Grants Writer

About

Partners in Health (PIH) is a non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. Through service delivery, training, advocacy and research, PIH works globally to bring the benefits of modern science to those most in need and to serve as an antidote to despair. PIH has programs in Haiti, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kazakhstan and Boston. PIH began working in Malawi in 2007, where today we support the Ministry of Health (MOH). Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (APZU) has its headquarters in Neno District with operations across the country.

Position Summary

The Grants Writer / Resource Mobilisation Manager leads the full pre-award and award grant lifecycle by identifying funding opportunities, coordinating the Restricted Funding Process, developing strong and competitive proposals, and supporting grant contract reviews with legal, contracts, and institutional partnerships teams. The incumbent will also drive resource mobilization with public, private, and foundation donors while working closely with senior management, technical teams, the Ministry of Health, donors, and partners to ensure projects align with national health priorities, organizational strategy, and high standards of evidence and innovation.

Core Responsibilities

• Proposal Development
  Leads and manage the full proposal development process by coordinating proposal teams, guiding inputs from technical, operational, and M&E units, and ensuring a highly efficient workflow.
  Develops clear work plans, proactively track deliverables, and drive teams toward on-time, high-quality submissions that meet or exceed donor standards.
  Serves as the primary writing lead, ensuring exceptional quality, consistency, and accuracy across all proposal components, even under tight deadlines or simultaneous assignments.
  Manages cross-site (global office) communication with Public Sector Partnerships and Foundations teams, ensuring timely responses, well-defined workflows, and seamless collaboration across PIH global teams or any other partner.
  Conducts and synthesizes discovery, scoping, and funding opportunity analyses; shares actionable intelligence with technical and leadership teams to support aligned decision-making.
  Drafts compelling, persuasive, and tailored concept notes, program briefs, pitch materials, teaming agreements and other donor and/or partner-facing communications that reflect PIH/APZU’s strategic priorities and capabilities.
  Supports the Director in analyzing and advancing the fundraising pipeline, contributing to quarterly presentations to the Joint Management Team.
  Nurtures donor relationships by producing accurate, credible, and strategic communications that strengthen funding partnerships and open pathways for new grants.
• Resource Mobilization
  Proactively forecasts, and analyzes potential funding opportunities, positioning intelligence, and partner landscapes to inform bidding and collaboration strategies.
  Contributes to the development of systems and metrics to better measure, evaluate, and strengthen resource mobilization efforts (cash and in-kind).
  Collaborates closely with donors, partners, and government entities to identify pre-bid activities and ensure APZU/PIH teams are well-prepared for timely, strategic engagement.
  Oversees or contribute to rigorous competitive analyses, assessing partner strengths/weaknesses and informing strategic decisions to strengthen proposal positioning.
  Supports SMT in developing targeted local, regional, and global engagement strategies aimed at identifying high-value funding agencies and securing resources through consortia, sub-grants, and both solicited and unsolicited opportunities.
• Business Development
  Work with SMT to cultivate new strategic relationships with public and private sector funders, foundations, and corporations to broaden funding streams.
  Contribute to the development and execution of annual and multi-year business development strategies that leverage PIH’s strengths and position the organization for long-term financial sustainability.
• Other Responsibilities
  People & Performance Management
  Collaborates with APZU teams to foster a strong, high-performing grants environment characterized by professionalism, excellence, and continuous learning.
  Engages collaboratively with SMT and ELT through dotted reporting lines to support cross-organizational alignment and grant development success.
  Stays current with APZU strategies, programs, models, and data, maintaining strong working relationships with staff across all districts and departments.
  Identifies capacity gaps within teams and support skill-building, mentorship, and cross-team collaboration to strengthen internal grant development capabilities.
  Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, and results-oriented performance.
  Operational Oversight
  Manage grant development work plans and coordinate logistics collaboratively with PPAC and technical teams, ensuring timely, efficient, and high-quality execution.
  Liaise with procurement, communications, and logistics teams to guarantee timely support for PPAC activities and grant deliverables.
  Support Lilongwe office operations, contribute to budget planning, and participate in work plan development and review.
  Research, Data & Quality Improvement
  Collaborate with M&E, Research and clinical teams to access, analyze, and apply data in ways that strengthen proposals and inform strategic programming.
  Lead or contribute to operational research, abstracts, presentations, and publications that enhance PIH’s reputation and inform partnership or advocacy efforts.
  Participate in and help organize data review meetings and other strategic evidence-driven initiatives.
  Resource Planning & Budget Oversight
  Contribute to the development of accurate and donor-compliant grant budgets that align with proposed work plans.
  Provide timely data and narrative inputs to support donor reporting and internal PPAC reporting systems.
  Participate in donor visits and contribute to proposal development processes as needed.
  Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement
  Support the building and nurturing strong, relationships with donors, technical partners, CSOs, government stakeholders, and multilateral/bilateral institutions.
  Represent APZU/PIH in relevant technical working groups, district coordination forums, and regional or international engagements as required.
  Collaborates with senior leadership, technical teams, and key stakeholders to ensure projects align with Ministry of Health priorities and organizational strategy, while reflecting evidence-based approaches, innovation, and research.

