Manager, Institutional Partnerships (Foundations)

Location: The Hague (Netherlands), Washington D.C. or New York City (United States)

About CIVIC Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is an international nonprofit with offices around the world working to improve protection for civilians caught in conflict zones. CIVIC envisions a world in which no civilian is harmed in conflict. Our mission is to support communities affected by conflict in their quest for protection and strengthen the resolve and capacity of armed actors to prevent and respond to civilian harm. We are advocates who believe that no civilian caught in conflict should be ignored, and advisors who provide practical solutions to preventing and responding to civilian harm. Learn more at civiliansinconflict.org.

About the Position CIVIC seeks an experienced and self-starting development professional to help forge new and grow existing partnerships in the foundation space. Focusing on an assigned portfolio of institutional partners, the incumbent will support the Development Director in her external engagement, while managing day-to-day donor relations and complex application processes with a high degree of independence.

The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of partnerships with foundations more broadly, and of their respective target sectors in particular. We are ideally looking for someone with experience across a broad spectrum from small private/family foundations to large institutional foundations, preferably including funders in North America, Europe and/or other markets. Candidates should be intimately familiar with the technical intricacies of institutional bidding and grant-making processes and have a successful fundraising track record.

The Institutional Partnerships Manager (Foundations) position sits within a high-performing team of development professionals with specialist expertise across the government, multilateral, and private philanthropy space. They will also collaborate closely with CIVIC colleagues across numerous geographies, time-zones and departments. The Institutional Partnerships Manager (Foundations) can be located in either The Hague, Washington D.C., or New York City.

Key Functions

As a vital member of the Development team, the Institutional Partnerships Manager (Foundations):

• Leads on day-to-day engagement with a set of assigned donor institutions, in close consultation with the Development Director;
• Together with the Director, develops and implements engagement strategies, based on thorough research and analysis of target institutions and their decision-making structures, as well as of broader political, economic and funding trends;
• Identifies funding opportunities and initiates/leads necessary bid approval discussions with all internal stakeholders.
• Coordinates complex proposal and donor reporting processes, ensuring seamless collaboration with relevant program and finance colleagues.
• Negotiates and facilitates funding arrangements and grant contracts.
• Works with all relevant teams to communicate donor requirements and expected standards; ensure grant compliance and adequate donor servicing; and where necessary, propose reforms and (co-)develop solutions to bring CIVIC (and development team) standards and practices in line with, often stringent donor expectations.
• Maintains thorough and well-organized records of all relevant donor intel and grant data, using agreed systems and tech platforms.
• Fully participates in a wide range of strategic, operational and management discussions and processes, contributing to organization-wide efforts to maximize efficiency, transparency and effectiveness.

Donor Engagement and Business Development (30%)

• Helps to raise and grow income from a set of institutional donors.
• Directly engages with donors to build trust-based long-term relationships and unlock new grants and core opportunities.
• Works with other team members to systematically expand strategic donor communications.
• Prepares for and coordinates donor events and meetings.

Proposal Development (40%)

• Coordinates and produces top-quality proposals, managing complex internal communications across teams and ensuring the end result consistently meets deadlines, donor expectations and the highest competitive standards.

Internal Communication (20%)

• Builds strong relationships across all teams and departments and facilitates fruitful collaborations.
• Effectively communicates to raise organization-wide awareness of development objectives, donor requirements and the team’s current and future priorities.
• Applies skill and diplomacy to prevent or resolve internal conflicts, miscommunication or frustration.

Prospect Research and Data Management (10%)

• Researches, identifies and reviews suitable grant opportunities and requests for proposals (RFPs).
• Compiles and shares comprehensive donor intelligence for the assigned donor portfolio.
• Maintains accurate records of donor data, using Salesforce and other agreed platforms.

Requirements/Qualifications

• 5+ years experience and record of success in non-profit fundraising, preferably in the field of conflict prevention, international affairs, development or human rights.
• Significant knowledge and expertise in institutional donor engagement in the foundations space.
• Background or interest in human rights, development, international security, conflict resolution and/or peacebuilding.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Deep experience in proposal development, grant management and donor servicing.
• Personal maturity and an ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with internal and external interlocutors, maintaining a calm, reassuring, and objective attitude at all times.
• Experience working in international or highly diverse, multi-cultural contexts and across time zones.
• Excellent time management and an ability to handle tight deadlines and deliver complex tasks under pressure, while maintaining mental flexibility and showing exceptional attention to detail.
• Technological proficiency, including in the Microsoft Office Suite/Google Applications. Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM suites a clear benefit.
• Understanding and use of donor/prospect research databases, search engines, and systems.

Additional Details

• Please submit a CV/resume and cover letter
• Preferred availability: As soon as possible.
• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis so please apply early. CIVIC reserves the right to close the position opening before this deadline if the perfect candidate is found sooner. All job interviews are being held virtually for the time being.

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CIVIC offices in Washington D.C. and The Hague are currently open and the role will require 2 days per week of in-person office presence. CIVIC strictly adheres to all applicable COVID-19 regulations and will adjust any office presence requirements if regulations change as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CIVIC offers a competitive compensation and benefits package.

CIVIC seeks to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool in the belief that employees from diverse backgrounds are critical to achieving our goals. We strongly encourage applications from persons with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

CIVIC is not able to sponsor employees at this point, therefore, please ensure that you can legally work in the location you are applying for.

Note to Recruiters and Placement Agencies: CIVIC does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. CIVIC does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved partners.