Nicole Geremia
Abuja
Summary
Experienced program development and partnerships professional with a decade of experience in humanitarian and development settings. Proven expertise in donor engagement, grant management, and business development, having successfully secured multi-million-dollar funding for large-scale programs. Adept at leading strategic planning, program design, and stakeholder engagement, with a strong track record of working with institutional donors, INGOs, and local organizations. Skilled in capacity building, financial oversight, and compliance management, ensuring the effective implementation of programs in complex environments.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
2013
2013
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Partnerships and New Initiatives Manager
Mercy Corps
Abuja
04.2023 - 04.2025
- Map and liaise with donors and stakeholders to track new business opportunities
- Conduct internal analysis on technical and financial capacity for new business opportunities
- Systematically manage and coordinate new opportunities that fall within the scope of our strategy and provide updates to senior management and the wider team
- Map and collaborate with new and existing partners, including local organizations, government authorities and private sector partners
- Support in partner capacity assessments and coordination ahead of new funding opportunities
- Lead on proposal development, including coordinating work plans, monitoring tasks and inputs from colleagues and writing key sections in close coordination with technical units, MEL, finance, HR and security
- Organize and lead strategic donor and partner meetings and presentations
- Led successful proposal development efforts to fundraise close to 3 million USD (from non-USAID donors) in 2024
Program Manager – Sierra Leone and Liberia
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development
Freetown
11.2021 - 03.2023
- Supported in the design and implementation of the country program strategy
- Oversaw program implementation, delivery and reporting of two large-scale institutionally funded projects in line with donor requirements and CAFOD’s program quality standards
- Ensured proper documentation and information management
- Led collaboration with local implementing partners, key government authorities and private sector partners
- Mapped and engaged with new partners, especially private sector and identify and advise senior management on opportunities for innovation in programs
- Managed grants to local partners, including co-designing proposals, monitoring progress on implementation, conducting site visits and reviewing financial and narrative reports
- Provided feedback and recommendations to local partners for performance improvement
- Led on strategies and decision-making for program design and development
- Organized capacity-strengthening efforts for colleagues and local partners on best practices in monitoring & evaluation, program development, compliance, finance, communications, and information management
- Managed program budgets and monitored income and expenditure, ensuring the latter was done in compliance with donor requirements
- Provided leadership and support to supervisees, including regular meetings and performance reviews
Program Development and Funding Officer – Sierra Leone and Liberia
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development
Freetown
11.2017 - 10.2021
- Led successful program development efforts to secure, at minimum, 70% of fundraising targets annually
- Managed a diverse grant portfolio (almost 5 million USD) from a variety of institutional donors, including the UN, EU, Japanese Embassy, Jersey Overseas Aid, Isle of Man, and several foundations
- Designed and led implementation of key pilot projects to pre-position for new funding opportunities
- Mapped donor interests, tracked funding opportunities and conducted forecasting for both countries
- Led in program development, including partner engagement, project design, assessments and proposal and budget development
- Facilitated strategic engagement with new partners, including government authorities, private sector partners, and new donors
- Led in donor networking, communication and reviewing and finalizing narrative and financial reports
- Supported colleagues and partners in budget monitoring, monitoring and evaluation of programs and capacity-strengthening
Program Development Manager
Nonviolent Peaceforce
Juba
04.2016 - 03.2017
- Managed a grant portfolio of over 14 million USD covering protection programming throughout South Sudan
- Donors included the Common Humanitarian Fund, USAID/OFDA, UNICEF, Humanity United, the EU and various embassies
- Led successful proposal development efforts to fundraise 7 million USD for 2016/2017
- Supervised program development staff in grants management, including donor relations, internal and external reporting, monitoring and information management for all South Sudan programming
- Actively participated in Senior Management Team, which involved developing organizational policies, strategic and operational planning and responding to headquarter requests
Program Development Officer
Nonviolent Peaceforce
Juba
07.2015 - 03.2016
- Managed five grants (through such donors as UNICEF, Embassy of Netherlands, Swiss Embassy, ECHO/ACTED and UNHCR) covering four project sites throughout South Sudan
- Responsibilities included: monitoring project activities and key indicators, compiling donor and internal narrative reports, reviewing budget monitors and financial reports, conducting field visits and assisting with baseline assessments, organizing inter-departmental coordination, and regularly communicating and meeting with donors
- Assisted in all stages of proposal development, including drafting concepts, inter-departmental brainstorming and discussions, and donor correspondence
Project Development Officer
Sadhana Forest Kenya
Kisima
04.2014 - 05.2015
- Assisted in policy development and operationalization
- Coordinated donor mapping and proposal development
- Successfully raised seed funding for the project launch and oversaw online fundraising campaign
- Developed logical frameworks and monitoring and evaluation tools, supervised data collection and drafted all donor reports
- Led budget oversight, financial reporting, accounting and auditing
Capacity Development & Coordination Officer
Pastoralist Governance and Development Project
Maralal
11.2012 - 12.2013
- Oversaw the entire operations of the organization, including supervision of staff and department management
- Led fundraising efforts, including donor-mapping and proposal development
- Managed three projects focused on livelihoods, economic security, animal health and disease prevention, and advocacy and natural resource management
- This included developing activity and procurement plans, budget oversight and activity monitoring and reporting
- Acted as the liaison for all government authorities, donors, and relevant stakeholders
Education
Master of Social Work - Concentrations in International Development & Refugee Populations
Washington University in St. Louis – George Warren Brown School of Social Work
St. Louis, MissouriBachelor of Social Work - undefined
Western New England University
Springfield, MassachusettsSkills
- Strategic Planning
- Donor Engagement
- Business Development
- Proposal Development & Grant Writing
- Grants Management & Compliance
- Program Design,
- Project Management, Implementation & Oversight
- Stakeholder & Partnership Management
- Capacity Building & Training
- Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)
- Financial Oversight, Budgeting & Compliance
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Languages
English
Consultancies & Advisory Work
Independent Consultant (Various Organizations, Nigeria & West Africa) | 2017 – Present
- Developed donor proposals and strategic engagement plans for INGOs and local organizations.
- Conducted partnership and capacity assessments for EU and UN-funded projects.
- Led the design of a USAID-funded resilience project in Northeast Nigeria.
- Provided technical assistance on strategic planning, fundraising, and program development.
Timeline
Partnerships and New Initiatives Manager
Mercy Corps
04.2023 - 04.2025
Program Manager – Sierra Leone and Liberia
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development
11.2021 - 03.2023
Program Development and Funding Officer – Sierra Leone and Liberia
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development
11.2017 - 10.2021
Program Development Manager
Nonviolent Peaceforce
04.2016 - 03.2017
Program Development Officer
Nonviolent Peaceforce
07.2015 - 03.2016
Project Development Officer
Sadhana Forest Kenya
04.2014 - 05.2015
Capacity Development & Coordination Officer
Pastoralist Governance and Development Project
11.2012 - 12.2013
Bachelor of Social Work - undefined
Western New England University
Master of Social Work - Concentrations in International Development & Refugee Populations
Washington University in St. Louis – George Warren Brown School of Social Work
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