Senior Resource Mobilization Specialist – IFPRI at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Responsibilities 

Fundraising:

• Assist in advising staff on the development and implementation of fundraising strategies
• Perform competitive intelligence gathering through research and analytics to identify new donors and funding prospects, including private industry, foundations, high-net worth individuals, multilateral agencies, and government
• Advise staff on strategies for approaching donor prospects and draft outreach & communication materials
• Manage cultivation and stewardship for select foundations and individual donors

Proposal Development & Coordination:

• Proactively liaise with research units and corporate services to facilitate proposal development efforts, streamline the process, strengthen the output, and track progress and staff input throughout the proposal process
• Work closely with and support research units from project concept to full proposal development, incorporating input from multi-disciplinary staff
• Provide high quality review for key proposals to ensure output complies with proposal requirements, and facilitate professional service support (grant writer, editor, etc.), in collaboration with research units and finance
• Continually assess and propose improvements for practices/procedures/systems involving IFPRI’s proposal pipeline and funder/funding intelligence

Strategic Donor Intelligence, Networking, and Partnership Development

• Identify and analyze donor trends, priorities, pipelines, and strategic shifts to guide IFPRI’s fundraising approach across geographies and thematic areas.
• Develop and maintain a structured donor intelligence system that supports strategic outreach, account management, and institutional positioning.
• Support the Director General's Office, research leaders, and regional teams in building strategic relationships with key donors and partners.
• Represent IFPRI at relevant donor events and convenings, proactively positioning the institute and brokering introductions and engagements as needed.
• Facilitate dialogue and relationship-building between IFPRI research teams and funding organizations to promote joint planning, long-term partnerships, and co-creation of investment opportunities.
• Work with communications and leadership teams to develop targeted partnership materials (e.g., capability statements, investor briefs, concept pitches) aligned with donor priorities.
• Other duties may include:
• Assist with event coordination as needed.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in agricultural development, international development practice, project management, agricultural economics or relevant field
• Ten years of relevant professional experience with at least 5 years of management experience.
• Experience in a business development team supporting international development clients.
• Experience developing and/or implementing fundraising strategies for nonprofit organizations, including prospect research; outreach to funding sources; and donor cultivation and stewardship
• Experience developing successful proposals/grants targeting various funding sources (government, private industry, foundation and individuals), preferably in agriculture, nutrition and/or relevant fields
• Proven experience in donor mapping, intelligence gathering, and cultivating strategic partnerships in complex international environments.
• Strong networking and influencing skills, with the ability to initiate and sustain high-level donor engagement and relationship management.
• Track record of engaging donors beyond transactional proposal submissions—e.g., through co-design, strategic alignment, and institutional positioning.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and translate donor strategies into actionable partnership approaches.
• Highly effective and versatile communication skills—both written and oral. Ability to effectively synthesize scientific/programmatic content for multiple audiences
• High level of professionalism, including the ability to diplomatically coordinate individuals with various disciplines to accomplish common objections
• Self-motivated, with proven ability to work independently and multi-task in accomplishing key goals and completing projects
• Strong analytical skills
• Comfortable in a global team, including working well with team members and collaborators located in multiple time zones and countries
• Willingness and ability to travel as needed
• International experience, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and donor databases
• Background, or interest in, international development