Responsibilities 

Fundraising:

Assist in advising staff on the development and implementation of fundraising strategies

Perform competitive intelligence gathering through research and analytics to identify new donors and funding prospects, including private industry, foundations, high-net worth individuals, multilateral agencies, and government

Advise staff on strategies for approaching donor prospects and draft outreach & communication materials

Manage cultivation and stewardship for select foundations and individual donors

Proposal Development & Coordination:

Proactively liaise with research units and corporate services to facilitate proposal development efforts, streamline the process, strengthen the output, and track progress and staff input throughout the proposal process

Work closely with and support research units from project concept to full proposal development, incorporating input from multi-disciplinary staff

Provide high quality review for key proposals to ensure output complies with proposal requirements, and facilitate professional service support (grant writer, editor, etc.), in collaboration with research units and finance

Continually assess and propose improvements for practices/procedures/systems involving IFPRI’s proposal pipeline and funder/funding intelligence

Strategic Donor Intelligence, Networking, and Partnership Development

Identify and analyze donor trends, priorities, pipelines, and strategic shifts to guide IFPRI’s fundraising approach across geographies and thematic areas.

Develop and maintain a structured donor intelligence system that supports strategic outreach, account management, and institutional positioning.

Support the Director General's Office, research leaders, and regional teams in building strategic relationships with key donors and partners.

Represent IFPRI at relevant donor events and convenings, proactively positioning the institute and brokering introductions and engagements as needed.

Facilitate dialogue and relationship-building between IFPRI research teams and funding organizations to promote joint planning, long-term partnerships, and co-creation of investment opportunities.

Work with communications and leadership teams to develop targeted partnership materials (e.g., capability statements, investor briefs, concept pitches) aligned with donor priorities.

Other duties may include:

Assist with event coordination as needed.

Requirements

Master’s degree in agricultural development, international development practice, project management, agricultural economics or relevant field

Ten years of relevant professional experience with at least 5 years of management experience.

Experience in a business development team supporting international development clients.

Experience developing and/or implementing fundraising strategies for nonprofit organizations, including prospect research; outreach to funding sources; and donor cultivation and stewardship

Experience developing successful proposals/grants targeting various funding sources (government, private industry, foundation and individuals), preferably in agriculture, nutrition and/or relevant fields

Proven experience in donor mapping, intelligence gathering, and cultivating strategic partnerships in complex international environments.

Strong networking and influencing skills, with the ability to initiate and sustain high-level donor engagement and relationship management.

Track record of engaging donors beyond transactional proposal submissions—e.g., through co-design, strategic alignment, and institutional positioning.

Demonstrated ability to understand and translate donor strategies into actionable partnership approaches.

Highly effective and versatile communication skills—both written and oral. Ability to effectively synthesize scientific/programmatic content for multiple audiences

High level of professionalism, including the ability to diplomatically coordinate individuals with various disciplines to accomplish common objections

Self-motivated, with proven ability to work independently and multi-task in accomplishing key goals and completing projects

Strong analytical skills

Comfortable in a global team, including working well with team members and collaborators located in multiple time zones and countries

Willingness and ability to travel as needed

International experience, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America

Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and donor databases

Background, or interest in, international development