Description

Overall Function

The Institutional Partnerships Officer will be part of the Institutional Partnerships team within EDF's Global Development Department, which works to secure transformative support for EDF's Mission. Reporting to the Senior Institutional Partnerships Officer, the Institutional Partnerships Officer will partner with senior staff across the organization to successfully solicit, steward, and support the cultivation of a portfolio of foundation and public funders that increasingly provides significant support for EDF to carry out its worldwide mission.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as an integral contributing member of a team that secures and stewards 6-8 figure awards from new and existing institutional sources. This entails a range of activities, including but not limited to:
  
  • Managing a portfolio of institutional funders, serving as a liaison and informational contact between EDF and funding agency staff.
  • Identifying and evaluating institutional funding opportunities, providing strategic guidance to Mission teams on alignment/fit, eligibility, and competitiveness.
  • Developing and executing donor cultivation plans to inspire and engage foundations and public sector funders in alignment with EDF's strategic priorities.
  • Preparing compelling proposals, reports, and donor-facing materials in collaboration with Mission teams, Operations staff, and Development colleagues.
  • Providing Mission and Executive staff with strategic talking points and briefing materials for donor interactions.
  • Contributing to accurate funder and income/projections information in Salesforce database.
• Develop and maintain strong knowledge of EDF's programmatic work to independently and effectively represent, through both written and oral communications, a wide array of local, regional, national, and global environmental programs.
• Maintain extensive internal communication with the Global Development Department, Mission, Finance, and Enterprise staff, and at times the Executive team.
• Actively contribute to the Institutional Partnerships and Global Development teams as they seek to improve best practices and procedures and develop new cultivation strategies and tools.
• As appropriate, delegate to and oversee work of Institutional Partnerships support staff.
• Participate in advancing EDF Organizational Effectiveness and Culture goals so people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.
• Additional relevant responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university required.
• Minimum of six years of demonstrated success and progressive responsibility in non-profit fundraising, preferably with foundation donors. Experience identifying, securing, and managing public funding for non-profits is a strong advantage. A Master's degree or equivalent may substitute for up to 2 years of relevant experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and concisely.
• Deep knowledge of priorities, trends, and donor requirements in the institutional funding arena.
• Knowledge of environmental issues strongly preferred; ability to quickly grasp and translate complicated subject matter required.
• Sound strategic and analytical skills and excellent attention to detail.
• Exceptional planning and project management skills; experience working with a geographically-distributed team to successfully manage multiple projects with competing timelines.
• Experience critically reviewing budgets and financial information in line with institutional donors' compliance frameworks (i.e., foundations, government agencies, multilateral organizations).
• High degree of proficiency working in a fast-paced, flexible, goal-oriented and entrepreneurial environment, with the highest level of personal and professional integrity. Experience working in a non-profit institution of comparable complexity and scale, including the ability to work effectively with geographically dispersed colleagues, is strongly preferred.
• Excellent judgement and interpersonal skills, including the ability to maintain tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality while representing the organization and interfacing with all levels of staff at EDF's national and affiliate offices, as well as with funders, partners, and vendors.
• Demonstrates self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.
• Strong ability to actively listen and deftly navigate and manage relationships.
• Ability to work well under pressure, adapt easily to changing situations/priorities, and maintain grace, humor, and compassion.
• Full professional English language proficiency - speaking and written - required; advanced skills in other language(s) a plus.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and donor management software (preferably Salesforce).
• An understanding of, and commitment to, Environmental Defense Fund's mission.
• Ability to travel as needed and to occasionally work outside standard business hours to accommodate EDF's globally distributed staff.
• Travel Expectations: 10-15% international and domestic.

Application Deadline

Please submit your CV and cover letter (max. 1 page) by September 25, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Early applications are strongly encouraged. You must be eligible to work without restrictions in the country for which you're applying.
Compensation

• United Kingdom: 50,000 - 55,000 GBP annual
• Belgium: 63,500 - 70,500 EUR annual
• Germany: 68,000 - 73,000 EUR annual