Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Ol Pejeta Conservancy UK Job Title: Head of Trusts & Foundations Closing Date: 7 November 2025 Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 Job overview The role will focus on growing the value of funding from large trusts and foundations globally, as well as from corporate foundations and institutional funders via consortium partnerships with larger conservation actors. You will oversee grant and contract management with existing organisational and institutional partnerships, as well as grow this portfolio through developing a robust pipeline of new opportunities, finding creative ways to secure visibility and first meetings, developing relationships, compelling funding applications and ensuring strong contract management oversight. leading a team of two, you will work collaboratively with fundraising colleagues based in the US and UK to secure visibility with and develop strong long-term partnerships with new Trusts and Foundations; and work closely with colleagues in Kenya to ensure strong project delivery and grant management. Responsibilities include: Lead the implementation of the Trusts & Foundations (T&Fs) programme with a particular focus on growing the portfolio of large T&Fs in the USA, UK and European markets; Work with fundraising colleagues across priority markets and with communications colleagues, using innovative and proactive approaches to business development and relationship building to unlock visibility opportunities and develop relationships with new prospects; in order to develop and maintain a strong pipeline of high-value funding opportunities. Continue to oversee the current programme funding portfolio which includes existing institutional funding partnerships and corporate foundation relationships in Kenya, ensuring that ongoing and new opportunities where they exist are capitalised on. Collaborate closely with and provide technical expertise to Ol Pejeta s Project Implementation function in Kenya to develop and embed programme funding systems, policies, processes, to ensure that the organisation works to the highest standards in grant management; Oversee collaboration and co-working with Ol Pejeta s Programme teams and other colleagues to ensure high quality project design content is translated into technical proposals and budgets for donors; Work closely with Kenya s implementation function to support strong project delivery and contract management. As a Head of, actively contribute to team and department objectives through decision making and action on planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting. Key Activities Support the Chief Fundraising Officer with overall strategy development, implementation and adaptation; Work closely with the Chief Fundraising Officer to ensure operational and budget planning, management and reporting of resources; Oversee the T&F team s operational planning processes, annual reporting and core performance monitoring; Strategic coordination of multiple stakeholders in proposal development processes (programme experts, internal stakeholders, partners and donors); Build strong relationships across all departments of the organisation and with existing and new partners; Support the recruitment process/selection/appointment of fundraising staff across the department. Strategic leadership delivery and management of Trusts and Foundations priority in the global fundraising strategy. Develop and implement tactics for T&Fs that support Ol Pejeta to meet its overall strategic objectives; Ensure that the relevant parts of the Fundraising strategy, planning and practice is adaptive to both internal and external changes and that the team adopts innovative approaches to its work; Effectively integrate T&F team objectives and outcomes into wider Ol Pejeta income targets and programme priorities. Business development and management Proactively cultivate relationships with key prospects, donors and partners (with particular focus on US, UK and European markets); Network both internally and externally to ensure relevant stakeholder participation and intelligence gathering in various fora; Lead and coordinate proposal development, including budgeting, with programme teams and finance; Collaborate with Ol Pejeta s communications and marketing department to ensure communication activities appeal to donor interests, promote our partnerships and help to position Ol Pejeta as a partner of choice; Research and share trends and intelligence on T&Fs, and develop relationships that strategically position the organisation to mobilise resources from new and existing donors. Support effective grant & risk management and compliance Support the development and implementation of improved business policies to facilitate improved management of and accountability for T&F funding and other larger institutional partnerships; Provide quality assurance and technical backstopping on reporting and general compliance, in line with organisational and donor requirements; Guide the negotiation of strategic grants/contracts to ensure the organisation signs up to appropriate contractual requirements; Advise on the interpretation and application of donor rules, regulations, processes and procedures; Provide guidance and capacity building on grant cycle management to colleagues across the organisation. People Management, Financial Management and Departmental contributions Provide inductions to staff across the organisation on T&Fs and institutional funding opportunity; Build, motivate and effectively collaborate with teams remotely; Conduct probationary reviews and annual performance management reviews for direct line management staff; Support the Chief Fundraising Officer to have oversight of the team budget lines; Work collaboratively with colleagues in the global fundraising team based in different geographical locations Contribute to overall departmental processes and initiatives; Act within the parameters set by the organisation on financial policies and procedures. Capacity Building and Knowledge Management Ensure effective cross-functional collaboration to strengthen fundraising and grant management skills across the organisation; Oversee the development and maintenance of information systems and tools for sharing donor policies and guidelines, funding opportunities and best practice across the organisation; Keep pace with international developments and engage with other INGOs to keep abreast of opportunities and global trends in T&F fundraising. Education, Language & Qualifications Bachelors or equivalent in a relevant field preferably Fundraising / International Development; Excellent verbal and written communication with fluency in English; Language skills in Swahili and German advantageous. Essential Knowledge, skills and Experience Relevant experience working in an international NGO or philanthropy environment with diverse workforce; Experience in Trusts & Foundation fundraising across international markets; Demonstrated experience cultivating and managing relationships with trusts and foundation donors (or others) to secure six figure grants; Substantial experience cultivating and managing donor and stakeholder relationships; Exceptional interpersonal, influencing and negotiation skills with demonstrable proactivity in business development; Strong technical proposal writing and budget skills; Strong ability to manage staff and influence team members remotely; Ability to manage and facilitate complex projects and processes; Experience working on the African continent with a deep knowledge of conservation and community development; Willingness to travel internationally as required; Willingness to be on call for donor enquiries out of hours. Desirable Knowledge, skills and Experience Tendering and project management experience; Knowledge of conservation finance including the biodiversity credit market; Personal network of contacts and relationships in T&Fs; Experience in developing complex institutional funding bids; Understanding of developments in alternative finance for conservation To apply, please submit your CV, a covering letter explaining why you feel you should be considered for this post, and contact details for two referees to gail.thacker(AT)olpejetaconservancy.org no later than Friday, 7th November 2025. Please note, only applications that total no more than five pages in length for the CV and cover letter together will be considered. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds who share our commitment to conservation and community empowerment. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 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