Director, Institutional Funding At African Parks

Job Overview

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 2000 that manages 19 national parks and protected areas in 11 countries covering 14 million hectares. This is achieved through long-term agreements with national governments, putting in place funding solutions and establishing good governance and management to achieve ecological, social and financial sustainability.

The Head of Institutional Funding provides strategic leadership and expert management of the public funding team. Develops, updates and drives the institutional funding portfolio strategy for African Parks. This includes supporting the execution of the strategic in terms of proposal and report writing, donor research and engagement, and establishing the standards that give overall consistency to the public fundraising efforts across the organisation. He/she will work to bring greater coherence and coordination across ongoing management of all existing institutional awards and existing relationships and open up new opportunities in line with AP growth and global fundraising strategy. This coordination entails ensuring a high performing team of account managers are in place to articulate and drive engagement strategies, facilitate proposal development and requisite team inputs and reviews in line with AP SoPs, report on grant performance, deepen relationships and credibility with funders, and ensure that contractual obligations are met. Coordination also involves maintaining a strategic overview of all risks and engagements between African Parks staff and funder representatives (at park and portfolio level). The position holder will ensure that the organisation is strategically aware of all new developments, current and future financing mechanisms with institutional, provides strategic guidance to the organisation donors and effectively establish a community of good practices on institutional funding within the organisation.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

· Ensuring overarching strategic approach to public institutional funding and where to prioritize efforts.

· Aligning public funding strategy with AP Growth and global fundraising strategy

· Leading refinement of public funding SOP based on new developments and risk register

· Ensuring all the mandatory registrations are completed on time

· Setting standards and expectations for all those working on institutional funder relationships and grants management, including the team of account managers.

· Articulating and managing relationship engagement strategies for key institutional funders, including visibility nationally, regionally and globally.

· Ensuring good internal communications and facilitate the interaction with other departments at Head office in support to Institutional funding IF portfolio.

· Ensuring that the fundraising SOPs are applied to all institutional funding

· Developing a risk register on institutional funding pipeline and follow up mitigation strategies.

· Coordinating any external support needed for specific applications or reporting.

· Reviewing final applications and reports for quality control and compliance.

· Reviewing donor audit reports to understand where risks are and areas of improvement in team coordination around grants.

· Coordinate the establishment of a community of good practice on public funding portfolio within AP.

· Backstopping to support and ensure quality of the work of the institutional funding department.

· Some travel required to understand operating realities, engage with funders 1:1 and at key forums and to provide extra support and training as needed.

Capabilities, competencies and experience needed for the job

· An excellent leader and manager who can ensure that the team, regardless of location, are motivated, connected and productive in achieving the departmental goals.

· Strategic thinker with excellent institutional funding mindset, knowledge and experience.

· Demonstrated credibility and connection with public funders in the conservation space in Africa.

· 10+ years in public funding sector with at least 5 years spent in managing and supervising large administrative awards in the conservation sector and a good knowledge of funding requirements of institutional donors especially European Union, US Government, German, World Bank, UK, Conservation Trusts Funds, Green Climate Funds.

· Familiarity with the global multilateral Environmental Agreements, SDGs and related strategies, and their application.

· Ability to represent African Parks in key international fora and in the public funding sector.

· Excellent multi-tasker able to have multiple initiatives underway and be on top of all of them, meeting deadlines.

· Familiarity with innovative funding mechanisms such as blended finance

· Extensive work experience in Africa and in strategic engagement with African governments and government actors (at national and regional levels).

· Ability to drive change management within an organisation.