Associate Director, Partnership Development

Position Overview 

BSR is seeking an experienced fundraising professional to grow BSR’s grants business by developing grant proposals and engaging with donors in pursuit of grant funding. BSR implements a wide variety of programs with support from foundations and companies to further our mission of creating a just and sustainable world. Our grant funded projects are implemented globally and seek to harness the organizational, operational, technological, and financial acumen of the private sector, working with partners from civil society, the public sector, and others in the pursuit of more environmentally and socially sustainable development.  

BSR primarily receives grant funding from large private foundations and companies, with limited government funding. A successful candidate therefore will have experience and existing networks with private and corporate foundations in particular. Given that we seek to create projects that contribute to achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through business action, candidates should also have an understanding of how the private sector intersects with the sustainability and development agendas. 

The Associate Director can be located in the US or Europe, with a preference for being located in a city where BSR has an office . The person will report into the Managing Director, Partnership Development based in New York.  

The responsibilities of the Associate Director, Partnership Development include: 

Proposal and Concept Development 

• Building off of donor intelligence received from BSR’s business intelligence process, partner with subject matter experts at BSR to brainstorm and develop impactful new project ideas that leverage BSR’s content expertise and business network.
• Lead on grant proposal development for priority concepts. This involves drafting a compelling project narrative that translates our work for a donor audience, as well as program activities and outcomes, and a logical framework or theory of change. 
• Lead on complex, multi-year budget development for proposals in compliance with donor requirements and based on input from program directors and BSR’s finance team. 
• Liaise with BSR’s compliance team on contractual elements of a formal grant proposal. 

Donor Engagement 

• Build on BSR’s existing donor networks and relationships to lead donor engagement and secure new funding in support of BSR’s priority action areas. This will involve: 
  • Staying abreast of donor intelligence by reviewing donor updates, events, reports and other publicly available materials.
  • Broadening BSR’s base of donors by identifying priority donor targets and seeking ways to build new donor relationships.
  • Maintaining regular communications with relevant donors and seeking ways to involve them in BSR’s work, either through projects, research or events. 
  • Developing and implementing outreach plans for priority concepts  
  • Attending relevant conferences or events where BSR priority donors are present.  

Leadership 

• In partnership with the Managing Director, contribute to the overall strategy at BSR for grants funded work – including priority areas of focus, strategies for increasing grant funding, and ways to enhance internal collaboration with content experts. 
• Provide team leadership and oversight, including mentorship of junior staff as appropriate. 

Communications and Marketing 

• Increase BSR’s visibility with donors by creating content, such as blogs, social media posts, and events related to our grant funded work. 
• Develop marketing materials such as presentations. 

Project Work:  

• About 10% of the Associate Director’s time will be spent implementing projects along one of BSR’s Areas of Expertise based on organizational need, and the individual’s interests and capabilities. 

Other tasks may arise based on need, including working with operations, compliance and finance teams to improve the overall operational performance of grant-funded work. 

Compensation

At BSR we have implemented a transparent total compensation framework with an emphasis on internal equity. In order to maintain our equity, our salary ranges for this position are listed below. 

US: $107,045-$115,073 (plus 8% target bonus)

France: 83,959€-90,256 € (plus 8% target bonus)

UK: £78,349- £84225 (plus 8% target bonus)

Denmark: 671,702kr.- 772,457 kr. (plus 8% target bonus)

Qualifications 

• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience, either in the form of developing and writing high quality grant proposals for private foundations and companies or working at a foundation overseeing grants and grantees.
• Demonstrated expertise with conveying a theory of change and developing logframes, budgets, and work plans for complex, multi-year and global projects.
• Good understanding of just and sustainable business and the private sector’s role in achieving the SDGs and/ or one or more of BSR’s Areas of Expertise.
• Knowledge of the international donor landscape and trends, with existing networks and demonstrable success in securing grant funding from a private and corporate foundations.
• Ability to drive strategic work and engage colleagues around collective action/implementation.  
• Fluent in written and conversational English; additional language skills are a plus.  
• Well-developed interpersonal skills for managing diverse teams, including across diverse geographies and interacting with senior staff in donor organizations.  
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills.  
• Proficient with Microsoft Office; experience with Salesforce and Microsoft SharePoint Online a plus.
• Capacity to work and thrive in a growing, fast-paced entrepreneurial organization and collaborative environment.
• High ethical standards and commitment to BSR core values of leadership, respect, and integrity.
• Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background investigation and reference checks.