JOB SUMMARY:

Professional Foundations provide CARE with significant revenue that fuel some of our most innovative and impactful programs. From large foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that share CARE’s aspiration to leverage learning to achieve results at scale to smaller foundations that provide catalytic funding for cutting-edge programs, foundation partnerships and the resources they generate are integral to CARE’s mission of saving lives, defeating poverty and achieving social justice. As one of eight relationship managers on the Foundation Partnerships team, the Senior Director of Development (SD) will develop and drive a new business strategy that will significantly contribute to expanding CARE’s professional foundations portfolio. As a senior member of the team, the SD position requires an experienced and energetic leader with in-depth knowledge of foundation philanthropy and expertise in identifying and cultivating new opportunities, including with philanthropic collaboratives, social enterprise investors, and other institutional funders. Working in close partnership with teammates and leadership, the SD will implement a robust prospecting plan focused on new and lapsed donors with specific emphasis on health equity and climate justice. Managing a foundations portfolio requires the ability to gain an in-depth knowledge of CARE’s programming and learning methodologies, as well as a savvy and strategic external approach to generate and foster new opportunities for CARE. This position also requires the political acumen to navigate CARE and influence the decisions and approaches of technical colleagues, country offices and organizational leadership. The SD should have excellent written and verbal communication skills and be a consummate team player with a singular focus on supporting CARE’s mission and the people we serve.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Prospecting and Donor Cultivation Working closely with the AVP and Executive Director of Foundation Partnerships, and in coordination with the other team members, the SD will build a portfolio of strategic donors for CARE, with an emphasis on health and climate opportunities, given the prioritization of these sectors across foundation philanthropy. The SD will be responsible for galvanizing new opportunities with foundations, collaboratives, enterprise investors, and targeted institutional funders, as well as generating new prospects and growing existing partnerships. With a proven track record of proactive outreach leading to new funding, the SD will have the diligence and perseverance required to expand and diversify CARE’s foundation portfolio. Through continuous landscape analysis of foundation philanthropy alongside tactical understanding of CARE’s programs and approaches, the SD will develop and implement a comprehensive, aggressive prospecting strategy that results in a pipeline of new or expanded foundation partners. An adept researcher and seasoned fundraiser, the SD will lead proactive outreach efforts, often in partnership with team members, including leveraging CARE’s executive leadership and relationships. The SD will directly engage with foundation and philanthropic staff, cultivating relationships and insights to position CARE for strategic opportunities. The SD will work closely with relevant technical, social enterprise, and country office teams and leadership to refine donor propositions and engage CARE experts in outreach and cultivation.

Concept and Proposal Development The SD will manage concept or proposal development for new and assigned foundations resulting from outreach and work in coordination with team members around new opportunities with existing donors. These efforts require close coordination with program and country office colleagues to generate compelling, aligned propositions further CARE’s mission and impact. The SD will ensure clear communication around planning and processes, clarity on roles and responsibilities, and timely submissions. The SD will coordinate with grants managers to ensure that processes are followed and budgets are reviewed in compliance with CARE’s policies. The SD may also hire and manage consultants to contribute writing or M&E design of concepts or proposals. In the case of a foundation-funded RFP or strategic and competitive open call, the SD may manage the development and/or review of concepts or proposals that are outside their normal portfolio. Surge Support As crises, conflict and complex emergencies impact millions around the world, CARE continues to be a global leader in humanitarian response and supporting local organizations and partners to respond directly in their communities. Given this urgency, the SD will provide critical surge support around outreach to humanitarian responsive or other donors across the team portfolio, as needed. Additionally, given both the cyclical and unpredictable nature of opportunities, particularly open calls, the SD will be strategically positioned to step in to timely opportunities or to fill urgent team needs as assigned, including temporarily overseeing outreach, cultivation, concept/proposal development, or donor management.

Stewardship and Internal Partnerships As needed, the SD will oversee stewardship and ongoing cultivation of assigned donors that are strategic to CARE, serving as point of contact for foundation staff and facilitating strategic external communications. The SD will be an intuitive problem-solver and critical thinker, with the demonstrated ability to navigate complex relationships and programmatic issues. Their effective stewardship aims to garner support for consecutive and/or expanded phases of programs or leads to diversification of the foundation’s overall support. The SD will monitors strategy changes and other foundation developments that may create new opportunities or reignite previous conversations, as well as managing communication with and outreach to the foundation in relevant program areas. In complement to new business development efforts, the SD will build and maintain strong internal partnerships across CARE, specifically with program teams relevant to their portfolio of prospects and donors. Through regular review of cultivation plans and active engagement in program team meetings, the SD will consistently support and collaborate with teams and their leadership, as well as synthesize and compile materials and summaries of CARE’s work as needed. The SD will also work closely with the Office of the President, the grants management team and leadership, and internal partners in legal and compliance to ensure effective internal processes are maintained and procedures are followed. The SD will contribute regularly to reports on team activities and results and to the development of annual fundraising plans. The SD will engage in ongoing learning at CARE, monitoring new program approaches and developments, results and publications.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Public Relations, International Development or a related field At least eight years of progressive experience in any combination of fundraising, resource mobilization, program implementation, program management, or field work. Expertise in foundation philanthropy with a track record of identifying opportunities, soliciting donors, and securing grant funding. Deep knowledge of international development, particularly in the health and climate sectors. Ability to meet deadlines, manage multiple responsibilities and priorities, and deliver results under pressure. Excellence in writing, editing, presenting, and organization. Evidence of strong analytic skills and strategy development. Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills. Experience working as part of a remote team. Capacity to facilitate internal decisions across multiple stakeholders as required to produce content for proposals. Experience developing strategic donor engagement opportunities for executive and program leadership. Ability to represent CARE with external audiences. Computer literacy, including facility with Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Teams, and other Microsoft Office applications. Willingness to travel 10%.