About Food for Education

Hungry kids can’t learn or grow.

Food4Education is an award-winning, locally rooted, and African-led solution to end classroom hunger. Building on more than a decade of learning by doing, we’re powering a new school feeding industry and sharing our blueprint to scale sustainable, nutritious, and affordable school feeding programs across Africa.

Today, we serve 600,000 kids DAILY in Kenya. But every day, we deliver more than a meal – improving nutrition and education outcomes for children while also creating jobs and opportunities for whole communities.

We are an experienced and trusted non-profit partner that operates with the excellence of a global business, reinvesting the value we create into local economies.

To learn more, please visit www.food4education.org

Our Values

At Food for Education, our values are guiding principles that provide us with purpose and direction and set the tone for our interactions with all stakeholders:

• Build with excellence and curiosity - We’re not afraid to try new things and iterate as much as we can to find the best and most efficient way to get results;
• Be the change you seek - We acknowledge that continuous improvement is a shared responsibility;
• We do what we say; and say what we do - We embrace an ownership mentality;
• Ask why; and commit - Share openly and question respectfully and commit fully. When we understand the why, we are able to work with a purpose.

About the Role

Food4Education is experiencing rapid growth, and we are seeking a highly motivated, creative Sr. Manager, Development to help fuel our expansion. The Sr. Manager, Development, plays a critical role in strategy development, relationship management, and donor experience within Food4Education’s growing fundraising team. The Sr. Manager will serve as a thought partner with other senior members of the Development team to identify new and innovative funding streams and support strategy development and execution. The Sr. Manager, Development will manage a portfolio of donors, contribute to strategy development and execution, and create a best-in-class donor experience. S/he will also be responsible for managing an associate.

Key Responsibilities

Relationship Management & Fundraising Strategy (40%)

• Support development, updating, and execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy targeting new revenue sources and bolstering current revenue sources to support school feeding initiatives.
• Manage relationships with donors from end to end, including philanthropic foundations, fostering engagement and stewardship throughout the giving lifecycle.
• Host prospective and current donor visits to see F4E operations as a key lever in the grants lifecycle. This also includes all pre-work and communication leading up to visits.

Proposal Development, Due Diligence, and Reporting (20%)

• Oversee the writing of and personally edit high-quality grant proposals, reports, and donor materials for a diverse set of donor audiences.
• Lead and/or support due diligence processes with funders, acting as the main point of contact for funders at F4E. This includes working across teams for financial models, operational information, and any other relevant data.
• Project manage and collaborate across teams to ensure the most up-to-date information for all F4E written materials and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Together with associates, conduct market research to identify and assess funding opportunities from diverse sources.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building (15%)

• Manage a Development Associate, providing guidance, support, and mentorship to achieve fundraising targets and objectives.
• Work with the Development Lead and Head of US Philanthropy as a thought partner on special projects
• Collaborate with the fundraising department’s senior managers and leadership on a variety of strategic and team topics and initiatives.

Donor Experience (25%)

• Define and oversee F4E’s end-to-end donor experience strategy for both active donors and prospects, from first engagement through long-term partnership
• Working closely with members of the Development team, implement best-in-class donor touchpoints, including onboarding, communications, site visits, reporting moments, and renewal conversations
• Work cross-functionally with programs, operations, communications, and leadership to ensure donor experiences are seamless, high-quality, and reflective of F4E’s impact and values
• Continuously assess and improve donor experience through feedback, reflection, and iteration

Minimum Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required

Experience

• 8-10 years of cumulative experience, including at least 3 years in fundraising or international development, ideally within a social enterprise context
• At least 5 years of experience in managing, coaching, and mentoring a team of high-achieving, early-career professionals

Skills & Competencies

• Deep understanding of program management in an international development context
• Demonstrated success in securing funding from bilateral, multilateral, and major philanthropic foundations
• Excellent and clear written and verbal communication skills, with a strong track record in proposal writing and editing written fundraising materials
• Proactive, self-motivated, and capable of working independently while ensuring follow-through on all initiatives
• Strategic thinker with a keen attention to detail and a strong ability to execute strategy

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree
• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM systems

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role is demonstrated by:

• Willingness to take thoughtful risks and try new approaches
• Translates complex ideas into clear, actionable next steps
• Independently leads multiple workstreams from start to finish, building strong cross-functional relationships that enable smooth collaboration and stronger fundraising outcomes
• Consistently delivers high-quality work on time with minimal supervision
• Crafts clear, compelling, and error-free donor-facing communications
• Proactively identifies opportunities to strengthen F4E’s donor experience and close fundraising gaps

What is in it for you?

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You will have weekly check-ins with your manager, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You will have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding, long-term career.

Join Us

To apply, please submit your updated CV and answer the application questions listed. All applicants will receive communication on the outcome of their application, regardless of outcome.

We are committed to building an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued, and people are supported to do their best work. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and lived experiences and make employment decisions based on merit, potential, and alignment with our values.

• Support development, updating, and execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy targeting new revenue sources and bolstering current revenue sources to support school feeding initiatives.
• Manage relationships with donors from end to end, including philanthropic foundations, fostering engagement and stewardship throughout the giving lifecycle.
• Host prospective and current donor visits to see F4E operations as a key lever in the grants lifecycle. This also includes all pre-work and communication leading up to visits.
• Oversee the writing of and personally edit high-quality grant proposals, reports, and donor materials for a diverse set of donor audiences.
• Lead and/or support due diligence processes with funders, acting as the main point of contact for funders at F4E. This includes working across teams for financial models, operational information, and any other relevant data.
• Project manage and collaborate across teams to ensure the most up-to-date information for all F4E written materials and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Together with associates, conduct market research to identify and assess funding opportunities from diverse sources.
• Manage a Development Associate, providing guidance, support, and mentorship to achieve fundraising targets and objectives.
• Work with the Development Lead and Head of US Philanthropy as a thought partner on special projects
• Collaborate with the fundraising department’s senior managers and leadership on a variety of strategic and team topics and initiatives.
• Define and oversee F4E’s end-to-end donor experience strategy for both active donors and prospects, from first engagement through long-term partnership
• Working closely with members of the Development team, implement best-in-class donor touchpoints, including onboarding, communications, site visits, reporting moments, and renewal conversations
• Work cross-functionally with programs, operations, communications, and leadership to ensure donor experiences are seamless, high-quality, and reflective of F4E’s impact and values
• Continuously assess and improve donor experience through feedback, reflection, and iteration

• Deep understanding of program management in an international development context
• Demonstrated success in securing funding from bilateral, multilateral, and major philanthropic foundations
• Excellent and clear written and verbal communication skills, with a strong track record in proposal writing and editing written fundraising materials
• Proactive, self-motivated, and capable of working independently while ensuring follow-through on all initiatives
• Strategic thinker with a keen attention to detail and a strong ability to execute strategy
• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM systems

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 8-10 years of cumulative experience, including at least 3 years in fundraising or international development, ideally within a social enterprise context
• At least 5 years of experience in managing, coaching, and mentoring a team of high-achieving, early-career professionals
• Master’s degree