Institutional Partnerships Manager

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in institutional fundraising, partnerships, or business development in international development, humanitarian, or social impact sectors.
  
• Demonstrated experience drafting and leading proposals (concept notes, EOIs, and full proposals), not just coordinating inputs from others.
  
• Proven ability to work effectively with senior leaders — managing up, anticipating needs, and supporting relationship-driven fundraising in complex environments.
  
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to turn complex technical content into clear, compelling donor language.
  
• Strong analytical and CRM skills (Salesforce or equivalent).
  
• Comfort operating in ambiguity, across time zones, and with multiple senior stakeholders.
  
• Bachelor’s degree required.
  

• Manage a portfolio of institutional donors across foundations, bilaterals, and multilaterals, with a strong focus on East Africa–based programs in graduation, climate resilience, gender, and systems change—serving as day-to-day relationship manager from early engagement through award.
  
• Support donor cultivation and opportunity development by proactively engaging with senior leadership— preparing leaders for funder interactions, developing high-quality briefing materials, tracking follow-ups and commitments, and driving clear next steps to shape fundable program concepts.
  
• Prepare core fundraising materials such as pitch decks, donor briefs, and concept notes to support proactive outreach and partnership development.
  
• Lead proposal development—from early-stage narrative framing (EOIs, concept notes, and donor briefs) through full proposal writing, budgeting, and submission—ensuring clear roles, strong internal alignment, and high-quality, competitive proposals.
  
• Translate technical and financial inputs into compelling, funder-ready narratives, working closely with Programs, MEL, and Finance to integrate evidence, learning, and implementation reality into every submission.
  
• Track opportunities, contacts, and proposal stages in Salesforce, ensuring data quality and supporting accurate pipeline reporting and forecasting.
  
• Work closely with the Senior Grants Coordinator to ensure smooth handoff from proposal to award and through reporting, maintaining continuity, compliance, and strong donor experience across the full grant lifecycle.
  
• Contribute to team planning and learning by flagging pipeline risks, donor feedback, and emerging funding opportunities to the Senior Director.