Director, Institutional Partnerships

African Wildlife Foundation•Norway, ME

2d•Remote

About The Position

The Director leads strategic engagement with global financial institutions and Nordic governments to mobilize resources for AWF’s work through innovative financial mechanisms and high-impact partnerships. This position is AWF’s lead for managing relationships and furthering AWF’s people-centered, African-led vision for conservation and development with key institutional actors, including the World Bank Group, the International Finance Corporation, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, while driving strategic relationships and funding pipelines with the governments of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. The ideal candidate is a systems-thinker who can translate complex data into actionable fundraising strategies, streamline cross-departmental workflows, and lead a high-performing team in a fast-paced environment.

Requirements

10+ years of experience working with Nordic institutions and with their funded programmes and finance mobilization initiatives for biodiversity and climate.
5-8 years of relevant experience working with multilateral institutions, including IFIs and DFIs, on public funding programmes and innovative finance mechanisms.
Master’s degree or higher in Finance, Economics, Environmental Management, International Development, or a related field.
Deep knowledge and application of current and evolving trends in international development aid, public funding, and blended finance trends for climate, biodiversity, and nature-based solutions
Demonstrated knowledge of the emerging business and development environment in Africa and related impacts on conservation landscapes.
Strong track record in securing funding for conservation
Demonstrated experience working in development finance, blended finance, conservation, and/or climate finance, and impact investing.
Established network of strategic relationships with Nordic climate and biodiversity public sector agencies, development financial institutions, and funds.
Proven experience in managing and coordinating internal and external stakeholder strategic partnerships across a variety of priorities and topics.
Excellent stakeholder engagement, partnership-building, and diplomacy skills
Experience in leading or managing a proposal development team.
Experience negotiating complex agreements and contracts.
Strategic thinking with the ability to translate concepts into actionable deals.
Excellent communication and presentation skills for diverse audiences.
Ability to operate in multicultural, cross-sector environments.
High level of integrity, adaptability, and results orientation.
Fluency in English.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of French and Norwegian is an asset.

Responsibilities

Build and manage strategic relationships with government agencies, ministries, and other public institutions in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland
Develop partnerships and engage with other relevant Nordic Organisations, private sector entities, or civil society that can support the advancement of AWF’s priorities.
Develop engagement and funding strategies for each country and coordinate implementation of long-term global strategic plans, goals, and objectives.
Work closely with AWF Country and Landscape Teams, Program Design, Communications, and leadership teams to ensure coherent and effective strategies to grow AWF’s funding portfolios with Nordic countries’ institutions funding or investing in Africa.
Search, identify, and review opportunities for public funding and/or blended finance/innovative financial mechanisms that support AWF’s strategies and programs.
Work with external stakeholders and teams across TNC to explore, identify, and influence the creation of opportunities for blended finance initiatives with Nordics’ development financial institutions and funds that have the potential to mobilize public-private sources of funding for climate and biodiversity, as well as other innovative finance mechanisms.
Provide guidance to teams across AWF to submit high-quality proposals and/or establish effective relationships with partners to access funding, providing strategic input on project design, eligibility requirements, budget structure, compliance, and partner arrangements based on strong knowledge of public donors’ funding priorities and cross-cutting requirements.
Support teams during the implementation of funded proposals to ensure compliance with legal provisions and contracts, monitor reporting deadlines, and ensure quality control and compliance with donor requirements.
Support AWF country teams to engage in a coordinated and strategic way with Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, and Finnish Embassies, Offices, and other respective institutions across Africa in the context of development strategies and investment plans.
Lead strategic engagement with institutions that deploy innovative financial mechanisms, in-cluding multilateral development banks (MDBs), development financial institutions (DFIs), global climate funds, and others.
Serve as the primary focal point for partnerships with institutions such as the World Bank, the US Finance Development Corporation, and other public finance actors.
Work with global and country teams to identify and develop opportunities that integrate innovative financial mechanisms such as Blended Finance for nature, Carbon Markets and Nature-based Credits, Payment for Ecosystem Services, Conservation Trust Funds, Results-based Financing, Green Bonds and Loans.
Stay abreast of trends in sustainable finance, ESG investing, and climate/biodiversity funding mechanisms.
Collaborate with AWF teams to align financing strategies with programmatic goals.
Track innovative financing agendas and trends to inform internal strategies and position the organization with relevant institutions.
Support the design and structure of financing solutions that align conservation outcomes with donor/investor requirements.
Collaborate with leadership and country teams to position AWF as the leading African international NGO, and a trusted adviser and partner.
Identify, lead, and manage partnerships between AWF and Nordic donors, financial institutions, and other relevant stakeholders who impact African conservation and development.
Represent AWF and give voice to the African agenda in relevant networks, coalitions, global platforms, working groups, and information sessions, including in public speaking roles at conferences, events, and international forums to share AWF’s work and influence the formation of policies, financial mechanisms, and funding streams.