Africa Development Program Specialist

A LITTLE ABOUT US

Founded in 1951, the Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. One of our core values is our commitment to diversity. Therefore, we strive for a globally diverse and culturally competent workforce. Working in 72 countries, including all 50 United States, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.

Since establishing the Africa Program in 2007, The Nature Conservancy’s vision in Africa is to work towards fostering a sustainable future for people and nature, partnering with indigenous communities across 55 million acres on the continent. Our efforts are firmly rooted in people, leveraging scientific and technical expertise as we collaborate with governments and organizations to conserve and enhance Africa’s shared resources in the 9 countries we operate.

TNC’s work in Africa transcends three key pillars: securing ownership rights to lands and resources for indigenous people, strengthening leadership and resource management and helping communities value nature through a holistic appreciation of its benefits while increasing revenue streams for conservation efforts and socio-economic development. Together with our partners, we are witnessing critical milestones in integrated land and fisheries management, ocean and source water protection, energy development and sustainable food production, working together and strengthening our resolve in tackling global challenges such as climate change, habitat and biodiversity loss that stand to adversely impact the nearly 1.4 billion people that share Africa.

TNC’s Africa fundraising team is responsible for raising private funds from individuals, foundations and corporations to support our conservation work in Africa. Most of the funding the team raises comes from donors in the United States and Europe, so the team is strategically based in the US to be close to our supporters, and to work efficiently and effectively with other TNC fundraisers across the US and Europe on building key relationships to move our work forward.

YOUR POSITION WITH TNC

The Africa Development Program Specialist will maximize the capacity and effectiveness of the Africa fundraising team by providing support for tracking donor prospects, ensuring data integrity, team coordination, administrative support and other functions as needed, including occasional gift processing support. They work to support the execution of key conservation goals and pipeline-building efforts for donor prospects to Africa, as a key member of the Africa Region fundraising team. Reporting to the Africa Associate Director of Development Operations, the position location is negotiable within the United States where there is an established TNC office preferably US eastern time zone though other locations could be considered. No employment visas or relocation assistance is being offered with this position except for the local labor employment requirements.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Africa Development Program Specialist will work towards meeting the strategic priorities of the Africa fundraising team by implementing tactics for approved plans and completing and organizing various tasks and activities. They will help implement and track goals established in the fundraising plan by ensuring proper data management, tracking and reporting to reflect fundraiser effectiveness and annual fundraising progress. They will play a key role in coordinating activities and information for the team in partnership with a network of fundraising and program colleagues who have a stake in working with donors with an interest in Africa. They will process gifts as needed and must maintain advanced skills with the systems and resources utilized by the team, including the donor database, electronic file management systems, email and calendar systems, among others. They will implement processes and practices in order to improve effectiveness based on their in-depth understanding of related policies and procedures and will effectively communicate or distribute information to assist staff in making decisions, solving problems, and improving workflow.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

• Act independently on assigned tasks and exercise independent judgment based on analysis and experience.
• Responsible for team coordination and administration, including meeting planning and execution, expense reporting and other administrative tasks.
• Support data and file management for Africa region fundraising activities
• Maintain team portfolio and donor database entry and management
• Responsible for coding of incoming gifts
• Provide support to the fundraising team on donor research, briefs and reporting.
• Coordinate complex fundraising projects, working within a defined timeline and budget.
• Ensure compliance with TNC policies and procedures and ensure compliance with GAAP/FASB requirements.
• Financial responsibility includes working within a budget, processing invoices and transfers, and contracting with vendors.
• Participate on project teams for the improvement of fundraising campaigns
• Coordinate with supervisor to resolve complex fundraising support matters.
• Travel and work flexible hours as needed.
• The work environment involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain.
• Work is diversified and may not always fall under established practices and guidelines.
• Work within the scope of the program’s strategic goals.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree and 2 years experience in fundraising, operations, non-profit management or equivalent combination.
• Experience building relationships with staff, customers, or similar.
• Experience with MS Office, including Outlook, Excel, and Word
• Experience using CRM system or another donor database
• Excellent customer service, communications, and organizational skills
• Experience generating reports, and managing and interpreting data.
• Experience in business writing, editing, and proofreading.
• Experience working across teams.
• Experience, coursework, or other training in principles and practices of the relevant field.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 3-5 years of work experience in fundraising.
• Experience with project management.
• Experience working across time zones
• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience are appreciated.
• Ability to analyze information for the purpose of coordinating and planning activities and solving problems.
• Ability to use existing technology to achieve desired results.
• Ability to work under pressure and perform repetitive data entry tasks.
• Experience interpreting guidelines to achieve desired results.
• Experience with databases and spreadsheet software.
• Knowledge of current trends in the specific field.
• Strong organization skills, accuracy, and attention to detail.