Near East Foundation

Title: Foundation Partnerships Manager

Reports to: Vice President of Partnerships & Technical Leadership

Location: Syracuse, New York

Salary: $71,550 - $83,100

Travel: 10%

The Near East Foundation (NEF) seeks candidates for the position of Foundation Partnerships Manager to be based in its Syracuse, New York headquarters. Since 1915, NEF has supported community-led economic and social development in Middle East, Africa, and Caucasus. As a non-profit international development organization, NEF draws on local teams, experience, and partnerships in these regions to create community-led solutions to reduce poverty, create economic opportunity, increase resilience, and empower conflict, climate- and crisis-affected people to improve their future outlook and wellbeing. Our programs span three focal areas: Inclusive Economic Development, Climate Resilient Development, and Peace and Stability.

NEF works through a network of country offices and with local partners, with current or recent operations in Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. Our global headquarters are based in Syracuse, NY, London, UK, and Brussels, Belgium.

Position Overview

NEF seeks an experienced Foundations & Partnership Manager (FPM) to join its team. This role is critical to NEF’s goals for achieving sustainable growth. Working closely with the Vice President of Partnerships & Technical Leadership, you will help build a pipeline with the potential to raise $4.5 million in new funding in the next fiscal year.

The Foundation Partnerships Manager will sit within the Partnerships & Technical Leadership team. We help realize NEF’s mission and program objectives by advancing NEF's technical strategies and learning, fostering innovation, and stewarding partnerships that support strategic growth. The team bridges technical support, learning, partnership, and business development functional areas. We work with global colleagues to ensure evidence-based program and growth strategies, to steward partnerships and mobilize resources that support innovative and strategic programs, provide technical backstopping, and support continuous learning and organizational and global thought leadership by leveraging a complementary set of cross-functional skills, expertise, and experiences.

Key Responsibilities

Foster strong relationships with foundations and corporate partners

• Identify forward-looking areas of need and opportunity to advance NEF’s work: Collaborate with other NEF departments (programs, communications, business development, finance) and global senior leadership to stay apprised of needs and priorities, advance partnership and resource mobilization goals, and draw learning from our work.
• Based on organizational priorities, identify foundations and corporations prospects, help to build a long-term engagement and cultivation strategy that includes senior leadership engagement, and advance prospects through the pipeline.
• Lead the planning and execution of meetings with foundation and corporate partner staff; research and draft briefings for senior leadership in advance of foundation or corporations partner meetings; and prepare senior staff for donor engagement.
• Expand and maintain use of the Salesforce platform to track prospects, ensure cultivation steps are taking place, track funding processes, deadlines, and compliance requirements. Serve as an expert user of these pipeline management and tracking tools and coordinate an active calendar of proposal and report submissions.
• Working with program teams, ensure the timely submission of high-quality materials and reports that inform funding partners of how NEF stewarded their resources for impact.
• Actively steward engaging and sustainable partnerships with corporations and foundations, supporting consistent and high-quality regular donor communications and outreach that goes beyond minimum reporting.

Develop high quality and clear proposal narratives based on collaborative program design

• Serve as lead writer and proposal manager for responsive, high-quality and compelling technical proposals that reflect donor and NEF priorities and incorporate winning themes and strategies.
• Working collaboratively with NEF global colleagues, lead or support the preparation and delivery of proposal design workshops, including technical brainstorming sessions, to develop high-quality, responsive program design that reflects innovation, strategic initiatives, and growth priorities.
• Develop original proposal text; review, revise, and copy-edit technical proposal sections provided by technical staff, consultants, and partners; and set the tone and uphold standards of excellence in writing, copyediting, and presentation.
• Participate in technical reviews and incorporate feedback and revisions in a timely manner, including for proposals drafted by other technical writers or proposal leads.

