Senior Director of Institutional Partnerships

Are you passionate about scaling impact through strategic partnerships and transformative funding?

Village Enterprise is seeking a visionary and relationship-driven Senior Director of Institutional Partnerships to lead our growing portfolio of institutional partnerships — from major global foundations to bilateral and multilateral donors.

Based in Nairobi, Kenya, this leader will work across teams and geographies to secure high-impact, multi-year grants that fuel poverty graduation at scale. The ideal candidate is a mission-aligned strategist who can navigate complex donor landscapes, build authentic partnerships, and co-create bold opportunities for growth alongside program, executive, and development colleagues.

If you're passionate about social innovation, systems change, and results-driven partnerships — and you thrive at the intersection of global influence and local leadership — this is the role for you.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and Expand Strategic Partnerships: Serve as the driving force behind Village Enterprise’s institutional fundraising strategy, with a focus on bi-lateral, multilateral, and philanthropic foundation partnerships.
• Secure and Steward Transformational Grants: Build and maintain a portfolio of high-value relationships, proactively pursuing seven-figure grants that fund strategic growth, innovation, and long-term impact.
• Own and Elevate the Proposal Development Process:
• Lead the end-to-end proposal process with excellence — from early-stage qualification and narrative framing to internal alignment, writing, budgeting, and final submission. You’ll ensure a collaborative, well-organized process that draws on program, MEL, and finance expertise, while keeping timelines, roles, and decision points clear.
• Collaborate Across the Organization: Work closely with global program, finance, MEL, and executive teams to shape funding proposals, align donor goals with program design, and ensure excellence in reporting and stewardship.
• Drive Global Visibility from a Local Base: Represent Village Enterprise in high-level donor conversations, global convenings, and collaborative initiatives — with a strong voice rooted in our work across East Africa.
• Build Systems and Strengthen the Team: Mentor junior staff and contribute to development systems that support partnership tracking, knowledge management, and continuous improvement across the institutional funding function.

Key Results

• Millions Mobilized for Mission-Aligned Growth – You will secure funding that expands our reach, strengthens local systems, and supports government-led and partner-driven scale across Africa.
• Resilient and Diverse Institutional Portfolio – Through your leadership, Village Enterprise will maintain a well-balanced mix of restricted and flexible funding from multilateral banks, major foundations, and bilateral donors.
• Cross-Functional Partnership Excellence – Program, MEL, and finance teams will feel deeply supported and aligned through your work — resulting in stronger execution, compliance, and shared success with donors.

Qualifications

We value diverse experiences and recognize that strong candidates come from many paths. If this opportunity excites you and you believe you can succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply — even if you don’t meet every requirement.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• Deep Passion for Social Impact and Systems Change – You care about ending extreme poverty and scaling solutions that are locally led and globally recognized.
• Experience Securing Large-Scale Funding – You’ve successfully secured significant institutional grants and have experience navigating donor priorities, theories of change, and proposal processes.
• Strong Strategic Thinking and Project Management Skills – You’re skilled at managing complex, multi-stakeholder processes with precision and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Comfort with Complexity and Influence – You thrive in nuanced spaces, whether it’s aligning multiple partners around a single opportunity or navigating conversations with government agencies and major donors.
• Exceptional Written and Verbal Communication – You can turn data into compelling narratives and translate impact into fundable opportunities across a variety of audiences.
• Familiarity with African Development Contexts – You bring professional experience from within East Africa or have worked closely with governments, INGOs, or implementing partners in the region.

Education

·      Master’s degree strongly preferred in a relevant field such as: International Development, Public Policy, Business Administration (MBA) or Economics, Nonprofit Management, Economics or Political Science

·      A bachelor’s degree combined with substantial experience may also be acceptable, especially if supplemented by relevant certifications or fellowships.

Professional Experience

·      10+ years of professional experience, including:

·      At least 5–7 years of experience in institutional fundraising or partnership development within the global development, humanitarian, or nonprofit sector.

·      Demonstrated success managing donor portfolios that include bilateral (e.g., USAID, FCDO), multilateral (e.g., World Bank, UN agencies), and major foundations (e.g., Gates Foundation, Hilton, Skoll, Ford, etc.).

·      Strong track record of securing large-scale grants, particularly multi-year grants exceeding USD $1 million.

·      Experience working in or closely with programs based in Africa, preferably East Africa.

·      Experience leading cross-functional proposal development, including budgeting and collaborating with technical, MEL, and finance teams.

·      Experience managing or mentoring teams, with a focus on professional development and collaboration.

Location & Travel

• This role is based in Nairobi, Kenya, with travel expected within the region and internationally as needed for donor meetings and strategic events.