Director, Public Funding and Partnerships

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL•Arlington, VA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Conservation International (CI) is seeking a Director, Public Funding and Partnerships to lead its public fundraising and partnership portfolio for the Africa's Keystone Protected Areas (KPAs) initiative. This role will be based in Cape Town/Johannesburg, South Africa, or Nairobi, Kenya. The initiative aims to strengthen the financial stability of these critical protected areas through technical assistance and the development of conservation finance capacity. The Director will be responsible for developing and directing CI's public fundraising efforts with bilateral and multilateral donors, working in collaboration with internal teams and external partners. The goal is to identify, develop, and secure public sector partnerships and funds to support the KPA Finance (KPAF) initiative's priorities, managing the process from outreach to contracting. This position requires a strategic thinker with a proven track record in public fundraising, partnership development, and a strong understanding of conservation and development issues.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in international development, environmental conservation, or a similar field.
7 or more years of professional experience and excellent knowledge leading public funding and partnerships focused on international development, climate change, fisheries and marine conservation, and sustainable agriculture.
Proven history of securing long-term public funds for programs in a non-governmental organization from discovery to award.
Extensive experience and excellent track record in building networks and developing partnerships with a range of stakeholders and in managing communications with high-priority external partners.
Demonstrated success working with governments, bilateral and multilateral institutions, and other relevant public funding agencies.
Strong understanding of global environment and development issues relevant to CI’s mission and programs.
Experience with CRMs and other management software.
Exceptional organizational skills to prioritize projects and initiate follow-through with meticulous attention to detail.
Ability to work effectively under pressure, use independent judgment, and produce a quality work product within tight time constraints.
Prior experience in an international, cross-cultural work environment is essential.
Fluency in written and spoken English required.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree
Proficiency in other languages preferred but not required, for example, French, Portuguese.

Responsibilities

Proactively identify, research, and map solicited and unsolicited bilateral and multilateral funding opportunities aligned with KPA Finance Initiative priorities.
Monitor international and regional public donor priorities, policy developments, and conservation funding landscapes.
Communicate relevant calls for proposals and donor intelligence to RM Managers, global programs, and regional teams.
Maintain accurate fundraising pipelines and donor engagement records within institutional CRM systems.
Lead the end-to-end development of large, complex public funding proposals, from concept through submission and contracting.
Provide guidance, coordination, and technical support to RM TAF staff, CMPs, and government partners throughout proposal preparation, including timelines, partnership structures, risk analysis, resourcing, and donor terms and conditions.
Draft and/or review proposal content, ensuring quality, coherence, donor compliance, and alignment with strategic priorities.
Coordinate due diligence documentation and donor review processes as required.
Collaborate with Finance, Project Delivery & Monitoring, and Grants Management teams to systematize proposal development processes and ensure effective handover from prospective to active grants.
Implement the Africa Fundraising Strategy to grow and diversify flexible and project funding from bilateral and multilateral donors.
Work with RM TAF, global programs, regional divisions, GPP, and donor leads to develop and execute donor specific engagement and fundraising strategies.
Build and manage a diversified portfolio of public funding revenue in collaboration with RM Managers, CMPs, and partners.
Coordinate with the FMU RM unit to leverage co-investment and blended finance opportunities and scale larger investments.
Strengthen internal and external understanding of the role and value of global public donors within the KPA Finance Initiative.
Strategically position the KPA Finance Initiative with priority public partners, including bilateral and multilateral donors, UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations, development finance institutions, and government entities.
Act as RM TAF focal point for priority public donors, managing relationships in line with existing engagement strategies and in coordination with GPP.
Cultivate long-term, high-impact partnerships by supporting dialogue, collaboration, and co-creation of funding opportunities with donors and partners.
Represent CI and the KPA Finance Initiative in donor meetings, external stakeholder engagements, conferences, and relevant events, and backstop senior leadership as needed.
Respond to donor inquiries and support ongoing stewardship throughout the funding lifecycle.
Contribute to global policy initiatives around resource mobilization.
Any other related tasks as may be assigned.