MANAGER, PARTNER FUNDING

Your mission Maliasili is a dynamic and innovative organization that is taking a different approach to drive locally-led conservation impact in Africa. We find the best local African conservation organizations and make them better by strengthening their organizational performance, leadership, and resourcing so that they can achieve greater impact. Our partner portfolio includes outstanding local and national organizations at the forefront of wildlife conservation, land restoration, and coastal fisheries. Our partners are pioneering conservation approaches grounded in community and indigenous land rights, generating economic opportunities from nature-based businesses, and restoring ecosystems across many of Africa’s most important landscapes. Since its founding over a decade ago, Maliasili has built a portfolio of roughly 55 partners working across over 64 million hectares of critical landscapes and ecosystems in seventeen countries. We have helped our partners generate or leverage more than $27.3 million in funding for their work, developed a growing set of tools to help improve their organizational performance, and supported many of our partners to grow their impacts in the field significantly. Our goals are to build a portfolio of Africa’s best local conservation organizations, help them collaborate and learn from each other, and scale up their community-based conservation work on the ground and their leadership capacity within the conservation field. Your profile Role Summary The Manager oversees the internal administration of all CAF-related grants and leads the development of the systems, methodologies, and internal tools that strengthen partner funding processes across Maliasili. This role ensures that grant cycles run smoothly, fund internal coordination and tools are developed and disseminated, deadlines are met, reporting is high-quality, and internal dashboards capture accurate brokered, influenced, and direct funding flows. The Manager also builds the operational infrastructure that improves visibility, coordination, and efficiency between CAF, Portfolio, MEL, Comms, and the FAD team. This is an internal-facing role focused on operational excellence, process and systems development, and the effective translation of the CAF strategy into consistent, reliable processes across the organization. Strategic Context As the volume and complexity of partner funding grow through the Collective Vision Fund and other granting mechanisms, Maliasili requires strong internal systems that can manage scale, maintain quality, and provide real-time visibility to leadership and teams. This role anchors the operational backbone that links donor engagement, partner needs, Portfolio support, MEL learning, and FAD processes. It provides the systems and structure that allow the CAF pillar to function as a coherent engine for partner funding, enabling Maliasili to deliver a trusted, reliable, and high-quality funding experience for both partners and donors. Responsibilities 1. Partner Funding and Grantmaking Coordination (35%) Coordinate the end-to-end lifecycle of partner funding across CAF, from pipeline tracking to grant issuance and reporting. Maintain a real-time overview of partner funding needs, commitments, and timelines in close coordination with Portfolio Managers and senior CAF staff. Track grant agreements, reporting deadlines, renewals, and compliance requirements. Prepare and coordinate grant letters, agreements, and related documentation. Ensure partner grant files are complete, accurate, and audit-ready. Work in tandem with the FAD Senior Manager, Grants & Funding Opportunities to align financial, contractual, and compliance processes. 2. Systems, Processes, and Operational Excellence (25%) Maintain, improve, and document internal systems, trackers, SOPs, and templates related to partner funding and grantmaking. Support all process management including team and partner coordination on the new fund, including document production and internal communication. Codify clear workflows that enable consistency, accountability, and efficiency across CAF and Portfolio teams. Identify operational gaps, risks, and inefficiencies, and proactively propose and implement solutions. Support the integration of fundraising, grantmaking, and reporting systems across CAF, FAD, and MEL. Develop practical internal tools, guidance notes, and process documentation that strengthen team-wide understanding of CAF systems and services. 3. Data, Dashboards, and Information Management (20%) Consolidate and maintain accurate partner funding data across all CAF mechanisms, including brokered, influenced, and directly managed funding. Maintain internal dashboards that track funding flows, grant status, reporting progress, and partner coverage. Support MEL integration by ensuring funding data aligns with impact tracking and learning needs. Prepare data inputs for internal decision-making, leadership updates, donor reporting, and Board discussions. Improve visibility of funding flows that do not sit on Maliasili’s books but are brokered or influenced through CAF work. 4. Donor and Grant Reporting Support (10%) Support due diligence, grant review processes, and documentation in coordination with senior CAF staff and FAD. Track donor-specific reporting requirements and timelines. Assist in the preparation of donor reports, funding summaries, and partner data synthesis. Ensure that reporting processes reflect both accountability and learning, supporting Maliasili’s approach to trust-based philanthropy. 5. Team Coordination and CAF Internal Support (10%) Serve as a coordination anchor for CAF internal processes, supporting alignment across team members and functions. Support planning and logistics for CAF-related convenings, workshops, and internal engagements as needed. Track actions, decisions, and follow-up items across CAF meetings and workstreams. Contribute to building internal visibility and understanding of CAF work across Maliasili through clear systems, cadence, and communication. What Success Looks Like for the role and for the work Grant cycles across all CAF mechanisms run smoothly, consistently, and on time, with high satisfaction from Portfolio Managers and partners. All brokered, influenced, and direct funding flows are accurately captured and visible through reliable dashboards and tracking systems. Portfolio Managers report increased confidence and capability in managing partner fundraising needs and triaging opportunities. CAF internal systems are coordinated, clear, coherent, and well understood across Maliasili, with staff knowing what CAF offers and how to engage. The organization has streamlined workflows, strong internal communication, and shared methodologies that support partner fundraising and grantmaking. The Manager is a trusted internal resource, known for strengthening coordination, improving clarity, and creating structures that help teams work better together. Reporting and Supervision Reports to: Senior Manager, Grantmaking and Partner Funding Works closely with: FAD Senior Manager Grants, Portfolio Manager, MEL team, Comms team, Finance team Why us?