About RDO

Rural Development Organization (RDO) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting social protection, good governance, women’s empowerment, civic participation, and inclusive community development across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Working with national and international partners, RDO delivers development and humanitarian assistance and supports strengthening institutional capacities through policy development, system reform, and evidence-based programming.

Position Summary

RDO is seeking a highly skilled Program Development Specialist to lead organizational policy development and program design. The role includes drafting, reviewing, and updating core institutional policies, developing high-quality project proposals, strengthening program strategies, and ensuring alignment with national regulations, donor standards, and international best practices. The position requires strong analytical skills, excellent writing abilities, and comprehensive understanding of organizational systems, governance, and development programming.

Key Responsibilities

1. Policy Development and Institutional Strengthening

• Review, draft, and update organizational policies, manuals, SOPs, and guidelines.
• Ensure policies comply with national laws, donor standards, and global best practices.
• Strengthen governance frameworks, internal controls, and accountability systems.
• Conduct policy gap assessments and recommend improvements.
• Facilitate consultations with management, HR, Finance, MEAL, and field teams to ensure policy relevance and practicality.
• Develop new policies as required (e.g., safeguarding, procurement, finance, HR, data protection, MEAL, whistleblowing, anti-fraud).
• Train staff on new and revised policies to ensure organization-wide understanding and adherence.

2. Program Design and Proposal Development

• Lead development of concept notes, full proposals, logframes, and workplans for donor submissions.
• Conduct needs assessments, contextual analyses, and problem identification exercises.
• Ensure all proposals reflect RDO’s strategic priorities, cross-cutting themes, and gender-sensitive approaches.
• Coordinate with technical teams, MEAL, finance, and field units to ensure accuracy and donor compliance.
• Prepare detailed project narratives, theories of change, sustainability strategies, and risk mitigation plans.

3. Resource Mobilization and Donor Engagement

• Identify new funding opportunities and maintain a donor opportunity pipeline.
• Develop donor profiles and maintain communication channels with existing and potential partners.
• Support management in organizing donor visits, briefings, and meetings.
• Ensure timely submission of Expressions of Interest, concept notes, and proposals.

4. Program Quality and Learning

• Integrate MEAL findings, research, and field lessons into program design and policy revisions.
• Promote standardization of approaches across projects for consistency and quality.
• Support development of organizational strategic plans, annual plans, and thematic frameworks.

5. Coordination and Representation

• Collaborate with internal departments to ensure cohesive program development processes.
• Represent RDO in relevant networks, working groups, and technical forums.
• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with government bodies, NGOs, and academic institutions for joint programming and policy alignment.

6. Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain an organized repository of policies, proposals, donor guidelines, and strategic documents.
• Prepare high-quality briefs, organizational profiles, capability statements, and project summaries.
• Track proposal progress, submissions, success rates, and feedback for continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Master’s degree in Development Studies, Public Policy, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum 4–6 years of experience in program development, policy drafting, proposal writing, or institutional strengthening within NGOs/INGOs.
• Strong understanding of donor requirements (UN, USAID, EU, Dutch MFA, FCDO, GIZ, foundations).
• Demonstrated experience in developing or revising organizational policies and manuals.
• Excellent writing, analytical, communication, and research skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office and familiarity with project cycle management tools.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple assignments simultaneously.
• Strong coordination and leadership abilities.

Contract Duration

Initially one year, extendable based on performance and organizational needs.

Salary: 82000 PKR