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Semilla Nueva is hiring a Development Writer to support the growth of our organizational budget by leading donor research, grant writing, and donor-specific applications that fuel our scale in Guatemala, El Salvador, and East Africa.

This role is ideal for a strong writer who can translate complex technical, agricultural, and nutrition work into compelling, evidence-based proposals aligned with donor priorities and formats.

The Development Writer is a part of the Development department and will report to the Development Director. S/He will work closely with the Grants and Projects Manager and Development Associate.

Summary of the Organization

Semilla Nueva is one of Central America’s leading social enterprises with a team of over 60 in Guatemala, El Salvador, and the United States. The organization develops high-yielding, climate-resilient maize seeds that have been conventionally bred (non-GMO) to have higher levels of zinc, iron, and quality protein. Our approach to large-scale adoption of these seeds relies on three strategies:

• Breeding commercially competitive biofortified seeds (non-GMO), which increase incomes and nutritional intake for farmers;
• Piloting subsidies to seed companies to profitably sell new, higher-yielding, climate-resilient, biofortified seeds at prices the poorest of the poor can afford;
• Working with governments to institutionalize these subsidies.

Our goal is for a minimal amount of subsidy to support hundreds of thousands of farming families to use biofortified seeds, consume biofortified maize, and sell biofortified maize into the market, while improving their incomes. In 2024, our seeds reached 30,000 farmers in Guatemala and El Salvador, who grew and sold enough corn to improve the nutrition of more than 1 million people. The Guatemalan government now finances most of the cost of the subsidy. Our vision is to reach 3 million farmers and nourish 100 million people by 2036.

Summary of the Position

Key Responsibilities:

• Donor research: research, identify, and create plans to engage the foundations that are a good fit for Semilla Nueva.
• Grant writing: understand what foundations need to understand and create evidence and literature backed grants for new projects- including synthesizing technical data and translating it into compelling narratives.
• Project design: understand the interest and priority of donors, Semilla Nueva’s strategic plan, and work with Semilla Nueva’s operations team to develop new projects that meet Semilla Nueva’s goals and donor priorities.
• Reporting and relationship management: manage a portfolio of existing funders and provide quarterly and biannual reports, working with the M&E department.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree and 2-5 years of relevant experience
• Exceptional writing abilities with technically complex information
• Experience working with foundations, either in grant writing or project design and reporting
• Full working-proficiency in English and Spanish
• Demonstrated leadership, stress-management and flexibility in the work environment
• Strong editorial judgement and excellent attention to detail
• Ability to synthesize technical, financial, and impact data
• Comfort reviewing program budgets and narratives and aligning them with donor needs
• Comfort working with deadlines and multiple submissions
• Experience adapting one core concept into multiple donor formats

Desired:

• Demonstrated grant writing experience
• Experience managing or supporting a grant pipeline (sourcing and tracking prospects, submissions, reporting, etc.)
• Experience with donor reporting and compliance
• Project reporting experience
• Academic or professional experience working in global health, nutrition, or agricultural development

What Success Looks Like

In the first 6–12 months, the Development Writer will:

• Independently lead multiple donor applications from concept to submission
• Build familiarity with Semilla Nueva’s technical model, M&E data, and budgets
• Establish trusted working relationships with Operations, M&E, and Finance
• Contribute to a stronger, more predictable donor pipeline
• Assist in the creation and refinement of donor-facing materials and collateral

Salary range: Salary commensurate with experience

Before applying, please review our website: www.semillanueva.org, including annual reports.

To apply, please send your CV, salary requirements, and a brief, 2-4 bullet point explanation of why you think you may be a good fit for us, and why we may be a good fit for you to trabajo@semillanueva.org. Please note “Development Writer” and your last name in the subject line of your email. Optional: Feel free to include any writing samples or materials you feel would showcase your work or relevant skills.

Semilla Nueva is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to sustaining a diverse community with a work environment that is welcoming, respectful, and encouraging to all. We foster a culture of inclusion that celebrates and cultivates diversity along multiple dimensions, including race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, out of home care, age, national origin, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, culture, and experience.