Job Title: Senior Director, Development
Date Posted: 02/07/2026
Job Type: Full Time
Employer: Rainforest
Alliance
Industry: Director
Salary: Open
Location: Nairobi
Country: Kenya
Deadline: 16/07/2026
Looking for a director job in Kenya? Rainforest Alliance is recruiting a Senior Director of Development.
Based in Nairobi, the role requires over 12 years of experience in high-value fundraising and sustainability.
Position Summary
The
Senior Director of Development is a senior fundraising and leadership role
responsible for driving and growing two of the Rainforest Alliance’s most
strategic revenue lines— government and multi-laterals, philanthropic
foundation funding and corporate partnerships—across the climate, agriculture,
sustainability, and systems change sectors. The Senior Director drives the
integrated growth strategy, leads and develops the team, and personally
cultivates the highest-value relationships that fund our mission.
You
will lead the Institutional Relations and Strategic Partnerships functions.
Working
with Revenue Operations, the Senior Director analyzes market intelligence,
prioritizes potential foundation and corporate segments, and builds a
diversified pipeline of strategic funding opportunities to meet financial
targets. You will represent the Rainforest Alliance externally at the most
senior levels and develop compelling value propositions that inspire
transformational, multi-year investments.
This
is a global leadership role overseeing a portfolio of government,
multi-laterals, foundation and corporate accounts of all sizes, ensuring
strategic alignment, value delivery, and long-term partnership growth across
all engagements.
The
role reports to the Chief Growth and Impact Officer.
Responsibilities
Strategy
& Revenue Leadership
- Set and lead the integrated fundraising strategy across government,
multi-laterals, foundations and corporate partnerships, spanning
unrestricted, restricted, and programmatic revenue.
- Exceed annual and multi-year revenue targets across both portfolios.
- Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of the
highest-value foundation and corporate prospects, with a focus on 7-figure
and transformational, multi-year commitments.
Team
Leadership & Management
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Institutional Relations and Strategic
Partnerships functions, fostering a successful, accountable, and
collaborative culture.
- Build organizational fundraising capacity and ensure consistent
processes, tools, and standards across the Institutional Relations and
Strategic Partnerships functions.
Pipeline
Development & Portfolio Management
- Oversee the build-out and diversification of a revenue-generating
portfolio across government, foundation and corporate accounts.
- Analyze market trends, segment potential opportunities, and create
new leads for both restricted and unrestricted revenue.
- Lead the Institutional Relations and Strategic Partnerships
pipeline, ensuring accurate prioritization and updates in Salesforce.
Value Proposition &
Partnership Design
- Direct the design of compelling unrestricted and restricted cases
for support, donor and partner collateral, and philanthropic offerings
tailored to foundation and corporate audiences—including corporate
foundations, CSR, and sustainability teams.
- Innovate and test new models of revenue generation, including
challenge funds, corporate champions circles, corporate social impact
investments, blended finance, and pooled funds.
- Partner with the Rainforest Alliance’s global experts to design
standardized pitches, philanthropic offerings, and mission-based
materials, and create engagement opportunities such as donor roundtables,
networking events, and panel representation.
Proposal
& Deal Leadership
- Oversee the proposal and deal development process for prioritized
opportunities across unrestricted and programmatic funding.
Cross-Organizational
Collaboration
- Collaborative with internal departments to identify co-funding
opportunities and develop public–private–philanthropic partnerships.
- Represent the Rainforest Alliance at senior external meetings,
events, and industry convenings.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in business administration,
international development, sustainability, or a related field.
- 12+ years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising,
business development, corporate partnerships, sales, consultancy, or
sustainable development, including team leadership.
- Experience securing both foundation philanthropic funding and
corporate unrestricted and restricted partnerships, including 7-figure and
multi-year commitments.
- Demonstrated experience leading, and developing successful
fundraising teams.
- Experience with sustainability, ESG, systems change, and global
development market trends.
- Experience working within global organizations.
- Experience moving donors and partners through a cultivation pipeline
and meeting our revenue targets.
- C-suite experience, with the ability to work diplomatically and
cross-culturally with diverse, senior stakeholders.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally on occasion.
How to Apply