Crosscutting:

• Uphold NEF’s core values of localization, respect, inclusion, and integrity by helping to build an environment of accountability and learning, keeping work commitments and respecting colleagues’ time, listening to diverse colleagues, and participating in regular feedback and performance reviews.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Requirements

We encourage all individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to succeed within this position and thrive at NEF to apply for this role, even if you do not meet 100% of the qualifications.

• Commitment to NEF mission, curiosity, a strong willingness to learn and understand NEF’s programs and the communities and stakeholders who are our partners in development, and a capacity for passionate advocacy for locally led and impactful work.
• Master’s degree and at least five (5 ) years relevant experience in foundations/corporations research, engagement, and grant and proposal writing or seven (7) years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree.
• A track record in philanthropic prospecting, donor management, and resource mobilization.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills and capacity to authentically engage partners, with demonstrated ability to identify new opportunities and establish new relationships.
• Understanding of the international philanthropy landscape, including key donors and giving trends, and sustainable international development programming.
• Knowledge of proposal processes and the role of lead proposal writer, demonstrated by a track record of winning proposals for foundations or corporations donors in relevant program areas.
• Ability to understand and follow donor guidelines, contractual requirements, and policies and to coordinate with colleagues across functional areas to guide responsive and compliant delivery.
• Excellent conceptual, analytical, writing, grammar, and editing skills and keen attention to detail.
• Ability to craft coherent, organized, and compelling proposals, reports, and other outreach materials and to distill complex topics into language that is accessible.
• Commitment and ability to collaborate with diverse colleagues and partners globally and to review and integrate their work and perspectives into NEF proposals, learning, and evidence.
• Excellent listening, organizational, and conceptual thinking skills matched with the ability to work independently or with a team under time pressure, to balance multiple high-priority deliverables simultaneously, and to take and give constructive feedback.
• Experience managing a pipeline via a prospect database.
• Proficiency in Salesforce, Microsoft Word and Teams, familiarity with Excel.

Required Qualification

• Candidates must be legally authorized to live and work in the United States without company sponsorship now and in the future. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using participatory approaches to design programs and develop proposals, including applying principles of co-creation.
• Experience engaging relevant communities of practice and philanthropic resources.
• Experience engaging and coordinating with international colleagues and programs.
• Knowledge and understanding of themes and cross-cutting requirements in international development, such as gender mainstreaming, market-based approaches, locally-led programming, resilience, innovative finance, technology and innovation.
• Proficiency in French and/or Arabic

We will accept a rolling application until the position is filled. Review of application will begin on April 1, 2024. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

Please apply by submitting the following information:

1. Cover Letter
2. CV
3. List of three references (including one from current, or most recent, employer). You will be given further notice prior to us contacting references.
4. Two writing samples illustrating your relevant proposal or partnership opportunity writing experience.

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Near East Foundation by visiting the NEF website at www.neareast.org

The Near East Foundation promotes Equal Employment Opportunities for all applicants seeking employment and NEF employees.

Pre-employment Checks

Any Employment with the Near East Foundation will be subject to the following checks prior to start date:

• A satisfactory Restricted Party Screening.
• Receipt of satisfactory references.
• Workplace Verification Check.

Benefits

NEF offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes: 20 vacation days plus 12 Company Holidays; flexible sick-time policy, generous medical, dental and, vision coverage; HRA and FSA benefits; employer paid short and long-term disability; employer paid life insurance; TIAA-CREF retirement plan with 8% employer contribution, paid family leave, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and more!

NEF's strength is its people. Our team is our fuel to achieving the innovation, quality programming, community focus, mutual trust, sustainability, and learning needed to realize our mission. To help our team thrive, we support a working structure that prioritizes flexibility, personal commitments, and staff well-being while promoting a work culture of teamwork, collaboration, respect, integrity, and excellence.

As an international organization, we value a truly diverse workforce and prioritize a culture of inclusivity and belonging. We strive to create a high-achieving work environment informed by different cultures, perspectives, and experiences. With a commitment to diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion in all we do, our aim is to ensure that people feel heard, protected, and empowered to contribute to NEF's mission from day one.