Head Of Fundraising And Business Development

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, international development, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
  
• Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in fundraising, resource mobilization, or business development required, including at least 3 years in a senior leadership role.
  
• Demonstrated personal track record of securing six- and seven-figure grants (USD 100,000 or more) from foundations, bilateral/multilateral agencies, or international NGOs required.
  
• Minimum 2 years of experience in commercial business development or earned-income generation, such as fee-for-service models or corporate partnerships, required.
  

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in using a CRM or similar pipeline-tracking system required.
  
• Proficiency in financial modelling and budget development for grant and commercial proposals required.
  
• Working knowledge of proposal and grant management platforms required.
  

Core Skills & Competencies:

• Exceptional strategic thinking, prioritization, and commercial negotiation abilities.
  
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling funding and commercial cases.
  
• High-level interpersonal and diplomatic skills, comfortable engaging with CEOs, board members, major donors, and corporate partners.
  
• Collaborative mindset, able to work effectively with program, communications, and finance colleagues.
  
• Experience managing or mentoring teams.
  

Strongly Preferred:

• CFRE (Certified Fund-Raising Executive) or equivalent professional certification preferred.
  
• Experience living or working in multiple geographic regions, with direct fundraising or business development experience in at least two major donor markets (e.g., US foundations and European multilateral agencies)
  
• Existing network within conservation/climate philanthropy and corporate partnerships.
  

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and execute Natural State’s global fundraising strategy across our departments.
  
• Lead the end-to-end grant lifecycle, including concept notes, proposals, budgets, and compliance reporting, in close collaboration with internal teams.
  
• Identify and close commercial opportunities to sell Natural State’s training, monitoring, and other services to corporate, government, and institutional buyers, generating earned income beyond grants.
  
• Represent Natural State at donor convenings and industry forums to build Natural State’s profile with funders and commercial partners.
  
• Build and lead a high-performing fundraising and business development team, hiring staff to scale capacity.
  
• Monitor and report performance against annual fundraising and commercial revenue targets, providing clear analysis and forecasts to leadership.
  
• Establish robust systems to track the full pipeline of donors and commercial partners, ensuring disciplined follow-through and stewardship.
  
• Ensure all donors and supporters receive high-quality, timely reporting on the use and impact of their funds, in close coordination with program and finance teams.
  
• Collaborate closely with the Director of Finance and Capital on all proposal budgets, grant financial reporting, and donor compliance to ensure alignment and accuracy.
  
• Collaborate with the Head of Communications & Partnerships to ensure powerful fundraising narratives and align on partnership-driven revenue.