Expected Competencies, Attributes, and Behaviors

• Exceptional coordination and communication skills, with the ability to clearly conceptualize, articulate, and persuasively present funding needs to diverse donor audiences.
• Demonstrated excellence in technical and proposal writing, including the ability to translate complex health information into compelling, accurate, and donor-ready materials.
• Proven track-record in leading and coordinating successful proposal development, with strong organizational skills and an ability to consistently meet tight deadlines without compromising quality.
• Strong ability to navigate complex government, donor, and multi-stakeholder environments, including managing multiple influencers and compliance expectations with professionalism and diplomacy.
• High level of independence and self-direction, able to excel in fast-paced, high-pressure settings and manage multiple tasks or deadlines simultaneously.
• Comfort working in ambiguity, with the ability to move teams from reactive processes to forward-looking, structured, and strategic approaches.
• Cultural humility and strong interpersonal skills, enabling effective collaboration with diverse teams across geographies and organizational levels.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and online applications, with strong digital organizational skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to work autonomously, demonstrate initiative, and identify and drive new opportunities with minimal supervision.
• Analytical and strategic problem-solving skills, with a solutions-oriented approach and a strong bias toward action and results.
• Vision Setting and Execution: Able to translate strategy into actionable work plans and inspire cross-functional teams toward a unified, high-impact vision.
• People Development: Demonstrated commitment to mentoring, strengthening team capacity, and fostering a culture of learning, excellence, and shared accountability.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health, Global Health, International Development, Project Management, Public Policy, Economics, or related fields. A Master’s Degree in the above listed fields strongly preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience in grants acquisition, proposal development and resource mobilization, and donor engagement.
• Demonstrated history of leading and winning large, competitive grants, particularly from major bilateral, multilateral, and foundation donors (e.g., USAID, CDC, EU, FCDO, Global Fund, Gates Foundation).
• Evidence of producing high-quality proposals independently, with minimal oversight, under tight deadlines.
• Must be willing to travel within Malawi to support partnership development, donor engagement, and field-level coordination.
• Expected to uphold the highest level of integrity, discretion, and professionalism, particularly when managing sensitive partnership or donor-related matters.

Benefits and Remuneration

An attractive remuneration package will be offered to the successful candidates commensurate with experience and qualifications.

How to Apply

Qualified and interested persons should apply strictly to the email address below, enclosing their cover letter; copies of relevant certificates and Curriculum Vitae indicating three names of traceable referees (including direct supervisors) with valid telephone numbers and email addresses not later than 15th May 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Email: apzurecruitment@pih.org with the title of the position indicated on the subject of the email addressing;

The Director of Human Resources and Administration
Partners In Health/Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (PIH/APZU)
P.O. Box 56
NENO

NB: Partners In Health/Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (PIH/APZU) is an equal opportunity employer, so, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, tribe, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment.

The ideal candidate must be willing to be based in a rural district and travel regularly to facilities and communities.

Partners In Health/Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (PIH/APZU) is committed to safeguarding staff, children and communities with whom we work.