Business Development Lead

• Remote / flexible location in the SE Asia and Pacific region, with a preference for candidates based in Australia, PNG, Fiji, Timor Leste or Solomon Islands. 
• Part-time/4 days a week, fixed term contract for 24 months  
• Reports to Catalpa Director

Catalpa in a nutshell

Catalpa International is a global development organisation designing new, creative ways of tackling complex problems. We integrate international development practice, design thinking, and adaptive management with the potential of technology to drive change.

Our team is an eclectic bunch. We have designers, engineers, education specialists, international development practitioners, program people, operations people and plenty of people who don't fit neatly into any particular box!  We work across different countries, cultures, disciplines and time zones — and we like it that way. Our work is one of a kind and honestly, pretty cool! Check us out at www.catalpa.io

Help us find, shape and win the work that matters

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.

And yes, there will still be deadlines, compliance matrices and the occasional frantic final proposal check. It is business development, after all ;-)

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; and
• 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.

A detailed Terms of Reference can be found here.

Requirements

Who are we looking for?
We're less interested in finding someone who ticks every imaginable BD box and more interested in finding someone with the judgement, experience and curiosity to do this role really well.

• Experience working with government, bilateral or multilateral development partners or other institutional clients will be important, as is experience in international development and the Asia-Pacific - experience working with DFAT and/or MFAT opportunities would definitely get our attention.
• You'll probably have around 5+ years of relevant experience across business development, partnerships, proposal development, international development or a related field.
• You'll have managed significant tenders, proposals or funding submissions and know what it takes to get a complex response from “should we go for this?” to “submitted!”

But experience alone isn't really what will make this role work.

You'll probably thrive at Catalpa if you...

• Have good BD judgement - You can look at an opportunity, ask smart questions and form a view about whether — and how — we should pursue it.
• Can really write - You can take complicated technical thinking and turn it into something clear, persuasive and human. You're equally comfortable shaping a strategy, drafting a response, editing someone else's technical content or diving into tender requirements.
• Like connecting people and ideas - You enjoy building relationships and bringing different people together around an opportunity.
• Can see the big picture without losing the details - One minute you might be discussing Catalpa's positioning in a market; the next you're checking whether somebody's CV meets a tender requirement.
• Are curious - You like getting underneath a new problem, understanding a client or sector and working out what really matters.
• Can create order without creating bureaucracy - You're organised and you know how to keep a complicated proposal moving — but you don't need a 17-step process for everything.
• Are comfortable when things aren't completely mapped out - Some opportunities start with a tender document. Others start with a conversation, a relationship or half an idea. You're comfortable working with both.
• Care about the work behind the win - Growth matters to us because it allows Catalpa to keep doing meaningful work. We want someone who understands the commercial side of business development without losing sight of the social impact we're here to create.
• Strong cultural competency and demonstrated ability to work effectively in diverse cultural contexts is a must.

What would success look like?

We won't be measuring success simply by counting how many tenders you submit. We'd love to see a healthier and more strategically aligned pipeline, stronger early relationships with priority clients and partners, better decisions about the opportunities we pursue, consistently excellent proposals and much better organisational knowledge about what we've done and what we can offer.

And ultimately? More great work that contributes to Catalpa's impact and long-term sustainability.

A few practical things

• This is a part-time four-day-per-week role offered on a 24-month fixed-term contract.
• We're a remote organisation, so the role has some flexibility around location. We're particularly interested in hearing from people based in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Timor-Leste or Solomon Islands, where we have staffing hubs  although we'll consider other locations within the Southeast Asia and Pacific region.
• You'll report to our Catalpa Director and work closely with people right across the organisation.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in areas such as international development, business, communications or public policy are useful, but they're not essential.
• What matters most is whether you've got the experience, judgement and way of working to make a real contribution.

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’.

Work environment

We work in a creative, supportive environment with colleagues from diverse walks of life, and we value their perspectives. We pay attention to the details and work together to achieve the best outcomes for our communities. Importantly, we work here because we love what we do and the impact we have.

We recognise that consultants balance a range of professional and personal commitments. We support flexible, remote ways of working and focus on outcomes rather than fixed schedules. We believe people do their best work when they have the space to take care of themselves, their families, and their communities. We work collaboratively to plan project timelines and workloads in a way that supports both delivery needs and individual wellbeing.

Fit 

Catalpa staff believe in technology's potential to transform lives. Our team members are flexible and can handle working across a broad range of responsibilities. They don’t mind rolling up their sleeves to solve thorny challenges that take time, patience, and creativity. We are friendly and care about the people we work with, always seeking to build and nurture relationships for the long term. 

Catalpa seeks to provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all people, regardless of race, colour, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or marital status. We especially welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds.

Safeguarding

Catalpa prioritises the safeguarding of all people, including the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and the safeguarding of children. Engagement of personnel with Catalpa is conditional upon the outcome of background checks, and there is a requirement for all candidates to disclose any current charges or previous convictions regarding assault, abuse or exploitation of children or adults, as well as regarding fraud and/or corruption. All Catalpa personnel are required to abide by Catalpa’s Child Safeguarding Policy, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy and Code of Conduct.

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 jobs@catalpa.io 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.

Benefits

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