Institutional Partnerships Officer

Position description

Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is an international nonprofit with offices around the world working to improve protection for civilians caught in conflict zones. CIVIC envisions a world in which no civilian is harmed in conflict. Our mission is to support communities affected by conflict in their quest for protection and strengthen the resolve and capacity of armed actors to prevent and respond to civilian harm. We are advocates who believe that no civilian caught in conflict should be ignored, and we provide practical solutions to preventing and responding to civilian harm. Learn more at civiliansinconflict.org.

About the Position

CIVIC seeks a self-starting development professional to help forge new and grow existing institutional partnerships. Focusing on an assigned geographical portfolio, the Development Officer will support the fundraising efforts of CIVIC’s Development Team. The Officer will lead the development of high-quality concept notes and proposals with a high degree of autonomy, working closely with Africa, MENA and Ukraine programs, finance and technical teams –turning project ideas into winning opportunities to secure funding for the organization.

The Officer will help identify and create new funding opportunities, coordinate application processes, support capture planning, program design, and donor and partner engagement.

The Institutional Partnerships Officer works as part of a high-performing team of development professionals with expertise across government, multilateral, foundation, and private philanthropy spaces. They will also collaborate closely with CIVIC colleagues across numerous geographies, time zones, and departments.

The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of the development, humanitarian, conflict, or human rights space, as well as experience pursuing funding opportunities with key European and North American government donors, multilateral bodies (like the EU, UN system), and ideally non-traditional donors. Candidates should be familiar with the technical intricacies of institutional bidding and grant-making processes and have a successful fundraising track record.

Key Functions

As a vital member of the Development team, the Institutional Partnerships Officer:

• Contributes to identification of funding opportunities and initiates and coordinates necessary bid approval discussions with all internal stakeholders.
• Leads capture planning efforts for a given geography.
• Coordinates and writes concept notes and proposals, ensuring seamless collaboration with relevant program and finance colleagues.
• Together with the Director, develops and implements engagement strategies, based on thorough research and analysis of target institutions and their decision-making structures, as well as funding trends.
• Supports contract review and contract negotiations with institutional donors.
• Ensures proper handover to the program team after award signature, communicating donor requirements and expected standards to ensure grant compliance.
• Maintains thorough and well-organized records of all relevant donor intel and proposal data, using agreed systems and tech platforms.
• Fully participates in a wide range of strategic, operational and management discussions and processes, contributing to organization-wide efforts to maximize efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness.

Prospect Research and Data Management

• Researches, identifies, and analyzes suitable grant opportunities and requests for proposals (RFPs).
• Compiles and shares comprehensive donor intelligence for the assigned portfolio.
• Maintains accurate records of donor data, using Salesforce and other agreed upon platforms.

Donor and Partner Engagement

• Maps out potential partners and competitors to inform capture planning efforts, including as CIVIC considers pursuing large opportunities as part of a consortium.
• Works with other team members to systematically expand strategic donor communications.
• Prepares for and coordinates donor events and meetings.

Proposal Development

• Coordinates and produces top-quality proposals, contributing to project design, eliciting inputs across teams and ensuring the result consistently meets deadlines, donor expectations, and the highest competitive standards.

Internal Communication

• Builds strong relationships across all teams and departments and facilitates fruitful collaborations.

Experience/Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in peace and conflict studies, international relations, international law, development, or a related field.
• 3+ years’ experience in non-profit fundraising / business development.
• Interest in and knowledge of institutional donors, human rights, international security, conflict resolution and/or peacebuilding.
• Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills in English. Working proficiency in French is a strong asset.
• Experience working in international or highly diverse, multi-cultural contexts and across time zones.
• Excellent time management and an ability to handle tight deadlines and deliver complex tasks under pressure, while maintaining flexibility and showing exceptional attention to detail.
• Personal maturity and an ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with internal and external interlocutors, maintaining a calm, reassuring, and objective attitude.
• Technological proficiency, including in Microsoft Office/Google Workspace. Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM a plus.
• Understanding and use of donor/prospect research databases, search engines, and systems.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 20% of time.

CIVIC offers a hybrid work model that offers work from home in 3 days per week.

CIVIC offers a competitive compensation and benefits package for U.S. staff that includes excellent health benefits (medical, vision, and dental), life insurance, a 403b retirement savings plan with employer-matched contributions (up to 5% of salary), and paid leave plus paid holidays (including the day after Thanksgiving and the days between Christmas and New Year’s Day).

Application instructions

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