JOB PURPOSE

The Senior Manager, Donor Relations & Global Partnerships will plan, drive, and manage strategic engagement with new partners and emerging funding institutions to advance AFI’s strategic operational objectives and financial sustainability.

ACCOUNTABILITIES / KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Accountable for new funding mobilization and co-leading AFI’s fundraising efforts by identifying, sourcing and attracting new likeminded funding partners to support AFI, its programs and activities.
2. Shepherd strategic negotiations with perspective funders and oversee internal coordination to secure partnership agreements that are favorable to AFI’s unique institutional mandate and operational priorities. Spearhead consultations across AFI teams in HQ and field to develop new funding proposals, pitches, concepts.
3. For a select portfolio of current funding partners, manage the complex and multi-facetted donor reporting process, overseeing internal coordination across AFI teams and providing quality assurance throughout.
4. Lead the development of select donor proposals for perspective funding partners identified by yourself and by other team members. Take part in funding exploration and negotiation discussions with perspective funders.
5. Contribute strategic inputs toward improving process efficiencies, SOPs, and coordination structures, particularly regarding fundraising, donor relationship management and donor reporting.
6. For a select portfolio of funding partners, own and manage donor communications and outreach on strategic issues and messaging.
7. Map and track philanthropic issues, priorities, and engagements across the financial inclusion ecosystem, identifying and taking advantage of strategic funding engagement opportunities with a wide array of potential funding partners, including bilateral government agencies, private foundations, philanthropists and their family foundations.
8. Implement the AFI Donor Council and other current and future multi-donor platform engagements, such as the MD-PIF Steering Committee.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• A postgraduate degree in international relations, development studies, marketing/communications, business administration, or related field.
• Minimum fifteen (15) years of working experience in the development sector or related field, including five (5) years of direct experience in fundraising with proven track record.
• Strong understanding of the current donor landscape, funding trends and priorities, engagement strategies and innovations; fundraising experience in the financial inclusion.
• Experience with new/emerging funding institutions, including wealthy individual philanthropists and their family foundations will be an advantage.

COMPETENCIES / SKILLS

• Substantial funding mobilization experience with a successful fundraising track record.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills in English.
• Ability to develop proposal and reporting narrative in accordance with donor’s reporting structures, processes, approaches, and requirements.
• Outstanding client relationship, diplomacy, and negotiation skills.
• Knowledge of and expertise in social media and other existing and emerging modes of stakeholder engagement.
• Technical know-how of M&E terminologies, processes, approaches.
• Understanding of project financials, budgeting, and financial reporting.
• Ability to direct and leverage research and donor landscape analysis to advance institutional objectives.
• Result- and solution-oriented with good time management (deadline-sensitive).
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills in working with people from diverse cultures and across multiple teams.
• Ability to work in a flexible, changing environment and perform effectively while managing multiple projects and tasks.
• Excellent project, program, or portfolio management skills.
• Knowledge of one or more additional relevant languages, including official U.N. languages, is an advantage.

KEY CHALLENGES

1. Identifying, developing, directing, and sustaining strategic funding partnerships in highly competitive landscape of financial inclusion stakeholders, and limited sources of donor funding. The position is required to deploy skills in leadership, strategic thinking, diplomacy, and negotiation to ensure financial sustainability of AFI’s operations to effectively fulfill its objectives, in short, medium, and longer term.
2. Ensuring effective implementation of highly complex and multi-façade deliverables of the seven distinct donor funded projects. Effectively monitor progress and provide strategic guidance to project leads and other relevant units, identify risks, challenges and opportunities related to donor funded projects at early stage and effectively address those accordingly. The position needs to have the ability to perceive and respond to highly technical aspects of the project delivery, effective communication, and negotiation skills to maximize the value added for AFI members through donor funding and technical cooperation.
3. Analyzing, identifying, developing, and implementing strategic engagement with current and prospective funders which support AFI’s evolving short- and longer-term objectives. The position needs to apply in depth knowledge and insights of financial inclusion landscape, strategic thinking, negotiation and influencing skills to effectively conceptualize and implement AFI’s donor engagement strategy, which will benefit both the AFI members and donors in a unique way.

Interested candidates are invited to apply together with the latest CV and cover letter in English.