External Relations Associate

The Role

The External Relations Associate role focuses on managing and growing institutional partnerships and securing funding to support Educate!'s mission. This position is ideal for an early- to mid-career professional (typically with 2–3 years of work experience) who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and is eager to grow in the field of fundraising and institutional partnerships.

What You'll Do

Project Management (20%)

• Coordinate all stages of the funding process, from developing proposals to reporting on program outcomes, ensuring alignment across internal teams and partners.
• Research and document new funding prospects, maintaining up-to-date relationship tracking and supporting the pipeline management process.
• Prepare and follow up on key donor meetings, including diligence, briefings, and prospect engagement.
• Support coordination and logistics for conferences, events, and internal projects involving multiple stakeholders.

Relationship Building (10%)

• Develop and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with funders and internal stakeholders.
• Support renewal processes by compiling impact data, learnings, and partnership summaries.
• Contribute to partnership stewardship by helping ensure timely, thoughtful communication with donors.
• Support fundraising strategy at conferences and events through prospect research, event preparation, and outreach.

Communication (9%)

• Draft compelling proposals, concept notes, and pitch materials tailored to donor priorities.
• Coordinate and write high-quality grant reports, working closely with Educate! teams across countries to gather and synthesize information.
• Create clear, engaging written content—such as donor emails and briefings—that communicates Educate!’s impact and vision.

Problem Solving & Process Improvement (10%)

• Identify potential challenges in partnership management and propose creative, effective solutions.
• Manage donor compliance requirements and diligence requests, ensuring accurate, timely responses.
• Strengthen internal systems to improve efficiency and consistency in grant reporting and compliance tracking.
• Help refine and document internal processes to enhance collaboration across the External Relations team.
• Support the development of tools or resources that make donor management and reporting more efficient.

Qualifications

This position is ideal for an early- to mid-career professional and requires a BA/BSc/HND qualification, typically with 2–3 years of relevant work experience. Successful candidates must thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and be eager to specialize and grow within the field of fundraising and institutional partnerships.