Director, Donor Engagement, Global

Overview

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to humanitarian crises by restoring health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people affected by conflict and disaster. The IRC operates in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities, delivering aid and rebuilding lives. The Awards Management Unit (AMU) within the Crisis Response, Recovery & Development (CRRD) department identifies, secures and manages funding from government donors and supports IRC staff working on awards.

Global Business Development leads IRC’s public BD strategy and donor engagement for international programs, uniting technical, operational and donor specialists to secure public funding.

The Purpose of the Role

The Donor Engagement Director manages a portfolio of priority donors for IRC. They will lead and coordinate donor engagement that currently includes the World Bank, UN agencies and governments (including Canada, the US and Gulf states). The role will develop emerging partnerships with other key donors and will work alongside the Director of European Donor Engagement. The position oversees a team of Senior Advisors and leads an internal and external account management function to manage engagement with these donors.

The role engages with portfolio donors at high levels, guiding donor relations, and collaborating with technical and proposal development teams to secure funding.

The Donor Engagement Director will lead the development and implementation of proactive donor and partner engagement strategies for the entire IRC organization, engaging technical, regional, country and operational teams as well as policy colleagues and the executive board.

The role requires collaboration with counterpart leadership and other senior staff to plan and execute donor engagement initiatives and to pursue strategic opportunities for influence.

• Strategy — Coordinate with senior leaders to develop comprehensive multi-year engagement strategies for key donors. Oversee a team of advisors and coordinate actions with stakeholders at all levels of IRC.
• External Representation — Develop and maintain relationships with donor officials, broker meetings between donors and IRC leadership, and support the preparation and follow-up of engagements with cross-functional teams.
• Engagement Execution — Participate in key meetings with donor officials; represent IRC at external events and deliver briefings to senior donor representatives.
• Cross-Organizational Engagement — Identify and broker relationships with donor officials; maintain knowledge of donor strategies and disseminate analyses internally. Lead development and implementation of donor engagement strategies and maintain CRM records.
• Resource and Tools — Ensure tools and resources support donor engagement; collaborate with senior staff to review pipeline and strategy; establish and participate in strategic groups focused on donor engagement.
• People Management — Manage a team of advisors and senior advisors, fostering a positive culture and supporting professional development.

• 10+ years of leadership experience in the humanitarian sector in areas such as business development, program management or advocacy with donor relationship development.
• Experience with key donors (UN, World Bank, Canada, United States, Gulf partners) and strong understanding of the donor landscape.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills; ability to lead and manage projects in remote/virtual teams; strategic vision and track record of delivering long-term objectives.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple projects under pressure; excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Experience working for donors or partners in this portfolio; proven ability to drive coordinated funding, communications, and targeted advocacy programs.
• Understanding and advising on programmatic and financial contractual arrangements with donors; negotiating with donors.
• Experience building partnerships across diverse donors and organizations; experience in developing countries in donor/NGO/IGO…