Senior Institutional Partnerships Officer

Senior Institutional Partnerships Officer

The Senior Institutional Partnerships Officer (SIPO) will be part of the Institutional Partnerships team within the Global Development Department, focused on the strategic development and management of key institutional funders (foundations and potential corporate entities). The SIPO will also provide effective leadership to fundraising and administrative staff on the Institutional Partnerships team. Reporting to the Senior Director of Institutional Partnerships, the SIPO will partner with senior staff across the organization to successfully solicit, steward, and support the cultivation of a portfolio of institutional funders that increasingly provide significant support for EDF to carry out its worldwide mission.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as an integral contributing member of a team that secures and stewards 6-8 figure awards from new and existing institutional funders.
• Identifying and evaluating funding opportunities, providing strategic guidance to Mission teams on alignment.
• Working with Mission staff to conceptualize, prepare, and submit concept notes and proposals, reports, and other communications materials.
• Managing a portfolio of funders, serving as a liaison and informational contact between EDF and funding entities.
• Preparing materials for funder meetings and participating in meetings as appropriate.
• Contributing to accurate funder and income/projections information in Salesforce database.
• Develop and maintain strong knowledge of EDF's programmatic work to independently and effectively represent, through both written and oral communications, a wide array of local, regional, national, and global environmental programs.
• Effectively make a wide range of both independent and collaborative decisions in cultivating and stewarding donors, using his/her best judgment and the input of program staff and development leadership, where appropriate.
• Maintain extensive internal communication with the Global Development Department, Mission, Finance, and Enterprise staff, and, at times, the Executive team.
• Actively contribute to the Institutional Partnerships and Global Development teams to improve best practices and procedures and develop new cultivation strategies and tools.
• As appropriate, provide oversight and mentoring to mid-level officers and/or administrative staff, including delegating and overseeing work, and providing guidance to ensure smooth operations and high performance.
• Participate in advancing EDF values in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF programs.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university required. A Master's degree or equivalent may substitute for up to two years of relevant experience.
• Minimum of eight years of demonstrated success in non-profit fundraising, including securing and stewarding awards from institutional funders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and concisely.
• Deep knowledge of priorities, trends, and donor requirements in the institutional funding arena.
• Knowledge of environmental issues strongly preferred; ability to quickly grasp and translate complicated subject matter required.
• Sound strategic and analytical skills and excellent attention to detail.
• Exceptional planning and project management skills; experience working with a team to successfully manage multiple projects with competing timelines.
• Experience critically reviewing budgets and financial information.
• High degree of proficiency working in a fast-paced, flexible, goal-oriented and entrepreneurial environment, with the highest level of personal and professional integrity.
• Experience working in a non-profit institution of comparable complexity and scale, including the ability to work effectively with geographically dispersed colleagues, is preferred.
• Excellent judgement and interpersonal skills, including the ability to maintain tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality while representing the organization and interfacing with vendors.
• Demonstrates self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.
• Strong ability to actively listen and deftly navigate and manage relationships.
• Ability to work well under pressure, adapt easily to changing situations/priorities, and maintain grace, humor, and compassion.
• Written English language fluency required; advanced skills in Spanish, German or another language a plus.
• Strong computer literacy, including Word, Excel, Outlook and donor management databases.
• An understanding of and commitment to EDF's mission.
• Ability to travel up to 10% domestically and for work meetings.