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ABOUT SPARK MICROGRANTS

Spark MicroGrants believes in a world where everyone lives with dignity and determines their own positive future. Spark has worked in 800+ villages in 6 countries and has pioneered a community-driven development model in sub-Saharan Africa. Spark works with NGO and Government partners to scale the model's adoption and impact on rural communities - on their own terms. Our model combines facilitated community meetings with a small, discretionary grant to catalyze local action and institution building. Read more about our Approach, Impact and Values on our website.

Spark seeks a strategic and seasoned leader with a significant experience of leading systems change in partnership with national and local governments to lead Spark expansion strategy. This role requires working with our Country Directors and other key colleagues to scale our programs in partnership with governments while maintaining program quality and compliance with organizational and donor policies.

OUR WORK

The foundation of our approach is the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP), where rural communities are led through regular facilitated meetings to organize, conceptualize and implement local development projects, which are supported by a microgrant to fund them. The FCAP has been designed to improve local livelihoods, enhance social cohesion, and improve citizen engagement.

Our operating model is based on an international team of functional advisers (e.g. finance team, training team, design team) who support country teams. Country teams co-design the FCAP with local partners and government, train partners, and support quality monitoring and oversight. The size and scope of country teams depend on the needs of our partners. In Rwanda, for example, Spark is partnering with the Government of Rwanda to implement the Advancing Citizen Engagement (ACE) Project, supported by the Japanese Social Development Fund, the World Bank and Comic Relief. The midline results for external evaluations show encouraging positive change on multiple dimensions of economic development and social inclusion.

WHO YOU ARE

Spark is seeking a dynamic and experienced Growth Manager to join our team and to manage our institutional fundraising efforts. This role will be instrumental in sustaining and growing Spark's impact by securing grants from foundations, bilateral/multilateral donors, and other institutional funders. The position will work closely with our country teams to effectively identify and manage opportunities and expand our reach.

The Growth Manager should have experience working with teams across geographies and the professionalism to represent Spark externally with donors both virtually and in-person. The Growth Manager will report to the Growth Director, work closely with the growth and leadership team to identify and pursue important funding opportunities. The Growth Manager will produce high-quality content that engages funders and aligns with Spark’s strategic objectives. The ideal candidate will be an excellent communicator, with exceptional writing, presentation, and organizational skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Donor Pipeline Development and Management

1. Build, maintain and strengthen systems and processes for full-cycle donor prospecting, cultivation, and stewardship.
2. Lead research, qualification, and management of a pipeline of new donor prospects.
3. Develop compelling communications (proposals, presentations, etc.) that reflect a robust understanding of Spark’s work, fundraising priorities and the prospects’ interests.
4. Ensure responsive and accurate communication with all prospective donors.
5. Represent the organization with external to external stakeholders (funders, key partners, etc.) and supporting event planning and logistics when necessary.

Cross-team collaboration

1. Coordinate with country teams on the identification, cultivation, and active management of country specific funding opportunities. This will include:
   1. Ensuring clarity on roles and the leveraging of organizational systems and best practices
   2. Assessing opportunities for alignment with the organization's strategic fundraising priorities
   3. Reviewing donor communication materials for quality
   4. Monitoring donor engagement and responsiveness in a supportive and collaborative manner.

Data driven management of fundraising

1. Ensure complete and accurate records of donor data, revenue targets and fundraising performance are maintained.
2. Develop fundraising reports for management and the Board on pipeline progress, fundraising performance, and key opportunities/learnings.

1. Lead the maturing of Spark’s CRM usage and engagement.
2. Run internal research on development strategies and best practices for organization’s of Sparks size and focus.

Grants management and reporting support

1. Liaise with members of the growth team and other departments to support the submission of high-quality and on-time donor reports.
2. Support the drafting and circulation of Spark’s Quarterly and Annual Reports shared with all key stakeholders.
3. Work closely with members of the growth team to tightly manage a calendar of grant deliverables, stewardship touchpoints, and other donor milestones.

Growth Team Development and Management

1. Actively assess fundraising capacity needs and advocate for cost-effective solutions with manager
2. Provide management and professional development support to direct reports

REQUIREMENTS

• 5+ years of experience with nonprofit fundraising, communications, or development, including at least 3 years of progressive experience with direct fundraising and donor relations.
• Proven track record securing five-figure awards from foundations and institutional donors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience crafting compelling narratives
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines working with internationally dispersed colleagues
• Ability to be flexible and collaborative; to assess capacities and priorities and work with colleagues to meet both immediate needs and mature the growth function.
• Experience with CRM systems, preferably Salesfroce
• Knowledge of Experience working in sub-Saharan Africa context and development landscape is mandatory and knowledge of East African context and development landscape
• Experience with international development and/or community-driven development preferred.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.

OTHER INFORMATION

Job Location: Flexible, East Coast USA preferred. Occasional travel to East Africa

Probation period: Three months probation period with learning and performance objectives

How to Apply: https://sparkmicrogrants.bamboohr.com/careers/126

WORK WITH US?​​

• You will play a critical role in shifting the way global development works, opening opportunities for thousands of villages to drive local change.
• You will be joining a dynamic team that hails from ten countries around the world and is committed to our vision.
• You will have the freedom and autonomy to make your role your own. We want to hear your innovative ideas, your vision for the future, and your critical questions.
• You will join an entrepreneurial organization that is in a growth spurt.
• In addition to salary, Spark offers other benefits, including generous paid time off and family leave, monthly communications and professional development stipends.

SAFEGUARDING

Our safeguarding follows a do no harm principle. All Spark staff are expected to respect and uphold the safeguarding procedures and principles to minimize harm to stakeholders, program participants, and the environment, in compliance with the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework and and national legislation in the countries where we operate.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Spark Microgrants provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals. Employment decisions at Spark are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. Spark does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by the law. Spark will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in undue hardship to daily operations.