Associate Director Strategic Partnerships

**Job Title**: Associate Director Strategic Partnerships
**Team**:Strategic Partnerships

**Contract**: Open-ended

**Level**:Alchemist
Please refer to our Capability Framework
**Location**: Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, UK

**ABOUT US**

At Climate-KIC, we are wholeheartedly committed to building a diverse and representative team and an inclusive workplace that values different life experiences and perspectives, and we encourage personal development, learning and growth.

Don’t let Imposter Syndrome stop you from applying

Climate-KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Community) is Europe’s foremost climate innovation initiative, entrusted by the European Commission to catalyse transformation through innovation. Headquartered in Amsterdam, with circa 160 people distributed all over the EU, Climate-KIC leads and orchestrates innovation with a community of more than 400. Together we conduct activities in 39 countries. We partner with cities, regions, governments and communities with the highest climate action ambition; providing the framework and expert support to holistically manage the complexity of climate change and deliver accelerated climate action.

Climate-KIC operates as a not-for-profit platform working through public-private partnership, wielding both public and private funding. We consist of 3 Legal entities: a Dutch BV Holding company (for profit) with 14 branches in European jurisdictions, providing grant management, innovation orchestration services, and impact investment advisory owned by a Dutch-based foundation with charity status - Climate-KIC International Foundation. Historically, we have been funded by our founder and core funder, the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT), but we are currently transitioning to a multi-funder model.

**ABOUT THE ROLE**

As Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships, you will play a key leadership role in securing core funding and programmatic funding for Climate-KIC-led initiatives to enable large scale systems change through urban transformation, regenerative agriculture and food, landscapes and bioregions, industrial transformation and circular economy, oceans and water, climate education, culture and narratives and leadership development. This includes high profile global initiatives such as the

Systemic Climate Action Collaborative, which brings together leading foundations, philanthropists, corporations, public institutions, and other donors to commit significant funding to climate action and system transformation.

The role will include setting and delivering fundraising strategies, proactively developing relationships with funders and generating new leads, leading major bids and proposal development, negotiating contracts and managing major funding relationships. You will also play a leading role in building fundraising capability across the organisation.

**Responsibilities**:

- Executing fundraising strategies globally and driving best practices for the fundraising team
- Contribute to the fundraising goals for the Strategic Partnership Team.
- Contributing to strategic fundraising planning and development of fundraising campaigns and tools in close cooperation with the Strategic Partnership Team.
- Manage a portfolio of foundation, corporate, and individual donors and prospects.
- Identify and cultivate prospective new donors, sponsors and investors taking into account market developments, building both top of funnel and converting funding relationships.
- Drive diversification of funding sources and core funding by expanding partnerships with corporate donors, trusts, endowments, and other private sector entities.
- Develop strategic partnerships that align with the organisational goals and funding needs.
- Track donor funding data, create income projections and set goals.
- Manage donor communications, grant reports, meeting briefings, and proposals, including quality control and ensuring timelines.
- Liaise with all other teams to facilitate strong collaboration across the institution
- Represent the institution and attend academy events in a cultivation and stewardship

**Key Working Relationships**
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Climate-KIC Hub Lead
- Strategic Partnerships team
- Leadership Team
- Delivery teams
- Deal Desk and Programme Management Office
- Climate-KIC Foundation Board
- Multi-stakeholder engagement across the organisation
- Funders, including EU bodies, national and regional governments, philanthropies and private

funders, corporate partners

**ABOUT YOU**

To be successful in this role, you will have a track record of securing multi-million funding investment,

grants or partnerships from at least one of the following: multi-lateral funders, institutional funders,

foundations, trusts, corporates or HNWI’s.

**Qualifications**
- University degree or comparable education in relevant field, such as fundraising, marketing, communication, business management
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