The ideal candidate is an organized self-starter capable of working independently with 3 - 5 years of progressive experience in grant writing, fundraising strategy development, and advanced account stewardship. He/she is someone who can think independently and proactively present ideas about how to grow an expanding portfolio of donors and bring our organization to the next level of funders, those capable of making multi-year, multi-million dollar commitments. The ideal candidate is someone who has already established themselves as a successful fundraiser and is ready to enter an advanced position that can help shape the direction of the organization’s fundraising targets and growth. He/she has strong writing, project management, and people skills. They enjoy telling a story, especially a story that can move hearts and minds. This position will report to the Managing Director, Corporate & Foundation Partnerships.

Purpose: Manage a portfolio of existing foundation partners and create a long-term strategy to engage and cultivate large institutional partners capable of making multi-year, multi-million-dollar commitments.

Engagement: Engages with external stakeholders, primarily foundation representatives and leadership. In addition, some internal communications are required with External Relations colleagues, field staff (based in East Africa and Haiti) and global network (based in Western Europe and India). Some engagement is also required with various consultants/contractors.

Delivery: The Senior Foundations Officer works within the External Relations Department under the supervision of the Managing Director of Corporate & Foundation Partnerships.

Essential Job Duties

Prospecting & Relationship Building

• Develop solicitation strategies and roadmaps to establish new relationships with large private institutional partners.
• Research funding trends and priorities of large private institutional funders capable of offering multi-million-dollar, multi-year funding commitments.
• Draft proposals, reports, and concept notes.
• Participate in industry groups and coalitions to remain abreast of current funding trends and opportunities
• Lead internal engagement with ACF network counterparts, country program leaders and the Action Against Hunger CEO to implement solicitation strategies.
• Collaborate with the External Relations Team, Leadership Gifts Associate, and relevant consultants.

Cultivation and Stewardship

• Create and implement a fundraising development plan for a portfolio with an eye toward upgrading account support and deepening partner relationships through meetings with leadership, written reports, and briefings
• Maintain and steward a portfolio of private foundation funders
• Oversee the creation of supportive collateral for stewardship and solicitation efforts
• Draft proposals, reports, and concept notes
• Support annual planning and forecasting efforts

Global Network and Regional Office Engagement

• Maintain strong relations with the Regional Action Against Hunger Program Office in Nairobi, Kenya as well as program country offices in Haiti, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.
• Build knowledge of Action Against Hunger programs as well as current funding needs.
• Serve as a generalist expert and resource for the larger External Relations Team on topics related to Nutrition, WASH, Emergency Response and Food Security by internalizing the latest research findings, industry reports, and Action Against Hunger programmatic updates.
• Maintain strong relations with global network counterparts in France, Spain, Canada, UK, Germany, India, and Italy.
• Represent the US office in related internal and external meetings and events

Portfolio Analysis & Database Management

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date account management records in Raisers Edge database
• Working with the Fundraising Systems Team, build informative reports on private institutional fundraising efforts, progress-to-date, and pipeline development

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.
• To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the missions if appropriate. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well is to infectious diseases.

Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where people of all genders must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.

Required Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree required; Master’s Degree preferred

Required Skills & Experience

• Successful fundraising track record of winning $1M+ grants from large private institutional foundations
• 3 - 5 years of fundraising experience in the US market, the majority of which was spent fundraising from private foundations
• Some domestic and international travel will be required
• Familiarity with international development issues (malnutrition, water access, sustainable livelihoods, etc.)
• Familiarity with multilateral and USG funding systems a plus
• Familiarity with Raisers Edge database system a plus
• French speaker a plus