Institutional Partnerships Manager

Who We Are

American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and helped thousands of farm families make a go of it (primarily through programs that increase farm viability and/or enhance farmland access). Long a pioneering leader, AFT is now riding a new wave of growth, driven by agriculture’s most pressing needs and opportunities. 

Job purpose

The Manager of Institutional Partnerships leads relationships with institutional funders that include government agencies and foundations. This position may also play a key role in interacting with other types of funders and supporting other American Farmland Trust (AFT) Development and Programmatic staff in securing funding for its programs and projects. The Manager of Institutional Partnerships is also responsible for identifying ideal funding prospects for AFT’s work and making recommendations to staff on which funding opportunities to pursue. This position may also play a key role in supporting AFT staff in the development of projects and programs, as well as assisting Finance and Accounting staff in compliance with funding award requirements. The Manager of Institutional Partnerships manages funding awards throughout their duration, including any necessary amendments, extensions, and other changes that may be necessitated.

Position summary  
Reporting to the Deputy Director of Institutional Partnerships, this position leads applications to institutional funding source opportunities to support AFT’s mission. The position coordinates teams of staff and partners to develop proposals and applications to grants and other contract agreements that will fund AFT’s programs, projects, and operations. The Manager of Institutional Partnerships is also a key member of strategy development for fundraising for AFT’s regions and initiatives and collaborates with program staff as well as corporate and individual giving staff in implementing fundraising strategies. This position provides grant writing, research, and reporting support and is assigned a portfolio of AFT program areas.

Duties and responsibilities

• Oversight of Institutional Partnership fundraising for assigned Regional Programs and National Initiatives.
• Coordinates with the Managing Director of Institutional Partnerships, Assistant Directors of Institutional Partnerships, other Managers of Institutional Partnerships, Institutional Partnerships Coordinators, and other Development, Finance and Administrative, and Program staff on the execution of Institutional Partnerships fundraising goals. 
• Recommends and vets potential funding opportunities to pursue.
• Leads and coordinates teams of staff and partners in proposal and application development to grants and other funding agreement contracts, ensuring compliance with funding solicitations and guidelines and submission deadlines are met.
• Carries out key proposal and application development tasks that can include narrative writing, budget development, supplemental documentation coordination and development, and completing associated forms. 
• Supports Program staff in joint proposals with partners in which AFT will be a subawardee or subcontractor. 
• Collaborates with other Institutional Partnerships and Program staff to identify and research new funding opportunities, including foundations and relevant government funding opportunities.  
• Cultivates new and manages existing institutional funding relationships. 
• Manages and develops strategies to help meet and exceed annual revenue targets and develops pipelines for future work. 
• Partner with programmatic staff in program planning processes, such as work planning, to provide insight to related fundraising opportunities.
• Manages grants and other institutional funding contracts throughout their duration, leading any related administrative functions.

This is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities. Management reserves the right to revise the job or to require other or different duties be performed as assigned.
 

• Demonstrated success in foundation, government, or other type of fundraising at a significant level.
• Ability to skillfully manage AFT’s relationship with high-level foundation officers, travelling as required to market AFT’s programmatic and fundraising opportunities.
• Critical and strategic thinker with a history of identifying and executing strategies with new institutional funding opportunities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles and best practices associated with fundraising from foundations and government sources.
• Possessing high standards of integrity, credibility, and reliability to articulate the organization’s needs, opportunities, and aspirations with clarity and enthusiasm is required.
• Must have the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Excellent communicator with demonstrable grant-writing skills. 
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and virtual meeting software.
• Be a demonstrated team player with commitment to the mission, philosophy, and values of American Farmland Trust.
• Excellent oral, written, interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills required.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree. 
• 2 years of experience in foundation and/or government fundraising or relevant experience. A graduate school degree in a relevant field can fulfill 1 year of required work experience.

Working conditions/Travel

• The position is primarily remote.
• Occasional work in the evenings or on weekends may be required to meet deadlines.
• Occasional travel within the Mid-Atlantic region (approximately 5 trips per year).

Degree of Supervision Given

This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Compensation
American Farmland Trust offers excellent vacation, medical, retirement and other benefits. The salary range for this position is from $70,000 to $75,000 based upon experience. 

American Farmland Trust offers a full benefits package for full time employees:

• Insurance coverage begins the 1st of the month following the date of hire. 
• Medical & Prescription Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Company Paid Life Insurance & Long-Term Disability (LTD)
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) – Healthcare & Dependent Care
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• 401k Plan
• Sick Leave: Regular full-time employees accrue 13 “sick days” per year.
• Vacation Leave: Accrue 15 days during the first year increasing by one day per year to 20 days per year maximum.
• Holidays: AFT observes twelve fixed holidays and a week between Christmas and New Years off during the year (all offices closed) plus a choice of up to three (depending on hiring month) floating holidays.

Why you should apply

• Be a part of a purpose-driven, committed, knowledgeable, high-performing, experienced and fun team
• A diverse and inclusive work environment
• A cause and mission you can be proud of
• Competitive compensation & benefits
• Remote work opportunity   

To be considered, applicants must submit a resume, a cover letter explaining why they are the right fit for both AFT and this role and complete all screener questions. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Apply Directly Here: Institutional Partnerships Manager

Salary : $70,000 - $75,000