The Northern Rangelands Trust is a non-profit umbrella organization supporting 33 community conservancies across northern Kenya. Its mission is to develop resilient community conservancies, which transform lives, secure peace and conserve natural resources.

Job Purpose:

The Partnerships and Grants Manager will manage a portfolio of significant multi-lateral and bi-lateral funders. This involves identifying and evaluating potential funding opportunity, cultivating relationships with targeted funders (formal and informal reporting), leading and writing proposals and bids, coordinating internally across NRT’s cross-functional departments (finance, programmes, communications, M&E) to develop compelling proposals that help fill funding gaps, report on status of the grants. The Account Manager is also responsible for monitoring and tracking opportunities throughout the funding cycle, helping mitigate any risks or challenges that arise and working as a high performing team member.

Key roles/Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of bilateral, multi-lateral donors – ensuring both compliance and engagement plans to build strong, long-term partnerships.
• Develop grant proposals and bids – especially for large funders such as European Commission, USAID, DANIDA, Sida, AfD, FCDO, UN, World Bank
• Develop and implement engagement strategies to deepen relationships with funders and donors, creating long term relationships of trust mutual accountability.
• Manage ad hoc teams and coordinate grant project planning and reporting – with ability to initiate internal teams of peers around an agreed timeline and set of deliverables.
• Support basic proposal budgeting and reporting, helping review and explain financial reports and monitor burn rates.
• Demonstrate sensitivity in handling confidential information.
• Ensure compliance with NRT policies and procedures and external (donor/legal/IRS) requirements.
• Manage or participate in complex or sensitive negotiations with implementing partners, conservancy members and boards, and funders
• Convey the mission of NRT to diverse groups who are important stakeholders.
• Travel frequently and on short notice, work long and flexible hours as needed.
• Coordinate reporting and providing information needed by partners/donors/stakeholders; ensuring financial, MERL and Program reports align.

Requirements

Academic & Professional Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in commerce, Business Management, Business Administration, Project Management or other relevant field such as ecology, biology, sociology, anthropology.
• Master’s degree in relevant area will be an added advantage.
• Possession of any relevant professional course and membership to a Professional Body will be an added advantage

Experience required:

• At least 5-8 years relevant experience in managing large grants for Bilateral and Multilateral agencies.
• Experience in convening proposal development workshops and leading process of developing grant proposals.
• Interest in environment, climate, community based natural resource management, marine and terrestrial conservation, peace-building and development.
• Deep familiarity with Kenyan or Ugandan conservation and development issues.
• Experience in building and maintaining long-term relationships with external stakeholders.
• Experience in managing and tracking multiple prospects of donors in a donor tracking or CRM system.
• Conversant in monitoring, evaluation, adaptation and learning frameworks – comfortable creating and reporting against logframes or result-based management indicators.
• Experience in working with diverse, fast paced cross functional teams.
• Experience, coursework, or other training in fundraising principles and practices.

Technical & Behavioral competences:

• High degree of integrity and commitment to addressing systemic inequalities and contributing to sustainable development for the benefit of all, especially vulnerable communities.
• Knowledge of current trend in bilateral aid, global climate and biodiversity targets and desire to expand that knowledge base and skill sets.
• An effective communicator in writing and spoken form.
• Demonstrated experience using listening, diplomacy, and tact to build strong relationships and motivate and inspire donors and peers.
• Strong organizational abilities and ability to self-manage.
• Strategic, problem-solving mindset.
• Sense of humour and ability to manage stress and deadlines
• Appreciation for working in diverse teams on complex issues – ability to mentor and be mentored.