Winrock International is hiring: Lead Technical Writer Consultant in Arlington

Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that works with people in the United States and around the world to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources. By linking local individuals and communities with new ideas and technology, Winrock is increasing long-term productivity, equity, and responsible resource management to benefit the poor and disadvantaged of the world.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Lead Technical Writer will work with Winrock International on an anticipated funding opportunity focused on reducing child labor, education, countering human trafficking, or other technical area under Winrock's Human Rights, Education and Empowerment (HREE) unit. The consultant will work with the Capture/Proposal Lead and Technical Lead to provide technical inputs and ensure that the written technical narrative effectively addresses donor hot buttons, leverages Winrock and team strengths, and communicates Winrock's win themes. The Lead Technical Writer will be responsible for asking the right questions to get the information needed to write the proposal and communicating the strategy and design in a cohesive, clear, and concise manner that explains what will be done, how it will be done, who will do it, and how it will contribute to desired outcomes and results.

The Lead Technical Writer will be responsible for writing a technical narrative that uses clear, straightforward, persuasive, and active language, and incorporates evidence and proof points. In addition, the Lead Technical Writer will integrate all writing inputs into one cohesive narrative, ensuring drafts are appropriately developed for each review milestone (pink, red, gold), modifying the drafts after each review milestone based on feedback, and getting the proposal to the required length. The Lead Technical Writer should review and edit the entire technical proposal to ensure consistency, as well as support the Proposal Lead on a cross-walk of the technical narrative and annexes before review by a Winrock-designated editor.

Winrock will provide the consultant access to shared folders on Winrock's internal WinShare system and/or other platforms to facilitate collaboration, including for relevant documents, references, data, charts, and versions of drafts.

ANTICIPATED DURATION:

July 15, 2024 – September 30, 2024

LEVEL OF EFFORT:

Up to 18 Days (144 hours)

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as the lead writer of the technical proposal, producing technical drafts for review that are compliant with and responsive to donor solicitation requirements.

• Review the solicitation and referenced documents. Participate in designing a technical approach. Lead and facilitate design sessions as needed.

• Provide technical inputs and ideas on technical design

• Add to list of questions for donor and participate in designing a project participant targeting strategy.

• Conduct research on the country context, competition, and local successful approaches to inform the technical approach and the development of the technical application.

• Review research on current/past projects, participate in live proposal design sessions, and synthesize other key documents and information that the team has on file or that will need to be secured from local consultants or other sources.

• Review and help craft key questions to fill gaps in knowledge, along with Winrock's local staff/consultant, the Proposal Lead and Technical Lead, to collect information from key local stakeholders, e.g., youth, government line ministry contacts, training providers, local NGOs, and private sector informants. 

• Ensure that the design framework is properly integrated as well as compliant with donor requirements and evaluation criteria.

• Incorporate win themes, competitive themes, and other strategic content into the proposal outline.

• Ensure that the final proposal content tells a persuasive story.

• Provide inputs and feedback to the Proposal Manager on the proposal calendar.

• Collaborate with Proposal Lead and team to write a technical proposal that is responsive to the solicitation and its requirements and addresses all merit review criteria and considerations including relevant donor policies.

• Prepare pink, red, and gold team drafts, addressing comments and revisions provided by the reviews.

• Complete proposal subsections as assigned in proposal template provided by Winrock, including relevant tables, graphics, text boxes, and highlights as necessary.

• Support in "one voicing" other subsections of proposal written by different content contributors

• Work closely with the Winrock HREE proposal design team by maintaining consistent communication and meeting all assigned deadlines.

• Other related responsibilities as may be required.

KEY DELIVERABLES:

• Desktop research related to needs analysis that will inform project design.

• Compiled list of questions and information or documents to be collected from local stakeholders and other informants.

• Technical information during design and brainstorming sessions to help to articulate theory of change and results framework, best methods and tools.

• Identify key technical design elements and outline solutions for proposal components.

• Questions for donor

• Develop several iterations of the draft to be reviewed and edited by the proposal lead and team (including the pink, red team draft and requested revisions).

• Develop the final technical proposal for submission to donor by the required deadline.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Proven experience as a lead technical writer on proposals for USG-funded projects

• Exceptional writing and editing skills

• Knowledge and work experience preferred on child labor, child protection, education, or trafficking-in-persons

• Experience in consolidating and analyzing information from multiple sources

• Ability to manage available time and work on tight deadlines

The deadline for submission of applications is July 5, 2024. However, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and Winrock reserves the right to make an offer prior to the closing date for applications. Applicants are thus encouraged to submit their applications at the earliest opportunity. Only qualified applicants will be invited for an interview.

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and value diversity and inclusiveness. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law.

At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation.

Winrock knows that its success comes from the hard work and steadfast dedication of its diverse workforce. Winrock remains committed to maintaining diversity, inclusion and equity across the entire organization.