Associate Director, Strategic Partnerships

Summary

Join Climate-KIC as an Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships and lead fundraising efforts to achieve ambitious growth targets. You will develop and implement fundraising strategies, cultivate relationships with diverse funders, and manage a portfolio of donors. The role requires significant experience in securing multi-million funding investments and strong leadership skills. Climate-KIC offers a flexible work environment and values diversity and inclusion. Apply early as the role may close early if a sufficient pool of candidates is received. The position is open-ended and located in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, UK.

Requirements

• University degree or comparable education in relevant field, such as fundraising, marketing, communication, business management
• At least seven years of relevant experience working in foundation, corporate, and/or individual giving fundraising
• Experience in successfully cultivating and soliciting major gifts, core funding, sponsorships and/or investment from individuals, corporations and/or foundations, and/or managing an individual or corporate membership program
• Excellent understanding of multiple revenue streams for purpose-led charitable organisations and respective administration, including compliance and pledge management
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a professional and diplomatic manner
• Familiarity and facility with a donor contact resource management database as well as effective use of donor data metrics and prospect research
• Management experience and intercultural competence
• Structured way of working, strong attention to detail, and high degree of self-organisation and personal responsibility
• Excellent writing and presentation skills
• English language skills at a very high level, both written and spoken
• Demonstrated excellence in organisational and communication skills, working with multiple teams across an organisation
• Securing significant funding for climate programmes, systemic change programmes, and/or unrestricted funding
• Developing deep strategic partnerships and relationships with institutional funders, foundations, trusts and endowments, corporates or HNWI’s
• Donor identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship
• Coordinating and writing of high value bids, funding applications and proposals
• Strategy and Strategic Fundraising
• Long-term Business Planning
• Communication and pitching
• Securing funds from multi-territories across Europe

Responsibilities

• Executing fundraising strategies globally and driving best practices for the fundraising team
• Contribute to the fundraising goals for the Strategic Partnership Team
• Contributing to strategic fundraising planning and development of fundraising campaigns and tools in close cooperation with the Strategic Partnership Team
• Manage a portfolio of foundation, corporate, and individual donors and prospects
• Identify and cultivate prospective new donors, sponsors and investors taking into account market developments, building both top of funnel and converting funding relationships
• Drive diversification of funding sources and core funding by expanding partnerships with corporate donors, trusts, endowments, and other private sector entities
• Develop strategic partnerships that align with the organisational goals and funding needs
• Track donor funding data, create income projections and set goals
• Manage donor communications, grant reports, meeting briefings, and proposals, including quality control and ensuring timelines
• Liaise with all other teams to facilitate strong collaboration across the institution
• Represent the institution and attend academy events in a cultivation and stewardship

Preferred Qualifications

• Value proposition and concept design
• Commercial and operational funding interactions for budgeting, operationalisation of grants and bids and transition to delivery
• Prospect research and development
• Translating technical content into donor friendly proposition
• Working in a holacratic or “team of teams” environment
• Securing funds from multi-territories globally
• Fluency in English, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and any additional European languages are a benefit
• Experience with fundraising databases (especially Salesforce) not required but good to have
• CFRE accreditation an asset

Benefits

• High degree of flexibility to accommodate all working patterns
• Fully remote or hybrid forms of working