Senior Director, Institutional Partnerships

This search is being managed by Mwende Njuguna at Mission Talent. Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their qualifications for the position and their interest to [email protected].

*Please do not select the Apply Now or Submit Application buttons on this page. To apply for this position, please utilize the above email and apply directly through Mission Talent. Any application received through the Center for Reproductive Rights' website will not be considered.*

Job Title: Senior Director, Institutional Partnerships

Department: Development

Center Background:  The Center for Reproductive Rights (the Center) is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights around the world. With offices in New York City, New York; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; Geneva, Switzerland; and Washington, D.C., the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 230+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center’s human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has powered the Center’s exceptional growth to an operating budget of over $50 million and won the respect of law firms in countries around the world, with an additional $29 million annually of donated legal services, representing the work of countless lawyers from more than 46 countries. 

The Center’s Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they are today. The Center has a track record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. Additionally, the Center has led the development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights and has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting.

The Role: Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Senior Director Institutional Partnerships leads the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for building and sustaining donor relationships with bilateral and multilateral funders and Foundations. The Senior Director is charged with identifying, securing and stewarding funds from Government, Foundations and multilateral sources to support the expansion of the Center’s global and US programs, while building the foundation for future expanded support. The Senior Director oversees relationship-building and cultivation efforts, understands donor priorities and funding trends, leads the team in submitting responsive proposals, ensures that program initiatives are linked to donor interests, and supports the capacity building of regional program staff as key partners in securing and managing grants and sub-grants from institutional funders and stewarding donor relationships. The post holder will build and lead a high performing team that will ensure high quality delivery and technical excellence across the grant lifecycle.

This position will be located in Nairobi, Kenya.

Primary Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Set and meet annual and multiyear revenue goals.
• Attract, supervise, lead and develop the Institutional Funding Team to build a highly skilled and efficient unit providing high quality support and guidance to Global Programs, Government and External Relations and Regional Teams.
• Lead the Centre’s institutional funding efforts, overseeing the development of the highest quality standards, policies, guidelines and processes.
• Advise the Center’s Executive Team on current and anticipated changes in institutional donor priorities to inform strategy, engagement and decisions
• Represent the Center at external events and meetings, including with partner organizations, donors, and global and regional convenings.

Strategy

• Lead the development of the institutional funding work plan with clear targets and KPIs.
• Drive forward the external engagement strategy to ensure that the Center is positioned as a premier, effective Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) agency in the view of priority institutional funding partners.
• Support the institutionalization of robust proposal development and grant management processes across the grant life cycle.
• Work closely with Global Programs, Government and External Relations, and Regional Teams to increase their capacity to engage with and mobilize funding from institutional funders, including overseeing the integration and build-up of commons ways of working, policies and procedure needed to secure and manage funding from institutional funders.

Business Development

• Develop and deepen relationships with select priority funders and strategic partners.
• Help shape funders’ programs where we have the opportunity to do so.
• Review bid opportunities with Regional Directors and ensure timely decision making around go/no go procedures, escalating where appropriate.
• Lead and manage the submission of funding opportunities to ensure high quality cohesive proposals that are compliant with donor specifications.
• Work across teams to ensure support for the management of grants and sub grants through ongoing advice and support form inception, including staff recruitment, contract negotiation, development of systems and processes, delivery of key milestones, reporting, and providing technical support.
• Lead across teams to develop high quality tools and systems across the grant life cycle, including managing sub award agreements.
• Negotiate with international and local NGOs as appropriate to establish partnerships for existing and future program development opportunities.
• Hold debriefings with proposal teams to identify and document lessons learned and best practices for program development efforts.
• Provide leadership support to build the capacity of the Center’s Regional Offices to build relationships with priority donors, develop quality proposals and reports, and drive new funding for the Center’s programs.

