Senior Manager, European Partnerships at Food For Education

About the Role

This role will lead Food for Education's European fundraising efforts, managing existing relationships with European donors, converting prospects to concrete funding opportunities, and leading the work to expand this portfolio over time. You will report to the Director of Fundraising based in Kenya and you will work entrepreneurially and independently to develop and convert a pipeline of partnership opportunities. This is a new role to Food for Education, and you will work closely with the Director to shape immediate versus longer-term priorities.

We are looking for an individual who is excited about innovation in education, has an imaginative and curious mindset, and has the ability to see connections between school feeding and other socio-economic issues. We are looking for an entrepreneurial self-starter who is excited about both creating and executing a strategy, has deep knowledge of how to secure funding from European individuals and funders, and is a very strong communicator. 

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Retail/Individual Giving Strategy & Execution:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for Food for Education to pursue funding from individual/retail giving in key markets in Europe, starting in 1 market in 2025
• Work across the entire life cycle of retail giving, from identifying vendors for different elements of individual giving, donor acquisition, cultivation, and stewardship
• Based on learnings from first market and research from the sector, expand retail giving and the above processes into additional key European markets
• Experiment with new tactics to secure funding from these sources in collaboration with the Founder, Director of Fundraising, and rest of the fundraising team, and iterate on the strategy as necessary

Philanthropic Lead Development & Relationship Management:

• Over time, expand the scope from individual giving to cover new European foundations, high net-worth individuals, and corporations to start in time
• Build, manage, and own relationships with key European funders in critical markets - e.g. the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France, and Switzerland
• Create engagement and cultivation strategies for said donors and prospects to move them along the giving lifecycle
• In close collaboration with the Fundraising team, manage and edit proposals for European funders of all sizes, work closely with Operations, Tech, and Policy teams to craft asks and key messaging
• Based on traction and success, manage at least one associate on proposal development and reporting

Thought Leadership:

• Based on traction and initial success in the role, represent Food for Education at relevant events in Europe
• Identify and pursue opportunities to advance Food for Education’s brand and presence in European countries

Qualifications 

• At least 6-10 years of relevant work experience, including experience working on fundraising in diverse European contexts
• Demonstrated track record and expertise in broad-based individual giving through different channels in Europe, especially for individuals giving gifts between $5 - $999
• A bonus if you have demonstrated a track record in originating 5-8 figure grants from European revenue sources at previous organizations, including foundations and HNWI
• Very strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience writing and editing proposals and reports and creating pitch decks and other visuals for external audiences.
• Ability to travel ~10-15% of the time for in-person donor meetings, thought leadership opportunities, and to visit our work in Kenya to develop strong programmatic fluency
• University degree in International Relations, Economics, Commerce/Finance, or other related fields.

Key Skills and Competencies

• A passionate individual committed to Food for Education’s vision and values.
• Ability to think strategically with strong execution and detail orientation
• Ability to work collaboratively and cross-functionally in a multicultural environment
• Strong analytical, written, and leadership skills, with striking attention to detail.
• Strong financial/quantitative understanding.
• Ability to work in a diverse team.
• Desire to meet tight deadlines whilst working under limited supervision.