Business Development & Communications Lead
Saide
Johannesburg, South Africa
Closing Date:
Sunday, 13 April 2025
Open
About the Organisation
Established in 1992, Saide is an education support organisation founded on social justice and open learning principles. We believe that education is the foundation for lifelong success. As such, we are on a mission to unlock the power of education and expand opportunity for children, youth and adults across Africa. Innovating data-informed solutions and leveraging technology, Saide supports education providers across diverse modes of provision (in-person, remote and hybrid), partnering with governments, public and private institutions, as well as civil society organisations. We work across the education system from early learning through primary and secondary schooling, to higher education and training.
About the Job
The Business Development & Communications (BD & Comms) Lead is an exciting new role helping advance Saide’s mission to unlock the power of education and expand opportunity through open learning, technology and data-informed approaches. The incumbent will help to grow and diversify Saide’s funding through effectively promoting the organisation, building strategic partnerships, identifying and pursuing philanthropic and earned income opportunities. With proven business development expertise in the non-profit environment, the BD & Comms Lead will also build their success on deep understanding of the local and global education landscape.
Key Responsibilities
Business Development Strategy
Develop and implement BD strategy in alignment with organisational vision and impact goals.
Maintain an in-depth understanding of Saide’s context, sector dynamics, and key stakeholder needs.
Lead strategies for revenue growth and diversification to enhance organisational sustainability.
Build a collaborative and results-driven business development and communications culture.
Coordinate with programme teams to surface ideas, define value propositions, and shape fundable initiatives.
Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Development
Build and nurture strategic relationships with funders, government, NGOs and other education sector partners.
Collaborate in partnership engagements to influence systemic change.
Represent Saide as a thought leader across key sector platforms, conferences, and forums.
Securing New Work
Identify, assess, and pursue high-potential funding opportunities aligned with Saide’s mission.
Develop high-quality proposals, tenders, and strategic funding submissions.
Build strong pipelines and systems for lead generation, partner engagement, and closing new work.
Collaborate on budget development and contracting for new projects.
Marketing, Communications and Advocacy
Support the CEO to evolve and strengthen Saide’s brand identity, market presence and positioning.
Design and implement a dynamic communications strategy to amplify Saide’s visibility, reach, and influence.
Ensure consistent, compelling messaging across digital, print, and media platforms.
Working closely with the CEO, act as spokesperson and PR lead where appropriate.
Digital and Media Engagement
Manage Saide’s digital footprint, including website, social media, and other online platforms.
Design and implement media engagement strategies and public presence plans.
Support the CEO in high profile communications and reputation management as needed.
Internal Capacity Building and Coordination
Support internal teams with tools and training to enhance business development and communication efforts.
Set and uphold standards for communications, marketing, and stakeholder engagement.
Promote cross-team collaboration for shared learning and consistent external engagement.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Continuous Improvement
Track key metrics across business development, communications, and marketing functions.
Analyse performance data to drive strategic refinement and increase effectiveness.
Collaborate with the MERL team to support impact tracking and storytelling.
Requirements
Degree in Business, Communications, Marketing, or related fields. Postgraduate qualification advantageous.
Minimum of 8 years' business development and fundraising experience in the nonprofit or social impact sector.
At least 3 years’ experience in marketing or communications related roles.
Demonstrated experience in securing and managing philanthropic grants and commissioned contracts.
Experience of establishing and maintaining strategic institutional donor relationships.
Skills and Competencies
Exceptional strategic thinking and execution ability.
Excellent proposal writing skills.
Proven success in fundraising, negotiation, and proposal development.
Strong stakeholder management and advocacy skills.
Ability to synthesise data and tell compelling impact stories.
Excellent communication, writing, and presentation skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and digital communication tools.
To apply
Please note that this is a 3-Year Fixed Term contract with possibility of renewal.
In order to apply, email your application by Sunday 13th April 2025 to melissa@actionappointments.co.za - send your completed AA bio form, letter of motivation and updated CV (all in MS Word format).
