Investor Engagement & Growth Lead

• Own and drive the development,
  prioritisation and progression of the funding pipeline in line with
  organisational strategy
  
• Identify, assess and advance funding
  opportunities based on strategic fit, value and likelihood of success
  
• Lead the progression of opportunities
  through targeted and strategic donor engagement
  
• Track and analyse pipeline performance,
  using insights to refine prioritisation and improve conversion
  

• Engage strategically with funders to
  deepen relationships and position SmartStart for future funding opportunities
  
• Identify and drive opportunities to
  expand, extend and grow existing donor partnerships
  
• Lead donor interactions that advance
  relationships, unlock opportunities and strengthen long -term partnerships
  
• Define and drive donor engagement
  approaches and journeys aligned to growth objectives
  

• Drive the development of funding
  opportunities and shape proposal content, structure and key inputs
  
• Guide internal teams on proposal
  direction, framing and required inputs to ensure high -quality submissions
  
• Contribute to proposal positioning and
  strategic framing, aligned to organisational strategy and donor priorities
  

• Interpret donor and market intelligence
  to inform pipeline prioritisation and engagement strategies
  
• Identify, develop and manage strategic
  partnerships with prospective funders and collaborators
  
• Lead the scoping and development of
  funding opportunities for new initiatives
  
• Translate insights and organisational
  priorities into actionable funding opportunities
  

• Define required inputs, guide content
  direction, and align stakeholders for proposals and funding opportunities in
  collaboration with the Investor Portfolio & Grant Management Lead
  
• Coordinate across teams to ensure timely
  and high -quality development of funding opportunities
  
• Line manage and guide the Development
  Research Intern, ensuring research outputs effectively support pipeline
  development and donor engagement
  

Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

• Significant
  experience (6–10 years) in institutional fundraising, business
  development, or a related field.
  
• Demonstrate
  experience in securing and managing significant funding (typically exceeding
  R1m annually per funder) from institutional or strategic funders, including
  high‑value grants and partnerships
  
• Experience raising
  unrestricted or flexible funding from high -value institutional or strategic
  funders is strongly preferred.
  
• Demonstrate
  experience in managing funding pipelines, including progressing opportunities
  through defined stages and designing and implementing donor engagement journeys
  
• Experience
  coordinating complex processes across multiple stakeholders and functions 
  

Specific Knowledge & Skills

• Ability to assess,
  shape, and advance funding opportunities.
  
• Strong strategic
  thinking, with the ability to interpret opportunities and position effectively
  with funders.
  
• Strong relationship‑building skills, including engaging and
  influencing external stakeholders.
  
• Excellent written
  and verbal communication skills, including proposal development and donor
  engagement.
  
• Ability to manage
  multiple opportunities, priorities, and timelines simultaneously.