Relationship Manager - IDP Rising Schools Program

About the Organization and Program

Sinapi Aba Trust, a prominent microfinance non-profit in Ghana with over 18 years of service, empowers economically active poor individuals through microfinance and fundamental business training. Since 2009, Sinapi Aba Trust has collaborated with IDP Foundation, Inc. to roll out the IDP Rising Schools Program, focused on enhancing low-cost private schools by delivering financial literacy and school management training along with targeted loans. This program has impacted over 100 schools and 27,000 children across four Ghanaian regions, and plans an expansion to reach more than 1200 schools in eight regions within the next four years.

Role Overview

The Relationship Manager will operate from Accra, Ghana, reporting to the Head of Non-Finance Department at Sinapi Aba Trust and the Program Manager at IDP Foundation, Inc. This position seeks a proactive individual who can cultivate strategic partnerships with government officials, educational bodies, bilateral and multilateral institutions, and corporate donors. The aim is to boost program awareness, create public-private partnership opportunities, and secure financial resources for the program's growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Forge and maintain relationships with government entities like the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service, as well as institutional and corporate stakeholders to secure funding and partnerships.
• Conduct in-depth research on prospective donors to understand their budgets, previous projects, typical donation sizes, areas of interest, and strategic priorities to develop successful solicitation and proposal strategies.
• Manage and update the donor prospect database, track fundraising progress, compose proposals and concept notes, and provide regular contact histories and reports for both the IDP Rising Schools and Youth Apprenticeship programs.
• Collaborate with Sinapi Aba Trust and IDP Foundation teams to align on overall funding approaches, program objectives, and needs.
• Oversee activity implementation linked to donor funding, ensuring timely and comprehensive reporting back to donors and program teams.
• Create public relations opportunities through writing blog posts, updating web content, and documenting field activities via photos and videos.
• Develop and execute donor marketing and outreach campaigns, including maintaining a centralized donor contact database and active communications with donor groups.
• Serve as the primary liaison for coordinating communications and logistics between the Ghana-based team and international program offices and visitors.
• Identify opportunities for joint funding proposals that integrate the IDP Rising Schools Program and the Youth Apprenticeship Program, supporting a continuum from education to employment.
• Conduct project management duties related to donor-funded activities, field research, best practice evaluations, and facilitate leveraging insights across Sinapi Aba Trust and IDP Foundation.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum 7 years of relevant professional experience in fundraising, business development, or grant writing within development organizations or donor institutions.
• Experience engaging with major international donors such as USAID, UN agencies, World Bank, African Development Bank, Ford Foundation, CGAP, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and IFAD.
• Demonstrated success in securing large-scale grants and proven ability to identify and close funding opportunities.
• Familiarity working with Ghana's Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service is advantageous.
• Comprehensive understanding of corporate philanthropy, education sector dynamics, microfinance, and economic development, with experience in youth programs preferred.
• Established network within institutional and corporate donors funding international development initiatives.
• Bachelor's degree in International Business, International Development, or a related field is required.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, excellent interpersonal abilities, and capacity to build and sustain relationships across diverse cultural contexts and time zones.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work effectively under deadlines both independently and in a team setting.
• Diplomatic sensibility, good judgment, and cultural awareness to navigate Ghanaian, non-western, and western cultural environments.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively within Ghana, Africa, and occasionally to the US for donor engagement.

Additional Information

The successful applicant must be legally authorized to work in Ghana and committed to the mission and vision of Sinapi Aba Trust and IDP Foundation. The role involves significant travel related to program needs.