Development Manager, Europe

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, a high-impact, global organization serving advocates around the world in the innovative field of business & human rights, is seeking a dynamic professional who can drive our fundraising in Europe to a new level. We are looking for a proven fundraising manager and strategic thinker who can work collaboratively with our global team which includes development staff and senior management in the US, UK, Germany, the Philippines, and researchers in 14 regions around the world.

Based in: London or Berlin preferred, other Europe-based candidates may be considered

Reports to: Deputy Director/Development Director (based in New York)

Salary: £38,000-43,000 per year (commensurate with experience), plus 5% pension contribution

Closing date for applications: 14 April 2021 (17.00 GMT)

Interview dates: 26-30 April 2021

THE ORGANIZATION

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is an international human rights organisation working to ensure respect for human rights are at the core of companies’ business models; empower communities and workers, to secure their rights; and advance accountability for corporate human rights abuse. Our Global Team, based in more than 20 countries around the world, work with a rich network of activists, unions and human rights groups, and investors. Our website and publications are available in eight languages. We work across all sectors and issues related to business and human rights, with strategic focus on the rights of workers in global supply chains, the rights of communities seeking responsible natural resource use and a just transition to zero carbon, and the rights of people to accountable digital technologies. The Development Manager will be an integral part of the Global Team.

The Resource Centre has helped define the growing field of business & human rights. It has put companies in all regions on notice that their human rights conduct is being watched. It has drawn attention to corporate abuses in all countries and provided increased recognition to those companies taking positive steps to promote human rights. The Centre is widely respected for being fair, objective, and constructive in its approach to make change happen.

THE POSITION

The Development Manager is a key position to increase the Resource Centre’s impact to put human rights at the heart of business. The job helps grow our annual budget (currently at about £4 million/$5.3 million per year) by expanding its base of foundation and government donors in Europe and helping the organization develop an individual giving programme, focused on major donors. The Development Manager will report to the New York-based Development Director. They will lead the Resource Centre’s fundraising work in Europe, working closely with the Management Team, particularly the Executive Director and Deputy Director for Europe. They will likely be based in the London or Berlin offices, but with flexibility on working from home. They will undertake occasional travel to Europe and less occasional to regional project locations. The Development Manager post is an integral member of the Resource Centre’s leadership, involved in the organization’s overall strategy and stewardship, and participating in board meetings. They will also play a leading role in the organization’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) program, working closely and collaboratively with the MEAL Officer to ensure delivery of the MEAL programs with key funders and supporting the roll out of the Resource Centre’s new MEAL strategy across the organization.

The Resource Centre has a strong track record in foundation fundraising – current donors in the Europe portfolio include Laudes Foundation, Oxfam GB, Porticus Foundation, and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. It receives funding from the governments of Germany and Switzerland and the European Commission and has extensive contacts with other European governments and multilateral institutions. To date most of the organization’s income has been from foundations and governments, but it has a small but growing pool of individual donors. We see great potential from expanded European funding in coming years. The successful candidate will have strong skills and experience in institutional (trusts/foundations and government) fundraising, grant-writing and reporting, as over 95% of the organization’s income comes from these sources.

Note: To maintain our independence the Resource Centre will avoid any conflict of interest or reputation risk by not accepting donations directly from companies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising strategy and organizational development:

• Build the Centre’s donor base and pipeline of prospects by crafting (with Executive Director and Deputy Director) and implementing annually a comprehensive Europe Development Strategy to raise funds from foundations, governments, other institutional donors, and individuals.
• Feed into the development of the international fundraising strategy, organizational development policy, and thematic and regional programme strategies.
• Report regularly to the Development Director and the Management Team on fundraising progress against stated goals, and twice a year to the Board.
• Research and communicate funding and philanthropy trends in the sector and across different regions, to the Management Team and relevant Global Team members.
• Prepare budgets and forecasts related to all fundraising activities (with Executive Director, Senior Development Director and Finance Officer/Accountant). Should be comfortable with setting annual fundraising goals and have systems in place to benchmark and track activities and progress.
• Strengthen development infrastructure and systems, including systems for grant management, donor communications, internal communications and learning, and financial tracking.
• Develop the fundraising and grant management capacities of Global Team members and partners by delivering training and providing ad hoc support.
• Work with the MEAL Officer to develop MEAL capacity across the organisation, providing training to Global Team members and partners as needed.

Institutional fundraising and grant management:

• Work closely with Management Team and Global Team to nurture and develop new relationships with programme officers and other donor personnel in Europe.
• Conduct regular research into funding prospects and discuss opportunities and trends with the Global Team.
• Lead Global Team members in developing compelling concept notes and proposals for their work, and coordinate the development of winning funding applications, including through partnership and consortia with other organizations.
• Develop project budgets and forecasts and support Global Team members in tracking financial performance of their grant budgets.
• Manage and track all donor communications, including grant negotiation processes, regular grant/project updates, and organizational updates from Executive Director.
• Lead development of reports and evaluations, ensure their timely submission to all European funders, and assist as needed with reporting to other donors.

Individual donors:

• Working closely with Executive Director and Deputy Director, develop the strategies and relationship-building activities required to attract individual donors, including major donors. Coordinate with the senior management to cultivate and solicit major donors in Europe.
• Create appropriate written communications geared to engaging the interest of individual donors. Elicit compelling cases, issues, success stories and quotes from staff, and particularly from regional researchers in Africa, Asia and other regions.
• Ensure ongoing communication with individual donors, and timely thank-you notes.
• Work closely with Development Team members and others to plan and implement the annual appeal and the other elements of an ongoing annual fund effort, including exploring the possibility of introducing the use of social media for fundraising.
• With the Executive Director and Development team, lead the entire organization to excel in both donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Work with the Executive Director, Senior Development Director and senior leadership to refine our online fundraising strategy for the Resource Centre.

EXPERIENCE AND ATTRIBUTES

Required:

• Right to work in the European Union or United Kingdom (must have before applying)
• At least 4 to 5 years of fundraising experience in a charity or similar organization, managing a grant portfolio of at least £1m and/or 5+ grants
• Track record of developing and sustaining high quality relations with key funding contacts at trusts, foundations, governments, and multilateral institutions
• Proven ability to communicate clearly and succinctly in English, especially in writing compelling and persuasive grant proposals and reports to donors
• Demonstrable diligence and reliability in project management and donor stewardship
• Effective financial management especially related to fundraising and project budgets
• Appreciation of the values and mission of the organization
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to maintain collaborative relationships with people from diverse national and cultural backgrounds, across several time zones
• Ability to maintain high standards of ethics, integrity, and professionalism, and to handle sensitive and proprietary financial information
• Excellent analytical, organizational and time management skills, including attention to detail
• Computer proficiency in Windows Operating systems, MS Office, knowledge of and demonstrated efficiency with donor management databases
• University degree, or equivalent
• Willingness to travel on occasion.

The following would be useful, but not necessary:

• Familiarity and experience with international affairs and human rights
• Knowledge of languages other than English – especially Spanish, German or French