Senior Manager, Foundation Partnerships

River Partners•Modesto, CA

9d•$105,000 - $110,000•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Foundation Partnerships plays an essential role in scaling River Partners’ work to give new life to California ecosystems and empower communities with nature-based climate solutions. A key member of a small Advancement team, this role serves as a conduit for information and partnership development among River Partners’ diverse program and finance teams and a growing suite of private foundation funders. This role oversees the full grant lifecycle from prospect research and proposal writing to reporting and stewardship, working closely with the Director of Advancement, Senior Director of Conservation, and cross-functionally with science, land and water acquisitions, and project development leads, developing new partnership opportunities while nurturing existing strong relationships with program officers and institutional funders.

Requirements

Commitment to Mission: Demonstrated enthusiasm for on-the-ground ecosystem restoration as a tool for climate action, community empowerment and wildlife conservation.
Proven Fundraising Success: At least four years of experience researching grant opportunities, developing proposals, managing overlapping timelines, delivering related reports, and securing funding from private foundations.
Exceptional Communication Skills: You're a gifted storyteller and writer with the ability to tailor written pitches to diverse audiences. You can translate complex information into clear, compelling narratives for proposals, reports, and other communications.
Collaborative and Strategic Approach: You're a skilled listener and collaborator who excels at transforming team outcomes into tangible fundraising results.
Strong Research Skills and Fluency with AI Tools: You are a creative, curious prospect and grants researcher, able to glean relevant details and match them with organizational needs. Comfortable using data to track performance, generate reports, and manage budgets. Familiarity with AI as a tool to expedite, but not override, the grant writing and reporting process. Proficiency with Excel, Word, Outlook, ChatGPT and/or other assistive research and writing tools.
Organized and Detail-Oriented: You have a proven ability to manage complex projects and synthesize information effectively. Ability to establish priorities, manage multiple tasks and multi-phase projects from inception to completion under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment with minimum supervision. You thrive in a hybrid or virtual work environment and are highly self-motivated.
Strong Interpersonal Skills: You possess exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to listen perceptively and convey sensitivity and awareness, demonstrating professionalism, empathy, and authenticity in all interactions. Experience cultivating relationships with program officers and/or high-net-worth individuals.
Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
Ability to travel occasionally within California (required) and work some weekends and/or evenings as needed.