Partnerships Manager

Full-time – working 37.5 hours per week
Salary: From £50,000 per year, DOE
Contract Type: 18 month contract – extension subject to funding
Reporting to: Executive Director
Responsible for line managing: Grants Officer (recruiting Summer 2025)
Location: London, UK affiliated

About GISF

The Global Interagency Security Forum strengthens NGO safety and security practices worldwide. We have more than 130 member INGOs and offices in London and Washington, DC. GISF’s member-led structure makes us a trusted platform for collaboration, a driver of innovative security risk management (SRM), and a repository of best practices. We also work closely with policymakers to enhance their understanding of SRM. We strengthen NGO security practice worldwide by:

• Maintaining and building from our expertise in humanitarian security risk management
• Offering trusted platforms for coordination and knowledge sharing
• Driving innovation, capturing best practice, and improving SRM capabilities
• Supporting policy-makers and the humanitarian system to increase their understanding of SRM and maximise access to people in need.

What we offer

• 25 days of annual leave increasing after 2 years, up to a maximum 30 days (plus bank holidays)
• Office shutdown between Christmas and New Year
• Employer Pension contributions
• A focus on professional development, including access to overseas events, workshops, and training

The job

The Partnerships Manager will lead GISF’s income generation efforts to support its mission and implementation of initiatives within the 2025-2030 Strategy. They will do this by proactively engaging with a range of donors, building relationships, and cultivating partnerships. This role involves creating a comprehensive fundraising strategy, identifying funding sources, and expanding GISF’s network to enhance strategic partnerships and revenue.

As a senior leader within GISF, the Partnerships Manager will contribute to guiding GISF’s implementation of its 2025-2030 strategy

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Income Generation & Fundraising

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with GISF’s 2025-2030 strategy.
• Identify and secure funding from government donors and other sources to build a robust opportunity pipeline that supports GISF’s initiatives.
• Work closely with the Finance team to set income targets, and with the Communications team to create impactful campaigns for diverse supporter engagement.

Partnership Development

• Establish and maintain relationships with existing and potential government donors (including from the Global South), philanthropies and trusts.
• Identify organisations for potential partnerships or consortia to win and deliver grants
• Develop a framework for corporate partners to engage with GISF and our members, that brings in secondary revenue and creates opportunities for positive interactions between members and corporate partners with services relevant to NGO SRM.

Proposal Development & Co-creation

• Identify relevant donor grant/contract opportunities, draft compelling proposals, and ensure timely submission of all related documentation.
• Collaborate with donors, GISF staff and GISF member organisations to co-create and promote solutions that address specific needs and align with GISF’s mission.
• Develop and maintain a strong understanding of NGO SRM principles and issues

Grant Management

• Supervise the Grants Officer, ensuring effective handling of current GISF grants and contracts.
• Ensure systems are in place to efficiently transition from winning new funding to programme implementation
• Ensure strong and impactful reporting to donors to maintain and grow relationships

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration

• Represent GISF at networking events and conferences to increase visibility and establish strategic alliances
• Build key stakeholders’ understanding of the value of GISF’s collaborative approach to SRM
• Coordinate with the Policy and Advocacy Adviser on approaches to key issues and trends with senior policymakers
• Work closely with other GISF team members and GISF member organisations to understand their needs and priorities, to better identify possible funding opportunities

Programmatic

• Where possible, contribute relevant experience and knowledge to GISF activities, such as developing tools for NGOs/NGO Fora that support SRM budgeting and securing resources

Monitoring & Reporting

• Track and analyse income generation activities, preparing regular reports and revenue forecasts to monitor progress, outcomes and RO

Senior Management Team Contributions

•  Contribute to GISF’s strategic objectives, inputting organisational development and supporting initiatives that promote sustainable growth

Person specification

Experience/Knowledge/Skills

• Contextual Knowledge: A deep understanding of the NGO sector and the global context in which NGOs operate.
• NGO SRM Knowledge: An understanding of the security risk management (SRM) context within NGOs, with a willingness to deepen expertise in this area
• Proven Expertise in Donor Relations and Fundraising: Demonstrated success in writing compelling donor products and securing funding through high-quality proposals
• Strategic Donor Stewardship: A strong track record of cultivating and managing long-term relationships with donors, co-creating opportunities, and achieving more flexible, sustainable funding commitments. Demonstrated experience engaging with philanthropies and corporate donors is a plus
• Influence and Credibility: Brining a well-established network amongst donor organisations, and skilled at engaging with and influencing senior stakeholders within donor organisations
• Confident Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including as a public speaker, with the ability to explain complex concepts in an engaging and accessible manner
• Partnership Facilitation: Experience in fostering programmatic collaborations between NGOs and other stakeholders, including consortia
• Private Sector Collaboration: An appreciation of the private sector’s role in NGO operations, with the ability to identify and establish mutually beneficial partnerships with commercial entities
• Strategy: Demonstrated experience developing and implementing a strategy
• Adaptability and Entrepreneurial Mindset: Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment, with the ability to prioritise tasks effectively and seize new opportunities as they arise
• Team Leadership and Development: At least two years of experience leading teams, including mentoring and developing junior staff
• Collaborative and Autonomous: Capable of working autonomously while thriving in a team-oriented environment that values knowledge sharing and collaboration

All GISF staff are expected to undertake the following general duties;

• Work within the framework of GISF’s core values, promoting its ethos and mission statement.
• Work towards achieving GISF’s objectives
• Ensure familiarity with and adhere to all GISF policies and procedures and keep informed of GISF activities
• Undertake and apply learning from appropriate training and development programmes
• Travel overseas, sometimes to developing countries and areas in conflict, as and when required
• Undertake the role in a manner appropriate to the cultural context and within the local legal framework
• Understand and uphold the standards outlined in GISF’s Safeguarding Framework

How to apply

Application is by submission of an application form, CV and cover letter. This should be sent to the Recruitment Manager (recruitment@gisf.ngo)

The cover letter should be no more than two pages, and explain why you are interested in this post with GISF and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

Also complete the attached Application Form. Your application will not be considered without this

Closing date: 13 December 2024 For further details: See www.gisf.ngo/about or contact justina@gisf.ngo

Due to the high volume of applications that we receive, we are not able to respond to every application. If you have not heard back from us within 3 weeks after the deadline, it means that your application has not been successful.

As this post is UK-based, you will need to show evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK. Further information will be provided when an offer of employment is made.

For further details: see www.gisf.ngo or contact justina@gisf.ngo