Donor and External Relations Senior Manager Full Time

• Lead the development and execution of Spark’s donor engagement and fundraising strategy for Rwanda in close collaboration with the Country Director.
• Identify, pursue, and secure new funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities and growth plans.
• Oversee proposal development processes, ensuring strong coordination, quality assurance, and timely submission, while drawing on technical teams for content expertise.
• Provide leadership with insights on donor trends, funding landscapes, and partnership opportunities relevant to decentralization and community development.
• Create and steward relationships with institutional donors and strategic partners through structured engagement, updates, and high-level briefings.

• Serve as Spark’s senior representative with government and external stakeholders at a strategic and relationship-management level, ensuring alignment, visibility, and institutional support.
• Maintain senior-level relationships with MINALOC, LODA, MINECOFIN, and other government bodies, ensuring strong support and coordination for NF rollout and implementation.
• Represent Spark in high-level coordination platforms, donor forums, and strategic convenings to strengthen positioning and partnerships both in Rwanda and where relevant internationally.
• Oversee partnership agreements and MoUs from a strategic oversight perspective, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.

• Provide strategic direction to the development of donor-facing and external communications materials, including success stories, presentations, and briefing notes.
• Ensure consistent, high-quality communication with donors on progress, milestones, and strategic developments, in coordination with program and communications teams.
• Lead high-level donor and partner engagements, visits, and visibility initiatives that strengthen institutional relationships.

• Lead and mentor staff within the Donors and External Relations function, including the Program Development Manager and Communications Officer.
• Contribute to organizational strategy, annual planning, and external positioning efforts.
• Act as deputy to the Country Director when required, supporting leadership of in-country operations and representing Spark externally at senior forums.

• Master’s degree in international development, Communications, Business Administration, Public Relations, or related fields.
• Minimum 7–10 years of experience in donor relations, partnerships, fundraising, or resource mobilization within the nonprofit or international development sector.
• Strong knowledge of grant management, compliance, and proposal writing.
• Excellent communication skills—written, verbal, and presentation.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholder relationships.
• Strong people skills and cultural sensitivity.
• Demonstrated experience working with national level government.
• Experience in managing teams and serving on program/team management structure.

• Strategic relationship-building
• Donor and partner negotiation
• High-quality writing, presentation and storytelling
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Collaboration across diverse teams
• Leadership and mentorship
• Results-oriented project management

• Location: Kigali – Rwanda
• Reports to: Country Director
• Application end date:
• On a rolling basis, we reserve the right to close this recruitment process at any time.
• Expected Start Date: As soon as possible.

Tagged as: Kigali, Spark MicroGrants