[Hiring] Business Development Lead @Catalpa International

Role Description

Catalpa is looking for an experienced Business Development Lead to help shape the next chapter of our growth. This isn't a role for someone who just wants to manage tender calendars and chase people for proposal inputs. We're looking for someone who gets genuinely interested in an opportunity — who wants to understand the problem behind it, figure out where Catalpa could add something valuable, bring the right people into the conversation and help turn a good idea into a compelling proposition.

You'll work closely with our Directors and technical and program teams across the Asia-Pacific, helping us identify opportunities earlier, build stronger relationships with clients and partners, and develop brilliant proposals for work we're excited to do.

So, what would you actually do? You'll have a pretty broad remit, but your job essentially comes down to this: Help Catalpa find the right opportunities, position ourselves well and put forward excellent responses. That means you'll:

• Keep a close eye on what's coming — across donor and government pipelines, procurement portals, country strategies, sector priorities and our networks.
• Help us identify opportunities early rather than waiting for a tender to land in someone's inbox.
• Research clients, partners, markets and competitors and turn that information into useful insights.
• Work with our technical and program teams to understand problems and shape potential responses.
• Help us make sensible go/no-go decisions about where we invest our time and energy.
• Build and maintain relationships with clients, partners, governments, consultants and other organisations across the region.
• Lead priority proposals from early positioning through to submission.
• Write, edit and shape complex technical content into clear, persuasive proposals.
• Make sure our submissions are compliant, polished, on-brand and — importantly — submitted on time.
• Help us better tell the Catalpa story through capability statements, case studies, pitch decks and other useful content.
• Keep improving how we do business development, including finding sensible ways to use AI and digital tools to make the whole process smarter and more efficient.

Qualifications

• Experience working with government, bilateral or multilateral development partners or other institutional clients.
• Experience in international development and the Asia-Pacific.
• Experience working with DFAT and/or MFAT opportunities is a plus.
• Approximately 5+ years of relevant experience across business development, partnerships, proposal development, international development or a related field.
• Managed significant tenders, proposals or funding submissions.

Requirements

• Good BD judgement - Ability to evaluate opportunities and form strategic views.
• Strong writing skills - Ability to translate complex technical ideas into clear, persuasive content.
• Relationship building - Enjoy connecting people and ideas.
• Big picture thinking - Ability to balance strategic vision with attention to detail.
• Curiosity - Interest in understanding new problems and sectors.
• Organizational skills - Ability to manage complex proposals without excessive bureaucracy.
• Comfort with ambiguity - Ability to work with incomplete information.
• Commitment to meaningful work - Understanding the commercial side of business development while focusing on social impact.
• Strong cultural competency and ability to work effectively in diverse cultural contexts.

Benefits

• Part-time four-day-per-week role on a 24-month fixed-term contract.
• Remote work flexibility, particularly for candidates in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Timor-Leste or Solomon Islands.
• Supportive work environment that values diverse perspectives.
• Focus on outcomes rather than fixed schedules.
• Collaborative planning of project timelines and workloads to support individual wellbeing.

Eligibility

We love working with kind, smart people from diverse backgrounds willing to learn new things. This job will require many skills, but feel free to apply even if you think you may not be a ‘perfect fit’.

Sound like you?

If you're someone who spots opportunities, asks good questions, enjoys writing, likes connecting people and ideas, and can move comfortably between strategy and getting-stuff-done mode, we'd love to hear from you - please apply now with your up-to-date resume, and we will contact you! Get ready to provide a cover letter and explain why you’d be a good fit for this role. Applications are to be submitted through our jobs page catalpa.io/work-with-us.

For further inquiries or questions regarding this position, email [email protected] with ‘Business Development Lead’ in the email's subject line. Please do not email CV's as we require them to go through our website, thanks.

Applications close 23 October 2026.

Fully remote role. Join an international development organisation that is human-first, impact-driven, and fun to work with!