Proposal Developer at Stellenbosch University

Duties/Pligte        

• Developing high-quality, funder-aligned proposals and related documents tailored for both local and international audiences across corporate, philanthropic, and development sectors.
• Producing high quality sponsorship proposals that clearly articulate the commercial value of partnering with Stellenbosch University, and aligning opportunities with the strategic interests of corporate sponsors.
• Coordinating the end-to-end proposal process, ensuring timelines, accuracy, and alignment with institutional priorities and the broader fundraising strategy.
• Collaborating with project leaders and senior subject-matter experts to scope funding opportunities and translate complex ideas into compelling funding narratives and digestible language. 
• Leading the development of bursary support proposals, with secondary involvement in select development-themed proposals (e.g. social impact, health, education).
• Researching and analysing societal trends, funding landscapes, and stakeholder interests to craft relevant, high-impact proposals.
• Drafting and iterating proposals, including developing itemised budgets, forecasting operational expenses, and integrating feedback from stakeholders and funders.
• Contributing to refining internal systems and processes, including the use of templates, briefs, and workflows to increase efficiency and quality.
• Providing technical proposal-writing guidance to faculty, researchers, and fundraising colleagues, enhancing proposal quality across the institution.
• Supporting a culture of continuous improvement through monitoring proposal outcomes, integrating learnings, and contributing to key performance indicators and strategic goals.

Job Requirements/Pos Vereistes        

• Bachelor's degree (or NQF 7 equivalent qualification) in social sciences, journalism, commerce, or business management.
• Three years' relevant proposal development experience.
• Demonstrable ability to enable collaboration and to coordinate multiple parties¿ interests in a request for funding proposals.
• Experience in a fundraising, research or technical writing environment with considerable business acumen will be advantageous.
• The ability to process, analyse and logically structure project-related information into accesible  language that is clear to various funding audiences.
• Demonstrable capacity in interpreting analytical reports, strategic plans, evaluations and desktop research.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and preferably also in a second official South African language.
• The ability to multitask and work under pressure with speed, structure and accuracy.
• Proven skills in using proposal writing to develop existing markets and successfully reach out to untapped markets.
• A proven track record of proposal success.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and a strong customer service orientation towards both internal and external stakeholders.
• The ability to manage and develop fundraising communications to a range of targeted audiences on various topics, with a particular emphasis on bursaries.
• Proven success in working with cross-functional teams.
• The ability to innovate and solve problems creatively, and proven flexibility in terms of new programmes and/or ideas and their evaluation.#

Closing Date :  7-Jul-2025