JOB DESCRIPTION
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Position:
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Deputy Director - Strategic
Partnerships
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Department:
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Strategic Partnerships
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Role:
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Leads strategic partnerships for scale impact.
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Reporting Relationship:
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Country Director
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Location:
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Delhi NCR
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Number of Positions:
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01
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Grade Level
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C
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Nature of Employment:
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Full Time
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AMERICAN INDIA FOUNDATION TRUST
The American India Foundation Trust (AIF) is committed to improving the lives of India’s underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth. The Foundation does this through high-impact interventions in education, health, and livelihoods because poverty is multidimensional. Founded over two decades ago, in the aftermath of the devastating Gujarat earthquake, as a humanitarian initiative by the then Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji, and the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, AIF has impacted the lives of more than 19.63 million of India’s poor across 35 States and Union Territories of India. Registered as a Trust in India, with an independent Board of Trustees, AIF adheres to strict financial and governance standards, ensuring transparency, accountability, and responsible management of resources. As per statutory mandates, AIF is registered under 80G, and 12A. These registrations and certifications are tangible evidence of the organization's existence, credibility, and compliance with the applicable legal and regulatory frameworks while demonstrating a firm commitment to its vision and mission. Learn more at
www.aifindia.org
Job Summary
The Deputy Director – Strategic Partnerships will play a key role in advancing AIF's fundraising goals by driving the acquisition of new donors and strengthening relationships with existing partners across corporate, foundation, and institutional funding streams. Reporting to and working closely with the Country Director, the role will support the development and execution of fundraising strategies, identify and pursue new funding opportunities, and steward a portfolio of donor relationships to secure sustainable and long-term support for AIF's programs.
The Deputy Director will lead cross-functional efforts to develop compelling proposals, concept notes, presentations, reports, and partnership engagements aligned with donor priorities and organizational objectives. The role will also be responsible for managing donor pipelines, supporting partnership cultivation and closure, ensuring high-quality donor servicing and stewardship, and maintaining systems and processes that enable effective portfolio management, forecasting, and fundraising performance tracking.
This position requires strong fundraising acumen, relationship management, proposal development, and stakeholder engagement skills, along with a results-driven approach to resource mobilization and partnership growth.
Key Responsibilities
1. New Donor Acquisition & Business Development
- Identify, research and cultivate prospective corporate, foundation, institutional and high-net-worth donors. Build and manage a robust pipeline of funding opportunities aligned with AIF's strategic priorities. Lead donor outreach, prospect meetings and partnership discussions. Develop engagement strategies to convert prospects into long term funding partners. Track and report on donor acquisition targets and pipeline progression.
- Represent AIF at networking forums, conferences and external stakeholder engagements.
2. Donor Relationship Management & Stewardship
- Manage and grow a portfolio of existing donors and strategic partners. Develop and implement donor stewardship plans to strengthen engagement and retention. To Serve as the primary relationship manager for assigned funding partners.
- Facilitate donor visits, review meetings and impact-sharing opportunities. Identify opportunities for partnership renewals, funding expansion and multi-year commitments. Ensure timely and high-quality communication with donors throughout the partnership lifecycle.
3. Proposal Development & Resource Mobilization
- Lead the development of proposals, concept notes, presentations and donor communications. Work closely with program, finance and M&E teams to design donor-aligned projects and budgets. Coordinate proposal submissions and ensure compliance with donor requirements. Support negotiation and finalization of grant agreements and partnership documents. Develop customized funding pitches along with program and communication team aligned with donor priorities and AIF's programmatic strengths.
4. Fundraising Strategy & Portfolio Management
- Support the Country Director in developing and implementing annual fundraising strategies and plans. Monitor fundraising performance against targets and key metrics. Analyze donor trends, funding landscapes and emerging opportunities. Contribute to forecasting, pipeline reviews and resource mobilization planning.
- Support diversification of funding sources and partnership models.
5. Cross-functional Coordination & Leadership
- Collaborate closely with program, finance, communications and leadership teams to advance fundraising objectives.
- Facilitate coordination across teams to ensure timely delivery of donor commitments. Support capacity building and mentoring of junior team members where required. Promote knowledge sharing and fundraising best practices across the organization.
6. Reporting, Systems & Compliance Support
- Maintain accurate donor records and pipeline information within fundraising systems and CRM platforms. Monitor donor reporting schedules and support timely submission of narrative and financial reports. Ensure adherence to organizational policies and donor compliance requirements. Prepare periodic fundraising reports and dashboards for leadership review.
Experience:
- A suitable undergraduate degree is a basic requirement however a post-graduate degree will be desirable, preferably an MBA.
- 10-15 years of experience in Corporate Fundraising/Marketing/Client Services/Business Development with a basic knowledge of mass communications, brand building, marketing.
- Donor and/or Client Relationship Management (CRM) experience with Corporates, Corporate Executives, and people of influence and affluence;
- Experience in proposal writing/program design
- Excellent communication skills in English;
KEY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; sound personal presentation and proposal skills
- Proficient in MS Word, MS PowerPoint and MS Excel
- Interest in research
- Organizational ability, with a vision to institutionalize processes and systems with an ability to work with cross functional team and build consensus
- Entrepreneurial and innovative in approach to the management of objectives; High level of energy and commitment to excel
- Understanding of national/international developmental issues; with belief in ‘principles of partnership’ for development
- Ability to manage emotions and exercise tact and persuasion in handling relationships; Ability to manage expectations and resolve conflicts
- Exhibits self-awareness and personal management skills.
OTHERS: Salary shall commensurate with experience.
POSITION AVAILABILITY: Immediate
Only applications of shortlisted candidates will be acknowledged.
AIFT is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and ensures equal opportunity for all, without discrimination.