International Fundraising Director

About Light for the World International

Light for the World is an international disability and development organisation whose vision is an inclusive society where no one is left behind. We enable crucial eye health services and help empower people with disabilities in some of the poorest regions of the world.

Our programmes include:

• Eye Health – preventing blindness and promoting eye health for all
• Education – ensuring children with disabilities receive quality, inclusive education
• Empowerment – advocating for the health and rights of people with disabilities in their societies and within development efforts

We focus on the poorest and hardest to reach because that’s where we will have the biggest impact. We create change through local people, organisations and structures because we want our impact to last.

About the role

Light for the World has been expanding its fundraising across the German speaking markets and beyond, and it is now looking to hire an International Fundraising Director to further lead this process and to ensure that the organization is at the forefront of the latest thinking and action in fundraising & marketing.

Accountable to the CEO the International Fundraising Director will coordinate the planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation of all fundraising activities. He/She will set figures for growth and will be responsible for reaching those figures across markets. The organisation needs a person in this role that is an all-rounder who is both strategic & hands-on, as it is a relatively small organisation.

Primary responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of the global fundraising strategy for Light for the World, ensuring significant and sustained income growth (current: 20 million+ euros) across our European fundraising markets, with a focus on unrestricted funds.
• Coordinate the planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation of our global resource mobilisation plans – revenue and expense - across markets.
• Contribute to the organisation’s leadership as a member of the International Management Team, working closely with the Directors of Communications, Programme and Advocacy, and Finance and Systems.
• Build capacity by bringing innovation and best-practices to the organisation - coaching, supporting and empowering our passionate and committed teams to employ the latest and most impactful methods across varied functions (individual, major, corporate, digital, foundation, legacy etc.) and locations (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, UK and US).
• Lead the development of all fundraising, including direct mail, regular giving, legacies, telephone, digital, major donors, foundations considering to balance earmarked and un-earmarked funds.
• Balance longer-term income growth through new sources of funding, while maintaining our traditional and loyal donor basis in Austria.
• Lead the Fundraising team (25+ colleagues) based in Vienna, Zurich, Munich and Prague in close collaboration with the Director of Communications.
• Develop, nurture and manage strategic international accounts and partnerships, including with companies, investors and alliance partners.
• Fulfil an external ambassador role for our vision and mission.
• Support capacity building for fundraising within our country offices in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mozambique and South Sudan in the longer term.

Candidate requirements

• 10+ years of experience, including demonstrated professional fundraising.
• Strategic, innovative and results-driven professional with a track record of success.
• Experience across diverse fields of fundraising including individual, major, corporate and foundation funding and understanding of key European fundraising markets including the DACH market.
• Demonstrated experience in financial management, including developing forecasts, budgets and monitoring expenditure.
• Ambitious and entrepreneurial approach and outlook with the ability to set and achieve meaningful stretch targets, while ensuring prudent management of budgets and resource planning.
• Significant management experience and proven ability to motivate and lead teams. Experience in building, mentoring, and coaching teams and an understanding of the challenges of managing from a distance.
• Desire to contribute to overall leadership and development of organisation and bring our fundraising, communications, advocacy and programme work closer together.
• Ability to embrace & lead organisational change during an ambitious time of growth and impact.
• Demonstrated cultural awareness and sensitivity to the diversity of values, views and approaches to issues relevant to Light for the World.
• Commitment to develop and expand digital fundraising.
• Confident and inspiring communicator with strong portfolio of contacts.
• Preferably experience in programmes, development cooperation and/or disability.
• Good listener and collaborator.
• Fluent in German and English.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally.

Location of Role

This position located in Vienna, Austria, where most of the fundraising team are based.

Recruitment timeline

• Applications close 20 September
• Telephone/Skype interviews (TBD)
• In person interview in Vienna, Austria end of September/early October