Strategic Partnerships Manager / Senior Associate (Fixed-Term)

Role Overview

Our organisation is scaling rapidly toward a goal of serving 10 million farm families annually by 2030, and that growth depends on turning major donor relationships into long-term, high-impact partnerships. The Strategic Partnerships Senior Associate / Manager role sits inside our ten-person grant management team, where you will personally steward some of our largest and most complex donor accounts from start to finish.

Day to day, you will bridge the gap between our global fundraising ambitions and the realities of field implementation. That means coordinating with program leads to design and monitor grant-funded activities, translating on-the-ground results into compelling donor communications, and managing the operational details that keep each grant compliant, on schedule, and aligned with our mission. You will also help pioneer new partnership approaches around conservation agriculture, women and youth engagement, and smallholder insurance, depending on which portfolio you support.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned high-value donor partnerships, owning all routine funder communications and ensuring that donors feel deeply connected to our work.
• Partner with program teams to define goals, design project activities, anticipate implementation risks, and keep cross-functional workstreams moving on time and within scope.
• Develop and deliver clear narrative and financial reports that translate field performance into compelling stories of impact for donors and internal leadership.
• Manage grant administration day to day, including accurate data tracking, invoice processing, and compliance with donor requirements.
• Spend dedicated time in the field with farmers and program staff to build firsthand fluency in smallholder agriculture and ensure partnership priorities reflect real farmer needs.
• Identify and troubleshoot challenges collaboratively, escalating practical insights from the field to organisational leadership and the donor in real time.
• Coordinate donor visits and other engagement opportunities that deepen partner understanding of our programs and build lasting trust.
• Contribute to new thematic initiatives by helping our organisation develop the internal capacity needed to deliver conservation agriculture, women and youth programming, and smallholder insurance at scale.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in International Development, Public Policy, Business, Economics, or a related field.
• 5–10 years of professional experience in international development, strategic partnerships, grant management, consulting, or project management, depending on experience level.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, compelling donor narratives.
• Excellent organisational skills and a proactive, self-starting approach to managing multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated negotiation and problem-solving ability, especially when coordinating across diverse teams and external stakeholders.
• Comfort working with data and using tools such as Google Sheets to track progress and inform decisions, preferred.
• Previous experience in a public-facing role or with managing external stakeholders is preferred.
• Fluency in English is required.

What We Offer / Why Join

You will join a team that takes professional growth seriously, with weekly manager check-ins, mentorship and training opportunities, and formal career reviews every six months. We are building a culture of constant learning, and you will have the chance to shape a growing organisation while developing a long-term career in partnership management.

This role is initially offered as a two-year renewable contract and includes health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits. Candidates based in the US should expect to spend about four weeks visiting our field programs during their first year, with at least two weeks of annual travel thereafter. We hire on a rolling basis and will consider candidates for the location where their work eligibility fits best, including Kigali, Nairobi, or the US East Coast, with a strong preference for New York City.