External Relations Specialist at Educate!

Performance Objectives 

Move forward Educate!’s fundraising strategy through effective stakeholder engagement and relationship management of partners

• Build a deep understanding of Educate!’s sector and ecosystem, especially key players and stakeholders within the space. 
• Manage key relationships with new and existing partners, and provide support on key relationships owned by the CEO and Educate!’s leadership team. This includes compiling frequent and strategic communications to partners, supporting leadership to prepare for meetings and speaking engagements, and ensuring prompt follow-up and project management of action items related to Educate!’s fundraising efforts. 
• Engage in lead generation and prospect research, including supporting Educate!’s engagement in regional and global conferences. 
• Continuously work to develop and build upon Educate!’s existing fundraising and relationship management systems, processes, and procedures to increase efficiency and move Educate! towards its revenue goals.
• Identify new funding opportunities through calls for proposals and building a network of contacts at key funders.

Serve as a liaison between Educate!’s teams and partners to ensure compliance 

• Operate as a critical liaison between Educate!’s internal teams and external stakeholders and partners. Build relationships with other Educate! teams and become an internal "expert" on specific programs, solutions, or aspects of Educate!'s work.
• Project manage complex due diligence processes with Educate! partners, and build and manage systems and processes to ensure compliance with complex grant requirements and conditions. 
• Collaborate closely with Educate!’s internal teams to understand the requirements and expectations of funders, and coordinate the implementation of grant agreements
• Monitor and track progress against grant agreement milestones and deliverables.
• Lead and support the team in building new (and streamlining existing) systems and processes to make grant compliance, grant reporting, and information sourcing.

Develop and manage written materials to communicate Educate!'s strategy and impact externally with key stakeholders

• Draft, edit, and project manage high-quality communications, collaborating with other team members primarily as an editor.
• Support the development of high-quality grant proposals that are customized to address the key focus areas and requirements of prospective and current donors.
• Draft, edit, and peer review a large number of internal and external communications as well as work to ensure consistent messaging and branding within the fundraising function as well as across Educate!’s teams.
• Work closely with in-country teams to develop and maintain effective communication plans for gathering information needed for reporting and donor materials.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 4-8 years total work experience, with increasing responsibility and independence demonstrated over time.
• A self-starter, able to prioritize and manage multiple assignments and competing projects, take initiative, and work independently to a deadline.
• Demonstrated history of managing multiple stakeholders and experience managing large, complex projects from inception to implementation and completion.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; experience editing and preparing engaging and nuanced content for both internal and external stakeholders.
• An understanding of how to adapt and tailor communications, both written and verbal, for a variety of different audiences and purposes.
• Excellent EQ, judgment, and interpersonal skills, as well as comfort collaborating on a wide variety of tasks and projects across teams and external stakeholders and with individuals at all levels—from junior employees to C-Suite executives.
• Excellent time management, organization, and prioritization skills—with strong verbal communication skills required for project management/team coordination, and social judgment for cultivating new and existing relationships across teams and with organizational partners.
• High degree of proficiency working in a fast-paced, flexible, goal-oriented environment, with the highest level of personal and professional integrity.
• Comfortable working in a highly collaborative but dispersed team environment, with teammates working across time zones. 
• Willingness to travel frequently to Educate! offices regionally in East Africa as well as to global and regional events. 
• Full proficiency in spoken and written English
• This role is open to candidates in East Africa only.