Senior Proposal Writer at VisionSpring Nigeria

VisionSpring is creating access to affordable eyewear, everywhere. Clear vision creates opportunities for increased learning, work, safety, civic participation, and quality of life. As a social enterprise, social change motivates us first. Our focus on sales and revenue targets serves and advances our mission objective—to increase functioning, productivity, and income earning potential for our low-income consumers by correcting refractive error and presbyopia with eyeglasses. We are working to transform the systemic dysfunction of an optical market that has failed to deliver eyeglasses—a 700-year-old technology—to 2.7 billion consumers in need of vision correction, most of whom live on less than $4 a day.

We serve low-income consumers, not as beneficiaries but as customers. Our customers expect a high-quality and affordable product, and they will spend limited discretionary income for the immediate and tangible benefits of vision correction. By selling eyeglasses, we awaken new demand and seed a viable market. By selling new eyeglasses we are able to serve four times as many people per dollar input than the alternative of donating recycled ones. To efficiently scale, we must deliver each new unit at a lower cost. We run our business on both sales metrics and social impact measures. We use a range of organizational forms and practices to get the job done. We believe in scaling our impact, not our organization. We are a lean team of doers.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Proposal Writer

Location: Nigeria
Job type: Permanent

Description

• Are you ready to utilize your writing and storytelling skills to amplify the impact of a pioneering social enterprise that is transforming the vision of millions of low-income customers, enabling them to work, learn, stay safe, and care for their families?
• VisionSpring, an international social enterprise, seeks a highly motivated Sr. Proposal Writer with global experience to support our growing Resource Mobilization team. 
• The Senior Proposal Writer will play a critical and valued role in developing high-quality, compelling proposals to secure funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, philanthropic foundations, corporate donors, and individual funders. 
• Your work will directly contribute to our mission of transforming the vision of millions of low-income customers, enabling them to work, learn, stay safe, and care for their families.
• This position requires extensive experience in technical writing for global development donors, with a proven track record of winning proposals for major institutional donors. 
• The ideal candidate will possess strong storytelling skills, the ability to translate complex programmatic information into persuasive narratives, and a deep understanding of donor priorities and funding landscapes.
• This position will support the operations of countries in Africa and report to the Global VP of Resource Mobilization, who is based in the United States. 
• This role operates in a remote work model, reflecting our commitment to providing opportunities to talented individuals regardless of their location. We value diversity and inclusion, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Candidates may be located in Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya. 

What You'll Do
Proposal Development and Writing:

• Master writing with the VisionSpring “voice,” and develop the capacity to tell our story to a variety of audiences.
• Serve as the lead writer for competitive proposals, ensuring clarity, coherence, and alignment with donor requirements.
• Concept notes, full proposals, and expressions of interest (EOIs) tailored to various donor types, including bilateral and multilateral funders (e.g., USAID, World Bank, FCDO, EU), philanthropic foundations, corporate donors, and individual funders.
• Collaborate closely with program, finance, and M&E teams to develop compelling content that reflects the organization’s capabilities, impact, and strategic priorities.
• Adapt writing style and messaging to meet specific donor guidelines, compliance requirements, and thematic focus areas.

Grant Reporting and Documentation:

• Review and edit grant reports to ensure consistency, clarity, and adherence to donor guidelines.
• Collaborate with country teams and program leads to develop high-quality content for donor reports, impact assessments, and project updates.

Quality Assurance and Knowledge Management:

• Ensure all proposals meet donor formatting, page limits, and submission requirements, while coordinating with relevant teams to facilitate compliance checks.
• Maintain a repository of successful proposals, case studies, and organizational capabilities statements to improve efficiency in proposal development.
• Develop templates for concept notes, proposals, grant reports, and pitch decks to streamline proposal development processes.
• Monitor proposal success rates, identify areas for improvement, and update content to reflect evolving industry trends.

Requirements

• Candidates should possess a B.A. Degree in Business Management, History, Literature, Linguistics, Journalism, Education, Marketing, Communications, English, Creative Writing, or related field.
• Minimum 8 - 10 years of experience in technical writing and proposal development for international development organizations.
• Proven track record of winning proposals for bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g., USAID, World Bank, FCDO, EU, GIZ, UN agencies).
• Experience writing proposals for philanthropic donors, corporate partners, and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs).
• Strong knowledge of international development sectors, such as global health, education, livelihoods, and economic development. Experience in the vision sector is a plus
• Excellent ability to synthesize technical programmatic content into compelling, donor-friendly narratives.
• Strong research skills and familiarity with donor funding landscapes, compliance requirements, and proposal evaluation criteria.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills with keen attention to detail.
• Experience managing complex proposal development processes, including coordinating inputs from multiple teams across different time zones.
• Ability to work independently, meet tight deadlines, and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Technology savvy, including excellent Word and Excel skills.
• Fluency in spoken and written English language with high verbal/written communication skills.
• Preferred experience: (1) Working with organizations that have multi-country operations.
• Must be highly organized and detail-oriented. 
• Must meet the highest standards of ethics and personal integrity. 

About You:

• You are passionate about social enterprise models and building relationships with partners and stakeholders. That makes you an exceptional organizational ambassador.
• You are an exceptional writer and storyteller. You find joy in personal collaboration with internal stakeholders across time zones to uncover the colorful details that make your stories compelling.
• You shine when communicating with internal and external organizational stakeholders, and your words inspire excitement about what we can do together.
• You enjoy creating structure, have exceptional focus and follow-through, and prioritize before you act.
• You are flexible and thrive in environments where each day is unlike the next.

Compensation

• Based on experience, education, and location.
• We offer comprehensive benefits, including health insurance. 

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Application Instruction

• We want to know more than just what you have done. We want to know who you are. What are the passions and talents that draw you to this role?
• Please submit your application, including a thoughtful cover letter, sample of a written proposal and your CV/résumé. 
• Please ensure that there is a brief description of each company or organization on your CV or résumé. Include your last name and "Sr. Proposal Writer" in the subject line.

Note: Only candidates invited to interview will be contacted.