The Role
Leads SmartStart’s institutional funding pipeline, donor engagement, partnership development, proposal strategy, and opportunity progression. The role identifies and advances high-value funding opportunities, strengthens existing donor relationships, develops new partnerships, interprets market intelligence, coordinates cross-functional proposal inputs, and manages a research intern. Success requires securing significant institutional funding, improving pipeline conversion, and aligning donor engagement with organizational growth objectives.
Summary Generated by Built In
Pipeline Development & Opportunity Leadership
- Own and drive the development,
prioritisation and progression of the funding pipeline in line with
organisational strategy
- Identify, assess and advance funding
opportunities based on strategic fit, value and likelihood of success
- Lead the progression of opportunities
through targeted and strategic donor engagement
- Track and analyse pipeline performance,
using insights to refine prioritisation and improve conversion
Strategic Donor Engagement & Growth
- Engage strategically with funders to
deepen relationships and position SmartStart for future funding opportunities
- Identify and drive opportunities to
expand, extend and grow existing donor partnerships
- Lead donor interactions that advance
relationships, unlock opportunities and strengthen long-term partnerships
- Define and drive donor engagement
approaches and journeys aligned to growth objectives
Proposal & Opportunity Development
- Drive the development of funding
opportunities and shape proposal content, structure and key inputs
- Guide internal teams on proposal
direction, framing and required inputs to ensure high-quality submissions
- Contribute to proposal positioning and
strategic framing, aligned to organisational strategy and donor priorities
Market Intelligence, Partnerships & New Funding
- Interpret donor and market intelligence
to inform pipeline prioritisation and engagement strategies
- Identify, develop and manage strategic
partnerships with prospective funders and collaborators
- Lead the scoping and development of
funding opportunities for new initiatives
- Translate insights and organisational
priorities into actionable funding opportunities
Internal Coordination & Team Leadership
- Define required inputs, guide content
direction, and align stakeholders for proposals and funding opportunities in
collaboration with the Investor Portfolio & Grant Management Lead
- Coordinate across teams to ensure timely
and high-quality development of funding opportunities
- Line manage and guide the Development
Research Intern, ensuring research outputs effectively support pipeline
development and donor engagement
Requirements
Qualifications & Experience
- Significant
experience (6–10 years) in institutional fundraising, business
development, or a related field.
- Demonstrate
experience in securing and managing significant funding (typically exceeding
R1m annually per funder) from institutional or strategic funders, including
high‑value grants and partnerships
- Experience raising
unrestricted or flexible funding from high-value institutional or strategic
funders is strongly preferred.
- Demonstrate
experience in managing funding pipelines, including progressing opportunities
through defined stages and designing and implementing donor engagement journeys
- Experience
coordinating complex processes across multiple stakeholders and functions
Specific Knowledge & Skills
- Ability to assess,
shape, and advance funding opportunities.
- Strong strategic
thinking, with the ability to interpret opportunities and position effectively
with funders.
- Strong relationship‑building skills, including engaging and
influencing external stakeholders.
- Excellent written
and verbal communication skills, including proposal development and donor
engagement.
- Ability to manage
multiple opportunities, priorities, and timelines simultaneously.
Skills Required
- 6–10 years of significant experience in institutional fundraising, business development, or a related field
- Experience securing and managing significant funding, typically exceeding R1 million annually per funder, from institutional or strategic funders
- Experience raising unrestricted or flexible funding from high-value institutional or strategic funders
- Experience managing funding pipelines through defined stages
- Experience designing and implementing donor engagement journeys
- Experience coordinating complex processes across multiple stakeholders and functions
- Ability to assess, shape, and advance funding opportunities
- Strong strategic thinking and ability to interpret and position opportunities with funders
- Strong relationship-building skills, including engaging and influencing external stakeholders
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including proposal development and donor engagement
- Ability to manage multiple opportunities, priorities, and timelines simultaneously
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The Company
What We Do
SmartStart is a South African social franchise and nonprofit focused on expanding access to quality early learning. Its evidence-based programme supports children aged three to five by equipping them with foundations for school and beyond. The model works through a national network of practitioners recruited from within their communities and specially trained and licensed to deliver the programme, including community-based early-learning initiatives.
