Strategic Partnerships Lead

Description:

As the Strategic Partnerships Lead, you will own the end-to-end business development cycle, from strategy formulation to contract negotiation and relationship stewardship, ensuring a diversified and robust revenue pipeline.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision: Develop and execute the comprehensive annual business development strategy targeting both the corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sector and major institutional funders (multilateral agencies, DFIs, and foundations).

Relationship Management: Cultivate and manage relationships with senior leadership within prospective corporate clients and donor organizations.

Pipeline Generation: Proactively research, identify, and qualify new, high-value funding and project leads aligned with Change Mechanics' core services.

Proposal Leadership: Lead the full proposal development process, including co-designing projects with technical teams, writing compelling narratives, and preparing detailed financial budgets to ensure submissions are technically sound and highly competitive.

Contract Negotiation: Negotiate favorable contract terms, project scope, and agreements to ensure the financial viability and strategic alignment of new projects.

Market Analysis: Monitor and synthesize trends in corporate priorities and donor funding landscapes to inform and adjust the organization's overall growth strategy.

Qualifications & Experience

Experience: Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in business development, grants management, or institutional fundraising, with a proven track record of successfully securing large contracts or grants.

Track Record: Demonstrated success in developing and closing deals with either corporate clients or institutional donors/foundations (ideally both).

Education: Master’s degree in Business Administration, International Relations, Finance, or a related field.

Expertise: Deep understanding of the project funding cycle, grant compliance, and corporate engagement models (CSR, shared value).

Skills: Exceptional proposal writing, presentation, and negotiation skills are essential.

Attributes: Highly strategic, results-oriented, and possessing a sophisticated approach to stakeholder engagement.