Management

• Provide leadership and mentoring to program staff on identifying and cultivating new donor prospects and on the packaging and pitching of existing or proposed work.
• Ensure smooth integration of development goals with program priorities.
• Responsible for hiring, training and developing staff.
• Coach and mentor direct reports on performance and goal setting, provide timely feedback, and foster an environment that supports staff development.
• Develop, monitor and report on the team budget and KPIs.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s degree preferred in Business, Global Development, Human Development or a related field
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the donor landscape around SRHR globally an asset
• Experience prospecting for and managing government grants
• Minimum of 20+ years progressive work experience in business and grant development - including 5 years at a senior leadership level.
• Track record of winning and effectively managing 6,7 and 8 figure awards
• High level of comfort interacting with institutional donors, and successful track record of managing high-level donor relationships.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to manage, develop and engage a multi-location team. Prior budget management responsibility required.
• Proven negotiation skills and the ability to make sound decisions and apply creative problem solving
• Excellent communications skills including written and oral communications, and the ability to effectively influence and convince internal and external stakeholders
• Analytical thinker, detail-oriented, team player who takes initiative and can work independently.
• Experience working in development and/or humanitarian contexts, preferably for an INGO or international organization (e.g. UN, major donor), preferably with some time spent in the field
• Commitment to the Center’s mission, purpose, and values.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At the Center, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.  You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Leadership Competencies:

• Leading the Work (Strategy & Implementation): Generates new ideas, develops long-term objectives and strategies that align with institutional priorities, and translates them into actionable plans.
• Leading Others: Inspires commitment; develops and empowers staff; identifies and mentors the next generation of organization leaders; establishes results-oriented culture in teams.
• Leading by Personal Example: Models organizational values; takes action and is courageous; projects confidence and steadiness; learns from experience and is self-aware.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Attracts, develops and retains a diverse team; recognizes the many dimensions of diversity and the particular harms of anti-Black racism and colonialism; considers equity in decisions and processes internally and externally; demonstrates inclusive leadership behaviors.

Compensation: The remuneration for this position is Ksh. 25,000,000 per annum, reflecting a position based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Benefits:

• Health: The Center pays up to 95%* of the premium for a comprehensive health insurance plan with no in-network deductible and best-in-class reproductive healthcare coverage, including infertility. The Center also offers Dental and Vision coverage. (* % may differ in various countries)
• Flexibility: The Center currently operates in a hybrid model, allowing staff to work 3 days in the office and work 2 days from home
• Well-being: The Center offers resources to help prevent and recover from burnout through different programs that enable mental, physical and community well-being.  The Center offers generous leave including paid parental leave, personal days, vacation, and sick leave. We are also closed the last week of December to allow staff to spend time with their loved ones.
• Growth: You will be working with and learning from some of the top legal and operational minds, all passionate about the mission of advancing reproductive rights around the world. You will also be eligible for a stipend to use towards professional growth.
• Global: You will get a front-row seat to update on the fight for reproductive rights in the global space. You will also have access to Employee Resource Groups to connect to colleagues that share similar interests/backgrounds/views.
• Investment: After the first year of employment, the Center will contribute 7.5%* of your annual salary to a 401(k) (* only applicable in US and Kenya) 

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Center is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all communities to apply. If you are excited about this role and unsure about whether your past experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles.

Our hiring processes and our work culture offer support and flexibility for staff with a variety of needs. Should you face an accessibility barrier in the application and interview process please let us know by contacting [email protected]. We will work with you to provide the accommodation that works best for you. 

To learn more about the Center’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Center for Reproductive Rights

Learn more about the Center for Reproductive Rights, go to  www.reproductiverights.org

How to Apply: This search is being managed by Mwende Njuguna at Mission Talent. Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their qualifications for the position and their interest to [email protected] 

*Please do not select the Apply Now or Submit Application buttons on this page. To apply for this position, please utilize the above email and apply directly through Mission Talent. Any application received through the Center for Reproductive Rights' website will not be considered.*

Please note that all genuine Center openings must be applied through the Center website. The Center does not charge a fee at any stage in the recruitment process (application, interviews, or selection). Nor does it request any medical examinations or bank account information as part of this process. If someone contacts, you on behalf of the Center requesting payment for your application please notify [email protected] before taking any further action.

Our hiring processes and our work culture offer support and flexibility for staff with a variety of needs. Should you face an accessibility barrier in the application and interview process please let us know by contacting [email protected]. We will work with you to provide the accommodation that works best for you. 

Deadline for applications: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

Center policy on visa sponsorship for US based positions: Applicants for employment in the US must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the US by The Center for Reproductive Rights.