Strategic Partnerships Manager
Home Office | Paris | 20% field visitsAfter more than 10 years of successful partnerships supporting nature-based solutions in agriculture worldwide, it is now time to move up a gear! Are you convinced that climate, nature and people's livelihoods are strongly linked? Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and are you excited to develop and manage solutions that have impact? Are you motivated to take a leadership role in building and leading stakeholder coalitions? Then is Livelihoods Funds looking for you!
About Livelihoods Funds
Since 2011, Livelihoods Funds has been on the ground supporting the efforts of rural and farming communities to restore the foundations of our home, the earth. They work hand-in-hand with local organizations on all continents to promote agricultural practices that positively impact people, nature and the climate. They do this with one conviction: no one can meet these complex challenges alone! Livelihoods' approach is based on partnerships and operational coalitions between different stakeholders; farmers and their organizations, international brands and local businesses, public organizations and governments.
To strengthen our team of talented, dedicated and flexible professionals to help visibly communicate Livelihoods' mission, both internally and especially at top management level of the global business community, we are looking for a Strategic Partnerships Manager, based in Europe with the interest to work in a team environment, which implies that he/she can be present at least 20% of the time at the headquarters in Paris.
Job description
The Strategic Partnerships Manager is responsible for leading and developing strategies to optimize Livelihoods impact, project risk and cost sharing through new partnerships within the private and public sectors and through government support.
In this highly visible and influential position, you will interact regularly with executive management and top management level teams. To do so, you will possess exceptional integrity, optimism, expertise and collaborative spirit with both internal and external stakeholders to help advance Livelihoods' mission.
The Strategic Partnerships Manager will perform two key roles:
- Create public-private investor engagement.
- Realize innovative blended financing, as a strategic investment catalyst for Livelihoods.
For the purpose of creating engaged investors, your duties include:
- Develop and manage relationships with strategic organizational donors, foundations, corporate donors and individuals in close collaboration with leadership teams.
- Establish and implement a three-year work program that changes the fundraising model from reactive to proactive; engage project managers and regional sponsors in partnership-based fundraising.
- Act as advisor and liaison for project development with respective project managers to enable efficient communication with identified donors (in English and/or Spanish). In particular, he/she will coach the project managers to develop early proposals and take a personal approach to the (regional/local) donors, and prepare them for direct meetings.
- Structure the Livelihoods funding methodology according to different modalities: i.e. on specific projects supported by Livelihoods Venture (carbon offsets and sustainable supply projects) and/or on cross-cutting themes (livelihoods, gender, youth, climate, biodiversity, soil health, water, etc.). Your scope includes strategic, technical or financial partnerships, in the form of grants or subsidies, or in-kind technical assistance that adds additionality to the projects that are (should be) funded by current Livelihoods Funds and/or FMCGs.
- Setting up smart sourcing tools (identifying relevant profiles of funders, qualifying their potential, initial contact), reporting on fundraising campaigns regarding both current and prospective partners.
- Setting up, managing and overseeing fundraising campaigns and events. Your role requires you to keep abreast of new fundraising techniques and general news to bring in innovation. You will suggest new approaches to explore new funding targets.
- Identify fundraising opportunities consistent with the Livelihoods Charter and lead the development of compelling concept notes, presentations, applications and associated budgets for submission to potential funders, with support from program and finance teams.
- Building a pipeline of potential donors through research and networking & overseeing all funding reporting/compliance with grants or as requested by funders, including coordinating input from global (funder headquarters) and regional/national (local missions).
With respect to realization of innovative blended funding you will:
- Design attractive and robust financial models for LV projects, provide farmers with affordable credit and insurance, as well as arrangements for payment for ecological services and national and regional government grants (e.g. aligned with regenerative farm practices).
- Participate in the identification and financial structuring of new projects requiring matching funds, working closely with the Finance, Impact teams, project managers/sponsors and Livelihoods' partners, especially FMCGs, investors by commodity sub-sector.
- Participate in the financial and legal structuring and governance of the projects when donors/financiers are involved, and in the follow-up of the activities.
- Represent Livelihoods Venture at international forums to unlock innovative blended financing in projects.
- Contribute to the preparation of strategic documents for the various bodies of the funds (investment committee, board of directors).
The organization values the contribution of staff to improve the efficiency, reputation and quality of service. Performance evaluation takes into account his/her positive participation in the company's projects and his/her ability to offer and work out new ways for improvement. As a key linchpin in the organization, you as Strategic Partnerships Manager are therefore expected to proactively participate in the life & team spirit of Livelihoods Venture Company, namely: contribute to Livelihoods Venture's various cross-cutting activities. This includes communicative expressions, participation in networks, events, et cetera.
Profile
You are an experienced and driven financially literate manager, connector and researcher with a relevant academic background and broad interest in sustainable, nature-inclusive and regenerative agriculture who wants to contribute from his expertise to the transformation needed for air, water, soil and climate and knows how to realize financial coverage for this!
Job requirements
- 12+ years of work experience.
- Bachelor's degree in finance, international relations, development or relevant field (preferred).
- Experience formulating and implementing fundraising strategies, recruiting and retaining donors, writing successful bids and managing donors/clients.
- Experience building and managing relationships with diverse partners such as banks, development organizations, government agencies, corporations and foundations, and others to establish and achieve shared goals.
- Demonstrated success in facilitating difficult conversations and negotiating differences in a culturally appropriate manner.
- Demonstrated ability to lead internal strategy with a thoughtful and inclusive process.
- Experience developing, leading and managing multiple projects and implementing strategic program goals.
- Previous experience with international organizations/experience with international environments.
- Experience managing team members remotely, with the ability to motivate and support.
- Strong writing and presentation skills in English, proficiency in other languages preferred.
- Familiarity with language and/or communications technology.
Competencies
- A team leader/-player: You lead by example and are able to create a work environment conducive to participation and motivation so that team members can achieve their individual and shared goals (through the transfer of knowledge, skills and dialogue).
- A seasoned professional: Experienced in structuring/defining project proposals on paper, but also facing challenges in implementing those proposals in the field and drawing concrete lessons from these experiences.
- Results-oriented: Flexible, able to adapt to rapidly changing situations and meet challenges to meet objectives.
- Empathic: Know your stakeholders, speak their languages, listen to their views and understand their agendas without prejudice.
- Accept change: Be open to and keep a curious eye on innovation, new plans, new opinions in a fast-growing market.
- Didactic: Know how to make a point in a few words, adapt to your audience, be able to facilitate informed decision-making.
- Multitasker: Prioritize, handle pressure, track progress on multiple tasks at once and be willing to rearrange priorities in response to new information.
- Intercultural skills: Able to understand and adapt to different cultures of your colleagues and project partners (internationally).
- Remote-working-proof: Being able to self-start, work efficiently, create relationships, work in teams despite great distance and time difference.
Offer
Livelihoods Funds offers a varied and challenging fulltime position in an inclusive environment for all employees. Livelihoods Funds is a dynamic organization in which there is maximum room for development and initiative. The salary is appropriate to the content of the position. Fitting into the salary scale depends on relevant work experience. The appointment is for the duration of one year with intention to convert to a permanent position. You will have the opportunity to work from home and flexibly.
Location
From home / Paris. In addition, about 20% of the time 'on the road' for field visits.
Respond
Livelihoods Funds has outsourced the Recruitment and Selection for the vacancy of Strategic Partnerships Manager to CeresGreen.