Senior Officer, Corporate and Business Partnerships at African Wildlife Foundation

Position Summary

• The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is an Africa-based conservation organization protecting wildlife and their habitats as essential to a modern and prosperous Africa. We articulate a unique vision of African-led conservation, focusing on solutions that create opportunity for people — not at the expense of wildlife and their habitats, but because of them.
• The goal of AWF’s work with business is to shape strategic relationships that align with AWF’s mission and vision and that support AWF’s work from a programmatic and financial perspective.
• The Senior Officer, Corporate and Business Partnerships will report to the Senior Manager, Corporate and Business Partnerships, and work with colleagues in the Institutional Partnerships Team to build and maintain relationships with corporate and business partners.
• In partnership with other teams, the incumbent will lead the full fundraising cycle for assigned portfolio of corporate prospects/partners, including prospect research, outreach, relationship cultivation, proposal development, negotiation, contracting support, stewardship, renewal, and scale-up. The Senior Officer will be responsible for meeting fundraising targets. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing organization at a critical time for conservation on the African continent.

Key Responsibilities

New Business Development (35%)

• Build, qualify, and manage a robust pipeline of prospective corporate and strategic business partners whose ESG and CSR commitments, sustainability practices, and business models align with AWF’s priorities.
• Prepare thoughtful partnership strategies aligned with organizational income targets and strategic priorities.
• Identify opportunities for partnerships and calls for proposals.
• Secure new revenue streams, including through corporate grants, cause-related marketing, event sponsorship, matched funding, gifts in kind, and strategic alliances, to grow overall support from corporate and business partnerships from $1m to $3 million/year by 2030.

Proposal and Content Development (15%)

• Develop and deliver briefings, presentations, and customized collateral for prospective partners.
• Prepare Opportunities Review documents for Senior Management, complying with AWF’s Account Management Framework.
• Work with Technical, Program, Design, and Finance teams to identify fundable projects, budgets, results frameworks, and evidence of impact.
• Interface with Senior Management, Design Team, and assigned partners to support the development of tailored partnership concepts, proposals, sponsorship packages, and funding concepts.

Partnership Management and Stewardship (25%)

• Coordinate internal award management processes, including organizing the project’s kickoff meeting and representing the partner’s interests in account management committees.
• Manage a portfolio of assigned corporate and business partners, serving as the liaison between partners and AWF program teams to ensure strategic alignment, mutual value, timely communication and engagement, and the prompt delivery of acknowledgments and stewardship materials.
• Develop stewardship plans that demonstrate impact, strengthen engagement, and maximize partnership retention and growth.
• Review partner reports and coordinate with field staff and the Finance Team to ensure accurate and timely technical and financial reporting, ensuring quality control and compliance with partner and AWF requirements and quality standards.
• Support the preparation and negotiation of grant amendments, no-cost extensions, budget revisions, scope changes, and other agreement modifications, ensuring approvals are obtained before implementation.
• Coordinate partner site visits, field trips, and impact reporting to demonstrate conservation outcomes.
• Work with Program and Finance Teams to ensure closeout requirements are completed, including final reports, reconciliations, documentation archiving, and lessons learned.

Data Management and Internal Reporting (10%)

• Maintain accurate prospect, contact, opportunity, and revenue records in AWF’s CRM (Raiser’s Edge) and content management and file-sharing platform (Box).
• Track partnership performance, deliverables, and revenue targets.
• Prepare regular reports on fundraising progress and partnership impact on assigned portfolios for internal leadership.
• Collaborate with the Research Team to undertake due diligence assessments using dedicated databases such as RepRisk to inform the suitability of prospects and prevent reputational damage to AWF, complying with AWF’s Corporate Giving Policy.

Representation and Networking (5%)

• Maintain a schedule of industry conferences, business forums, and other events to be considered for networking purposes.
• Represent AWF at corporate forums, sustainability events, and industry meetings to enhance visibility and partnership opportunities.
• Build relationships with relevant networks, including CSR platforms, business councils, and sustainability alliances.

Internal Collaboration, Administrative and Other Responsibilities (10%)

• Schedule and coordinate internal and external meetings involving stakeholders in different time zones, including agenda preparation, minute-taking, and follow-up on action items.
• Coordinate with the Communications Team on partner visibility, campaigns, brand use, media opportunities, and public announcements.
• Participate in team and cross-team meetings.
• Manage logistics for corporate partner engagements, including travel arrangements, event planning, and hospitality coordination.
• Provide general administrative support to the Corporate & Business Partnerships team, including filing and data cleaning.

Key Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in environmental studies, international development, business, marketing, communications, finance, or a related field desirable.
• Minimum of 3 years relevant experience in corporate fundraising, business development, partnership management, or sponsorship sales, preferably within an NGO or conservation context.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and manage corporate relationships and contribute to fundraising targets.
• Good understanding of business trends relating to AWF’s core agenda of nature and people to inform partnership strategies.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including proposal writing and presentation delivery.
• Demonstrated strength in organizational and project management skills, with an appetite for action and results. Must be a natural self-starter, self-disciplined, with excellent time management skills.
• Collegial, collaborative team player with exceptional interpersonal and networking skills, with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships. Ability to work in a multicultural environment with diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency with standard apps (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and office equipment. Familiarity with Raisers Edge or other CRM software a plus. Comfortable and nimble in learning new systems, processes, and protocols.
• Ability to handle confidential information professionally.
• Intellectual curiosity to remain up-to-date on industry trends.
• Global or regional experience in conservation, international development, or related field strongly preferred. Keen interest or experience in Africa’s wildlife, land, and people.
• Experience working with multinational and African-based corporations is highly desirable.