We were founded in 1968, at the height of the global wave of social and political mobilisations in the 1960s that laid the foundation for new progressive civil society movements worldwide.

Hivos strengthens and resources organisations and movements with the potential to improve a broad range of human, civil, and political rights. In particular, if they are directly at risk of being targeted or have the potential to spark popular mobilisation for a transformative progressive agenda. We work in partnerships with others in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA).

Vision

We envision a just world in which everyone, regardless of their identity, background or circumstances, lives in dignity and freedom and can build a fair and sustainable future for themselves, their communities, and the wider society.

Mission

Our mission is to defend and expand the civil and political rights that enable individuals, marginalised communities, their movements, and their organisations to claim and realise equality and justice.

Our DNA

Hivos has guts and dares to tackle sensitive issues. The way we question existing power structures and their effects on society is different and innovative. We are not afraid to confront the powers that be in the quest for new solutions. And we critically review how we achieve the mission and goals we have set.

Purpose of role 

The Business Development Manager will play a key role in advancing Hivos’ strategic funding and partnership ambitions under the Ten for Ten strategy. The role focuses on identifying, shaping, and securing institutional funding and strategic partnerships that enable Hivos to deliver complex, multi-country and multi-actor programmes aligned with its mission to defend and expand civil and political rights.

Operating within a functional, globally dispersed business development model, the role combines market and contextual intelligence, relationship-building, and coordinated proposal development. It requires close collaboration with programme, finance, and support functions to translate strategic priorities into high-quality, fundable opportunities that are operationally feasible, compliant, and aligned with Hivos’ values and power-shifting approach.

Depending on the specific focus of the position, the role emphasises either deep regional and contextual knowledge or the orchestration of complex, cross-regional design processes. Across all variants, the position contributes to both short-term fundraising results and longer-term positioning of Hivos within priority donor, foundation, and partnership ecosystems.

The Business Development Manager (Europe Focus, EU Expertise) contributes to advancing Hivos’ funding and partnership ambitions under the Ten for Ten strategy, with a focus on Europe-focused programmes, including EU, domestic, and other European funding and philanthropic ecosystems.

The role operates within Hivos’ functional, globally dispersed business development model and supports the development of complex, multi-country programmes in Europe, aligned with Hivos’ mission and strategic priorities.

The Business Development Manager will coordinate business development processes for Europe-focused projects, including EU, domestic, and other relevant funding opportunities, leveraging strong expertise in EU mechanisms to build strategically aligned funding pipelines and partnerships.

Primary responsibilities

• Monitor and assess European funding trends, policy priorities, and opportunities relevant to Hivos, including EU, domestic, and philanthropic funding streams.
• Coordinate funding engagement and proposal development for Europe-focused projects, including EU programmes, European foundations, and other relevant donors active in Europe.
• Contribute contextual and strategic input to programme design, consortium formation, and budgeting for Europe-focused funding opportunities.
• Build competitive funding proposals and budgets in collaboration with programme, finance, and compliance colleagues, ensuring alignment with EU frameworks and donor compliance standards.
• Support relationship-building with EU institutions, European foundations, local authorities, and strategic partners relevant to Hivos’ work in Europe.
• Represent Hivos in Europe-focused funding, donor, and partnership spaces, including EU-related fora where relevant.

Profile

This role requires strong expertise in EU funding architectures, compliance frameworks, and policy dynamics, combined with familiarity with European foundations, domestic funding mechanisms, and philanthropic actors. It calls for an understanding of civic space, political, and regulatory contexts in priority European countries where Hivos wants to work, and the ability to translate these into competitive and well-positioned funding propositions across diverse European funding streams.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 7+ years of relevant experience in business development, institutional fundraising, or programme development.
• Experience in new business development, including identifying funding opportunities and engaging donors to build a pipeline of prospective bids.
• Experience developing proposals and budgets from inception to submission, including managing inputs from partners and cross-functional stakeholders across programme, finance, and compliance.
• Experience engaging with bilateral, multilateral, development funds and/or foundations.
• Experience with European city level funding.

Skills and qualifications

• Knowledge of EU funding architectures, including foundations, domestic mechanisms, and philanthropic actors.
• Ability to coordinate complex proposal processes with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Political and organisational sensitivity.
• Ability to work autonomously in a globally distributed team.
• Fluent in English. A second EU language is an asset.

Location

Open to candidates across Europe, with a preference for those based in or willing to relocate to the Netherlands. The employment contract will be issued from The Hague. Relocation assistance and visa sponsorship are available. Please note that this role requires a minimum in-country presence of 183 days per year to comply with legal and tax regulations.

Terms of employment

If you are selected for the final stage of the selection process, please note that professional references and a certificate of conduct (VOG) will be requested due to our Safeguarding Policy. Exceptions will only be made if there is a local legislation prohibition or when the candidate is unable to obtain such a certificate due to activities on LGTBIQ+ and Human Rights. We may check social media, unless applicants state they do not wish us to do so. The accuracy of information in the curriculum vitae will also be checked.

To apply for the post 

To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV/resume and a cover letter outlining your interest in the role and how you fulfil the requirements set out in the job announcement. Please ensure you send your CV and cover letter in the following format: full_name_CV_org_name_role and full_name_role_CL.

If you have any questions about the role or organisation and would like an informal chat ahead of submitting a formal application, please reach out to Ruth Gardner at ruth@upsallinternational.com. Please note: to ensure the security of your application and to ensure that your data complies with GDPR, applications via email will not be accepted.

· The deadline for applications is Monday 11^th May, 9:00 am CET ·

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis.

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Upsall International actively promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. In recruiting candidates, we seek candidates with the proven skills required, irrespective of race, gender, religion or belief, age, disability, or sexual orientation.