Associate Director of Partnerships & Resource Mobilization

KickStart International Inc.Vacant Position: Associate Director of Partnerships & Resource Mobilization
KickStart International prides itself in being an award-winning, global nonprofit social enterprise that develops and mass- markets low-cost irrigation solutions that are bought by thousands of small-holder farmers in developing countries and used to increase their income by up to a factor of ten, enabling them to lift themselves sustainably out of poverty.
Function: Partnership & External Relations
Location: Nairobi – Kenya
Role Purpose: The Associate Director of Partnerships & Resource Mobilization is responsible for expanding and managing donor development & fundraising activities from its office in Nairobi, Kenya.
Scope of Role:
Reports to: Director of Partnership & External Relations in New York
Works with: Close cooperation with program teams in Africa and with the U.S. fundraising team
Nature and Scope:
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Identify and generate new sources of funding from foundations, corporations, and government development agencies

Develop and write compelling and impactful grant proposals and donor reports Steward existing donor relationships to ensure future funding opportunities

Help to coordinate/project manage the establishment and implementation of KickStart’s donor funded projects across Africa and to ensure on-time and complete implementation and reporting

Work closely with KickStart’s development, management and program teams in the US and Africa to lead and manage funding concepts/proposals from start to finish, including conceptualizing projects/ proposals, developing budgets, writing proposals and reports, monitoring implementation and reporting on results to donors

Represent KickStart at international meetings (e.g. Africa and Europe) and public forums related to its mission and programs (e.g., development aid, job creation, technology, agriculture, food security)

Initiate and maintain strong, ongoing partnerships with relevant community members, including governmental consultants, other non-governmental and non-profit organizations , and for-profit corporations to collaborate on funding proposalsQualifications and Experience

Bachelor degree required.

Knowledge of international development and/or international agriculture and rural development

7+ years of direct experience managing donor relationships, including establishing new funding partnerships

Proven success in securing significant funding from foundations, companies and/or multilateral/bilateral donors

Good understanding of the project management cycle to achieve results

Experience living and working in Sub-Saharan Africa or in a developing country in another part of the worldSkills and Behaviours

Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal (e.g.: public speaking, presentations, correspondence, proposals and reports), including compelling, clear, succinct and jargon-free writing abilities.

Proven writing skills are an absolute must in developing and presenting proposals and donor reports for both internal and external audiences

Team oriented and able to work effectively with cross-functional teams to develop and analyze proposals that have both a realistic chance of success, but are also realistic in terms of KickStart’s capacity to implement

Self-motivated and entrepreneurial - must be able to work with limited supervision

Creative, critical and analytical thinker - able to co-design implementable projects with program teams.

Resilient and persistent: Must be able to bounce back from donor rejection (e.g. to proposals) and, where the is funding potential, able to identify alternative avenues to secure support

Charisma, able to articulate KickStart’ s mission and programs to inspire others through in-person meetings, phone and video conference

Strong computer skills – Microsoft Office, Internet, fundraising database (i.e. eTapestry or Raiser’s Edge), and demonstrated competency working with and developing budgets using Excel

Commitment to KickStart’ s mission, purpose and values, and to its methodology, history, culture, programs and constituencies

Fluent in written and spoken English, French fluency a plus.If you feel you are the right candidate to fill this position, please email your application to hr@kickstart.org by 21st August, 2015.
Please type “Associate Director of Partnerships & Resource Mobilization” on the subject line of your e-mail application.
All candidates MUST include both a cover letter and resume/CV to be considered for this position.
Qualified women candidates encouraged to apply.
Note: Please limit your CV/resume to 3 pages.