• Full-time contract, preferably based in Belgium or neighbouring countries. 
• Start date: ASAP, latest 1 January 2024. 
• Competitive package for an NGO. 

Reporting to the Head of Impact Partnerships, the Impact Manager plays a pivotal role in securing and nurturing high-impact partnerships with philanthropic foundations, potential impact investors, and large corporations that make substantial investments in WeForest. This role is intricately tied to both strategy and relationship management, connecting in-depth program understanding with high-value, personalised funding initiatives. You will have a key role in exploring new sectors and geographies to enhance our portfolio and diversify our income streams. 

JOB DESCRIPTION 

In the role of Impact Partnerships Manager, your task is twofold: cultivating new relationships and strengthening existing ones to grow our visibility and strengthen our financial stability. Beyond that, your priority will be navigating and responding to an increasingly crowded sector – ensuring WeForest’s differentiated value is clear to partners and investors. Leveraging your leadership and experience, you will contribute significantly to the growth and dynamism of our team, enhancing our mission and values. 

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

● Nurturing Funders:

• Foster and maintain relationships with philanthropic foundations, impact investors, and corporate partners. 
• Provide personalised engagement, ensuring regular communication and in-depth reporting tailored to partner needs. 

● Pipeline Building:

• Proactively identify potential impact partners using market intelligence. 
• Understand their specific interests, networks, and motivations to craft tailored strategies that convert them into donors. 

● Reporting & Content Creation: 

• Drive the creation of compelling and clear proposals, reports, updates, newsletters, and other tailored content for partners. 
• Handle all inbound inquiries promptly, ensuring partners are well-informed and engaged. 

● Strategic & Hands-on:

• Develop and execute strategies for business partnerships, with an emphasis on both project-specific and country-specific goals. 
• Collaborate closely with the communications team on campaigns and strategic initiatives. 

● Partner Growth:

• Strategic understanding and initiation of growth opportunities within existing partners. 
• Support the seamless transition of high-impact prospects from sales to the impact team. 

● Proposal Development:

• Craft compelling proposals for new prospects, partnering with the marketing, programme, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) teams, and the CEO. 
• Conduct thorough follow-up meetings to ensure partner alignment and commitment. 

● Meeting Facilitation: Participate in client meetings alongside the Head of Impact Partnerships and the Director and other internal stakeholders, ensuring aligned messaging and objectives. 

● Salesforce Management (CRM): Diligently maintain Salesforce records, capturing crucial details from meetings, setting close dates, and tracking engagement trajectories. 

● Lead Handling: Efficiently address all inbound inquiries, ensuring a consistent and impactful WeForest narrative is conveyed. 

● Collaboration:

• Engage with various internal teams, including marketing, program, M&E, and the CEO, to ensure synchronised efforts in amplifying WeForest’s impact. 
• Collaborate with strategic partners to enhance and refine WeForest’s value proposition. 

REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Significant experience in impact fundraising or partnerships, preferably within the non-profit sector, with an understanding of our work (forest conservation, nature regeneration, and livelihoods). 
• Proven capability in identifying, securing, and nurturing philanthropic foundations, impact investors, and corporate partnerships. 
• Genuine passion for the mission of WeForest and the broader sustainability and conservation sectors. 
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, capable of publicly representing WeForest. 
• Open to learning and constructive feedback. 
• Ability to adapt in a dynamic work environment and juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. 
• Preparedness to travel and engage with our global teams and partner countries. 
• Fluent spoken and written English; proficiency in additional European languages remains a significant asset.