Business Operations Manager
- Organization
- KickStart International, Inc.
- Location
- New York, NY
- Job Type
- Full-time
- Deadline for Applications
- 02/28/2017
- Contact Information
- info@kickstart.org
- Tags
- Full-time
KickStart International has an exciting opportunity for an experienced, entrepreneurial, and enthusiastic development professional to help us grow our institutional fundraising program.
About the Organization:
KickStart International www.kickstart.org is an award-winning, nonprofit social enterprise with a mission to lift millions of people in Africa out of poverty. They do this by designing and mass-marketing simple, “MoneyMaker” branded, human-powered irrigation pumps. These low-cost pumps are bought by poor local farmers who use them to irrigate their plots. The farmers move from rain-fed-subsistence farming to commercial irrigated agriculture. They grow and sell high value crops throughout the year—especially in the long dry “hungry” seasons when the prices are highest—and on average increase their farming income from irrigation from $150 to $850. For the first time, they can properly feed and educate their children, afford healthcare and plan for their futures. To date, MoneyMaker pumps have enabled over 1M individuals to lift themselves out of poverty and KickStart’s current strategy aims to double this impact by 2021.
About the Position:
KickStart is recruiting a dynamic and entrepreneurial development professional to support our institutional fundraising efforts in collaboration with other members of the development team. We are seeking a highly capable and motivated individual who has a passion for dignified development and the ability to communicate complex ideas in a simple, engaging manner. This person must be able to understand our programs and needs, conduct research to identify well-aligned funding opportunities, and write strategic appeals that are well-tailored to each opportunity at hand. Beyond the scope of research and writing, the Senior Associate will work closely with KickStart’s Senior Partnership Officer, Director of External Relations, and the rest of the development team to provide support in our donor relations management process. This position reports to KickStart’s Senior Partnership Officer and is based in New York City and may include occasional travel within the U.S., Europe and Africa.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Propsect research: Identify new donor prospects and sources of funding from foundations, corporations, and government development agencies; help define strategies and talking points based on allignment between identified funders and KickStart’s work
• Proposal writing and reporting: Develop and write compelling and impactful grant proposals and donor reports; Liase with program teams to compile information and develop content for timely reports and updates to steward existing donors
• Meeting and conference preparation: Conduct research on conference attendees, define strategies and talking points for CEO and other senior KickStart staff to implement at major conferences and meetings; Set up meetings at conferences as appropriate and track follow-up from those events
• Maintain and report on performance metrics towards goals
• Other duties as assigned
Qualifications Needed:
Education and Experience
• Bachelor\’s degree required
• 2-4 years of relevant experience and proven success securing funding from foundations, corpoprations, and governments OR significant experience in alternate aspects of international development including demonstrated analytical and communication skills
• Knowledge of international development and/or international agriculture and rural development
• Good understanding of the project management cycle to achieve results
• Experience living and working in sub-Saharan Africa or in a developing country in another part of the world a plus
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Entrepreneurial attitude,
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, including compelling, clear and jargon-free writing abilities and intellectual depth to convincingly articulate KickStart’s mission and programs to donors
• Creative, critical, and analytical thinker with strong research and problem solving skills
• Detail oriented and very well organized
• Self-starter with a passion for working collaboratively with a small team
• Ability to thrive and deliver results in an unstructured and dynamic environment
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, donor databases (i.e. Blackbaud eTapestry), and online RFP search tools
• Flexible work schedule, ability to work on weekends, early in the morning or late in the evening depending on work requirements
• Emotional maturity and a very good sense of humor
• Passionate about international development and commited to KickStart’s mission/business model.
How to Apply:
To apply, kindly email your cover letter and resume, with the position title in the subject line to info@kickstart.org by February 28, 2017.