Senior Manager, Fundraising

Title: Senior Fundraising Manager

Reporting to: Director of Fundraising

Location: Nairobi

About Food4Education

Food4Education (F4E) is a Kenyan nonprofit that is African and women-led, revolutionizing school feeding programs across Africa by designing a blueprint, operating it, and then supporting replication. Our vision is a world where no child has to learn on an empty stomach. 

By creating an innovative, scalable, and sustainable model, we’re ensuring that children and youth have not only access to nutritious meals but also the opportunity to thrive in quality education. Over the past decade, F4E has expanded its reach exponentially, serving more than 86 million meals and growing from just 25 children fed daily in 2012 to a staggering 500,000 children receiving meals every single day in 2025. With our presence now spanning 10 counties—Kajiado, Kakamega, Kiambu, Kisumu, Machakos, Mombasa, Murang’a, Nairobi, Nyeri, and Uasin Gishu—we’re delivering daily meals to children in over 1,300 public primary schools and ECD centers. 

About the Role

Food4Education is experiencing rapid growth, and we are on the lookout for a highly motivated and creative Senior Fundraising Manager to help fuel our expansion. As the Senior Fundraising Manager at F4E, you will be a crucial part of our mission to eradicate classroom hunger in Kenya. 

Reporting to the Director of Fundraising, you will lead a team of associates, and manage and steward a portfolio of funders across several types of funding (foundations, bilaterals/multilateral, etc.). You will collaborate extensively with various departments to achieve our ambitious fundraising goals. You will be the lead editor on all writing done by our team of high-achieving associates, utilizing and applying your skills in writing, your broad organizational context, and your knowledge of donor preferences. You will leverage your expertise in donor relations, proposal development, and strategic fundraising initiatives.

Responsibilities

1. Relationship Management and Fundraising Strategy:

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

1. Proposal Development, Due Diligence, and Reporting:

• 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.

1. Team Management:

• Manage a team of 1-2 fundraising professionals, providing guidance, support, and mentorship to achieve fundraising targets and objectives.
• Work with the Director of Fundraising 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.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field
• 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 experience in managing, coaching, and mentoring a team of high-achieving, early-career professionals
• Deep understanding in 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
• Solutions-oriented with a positive, 'can-do' attitude, able to prioritize tasks, and navigate shifting demands effectively
• Passionate commitment to F4E’s vision and values
• Collaborative mindset a can-do attitude and the ability to work across departments effectively
• Strong analytical, written, and leadership skills with a focus on meeting deadlines
• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM systems is desirable, but not required

We are an equal-opportunity employer 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. 

Career Growth and Development 

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.

We aim to contact all our applicants, but due to the high volume of applications only shortlisted candidates are contacted. If you do not hear from us within two weeks your application might not be successful on this occasion. This does not mean you will not be considered for future roles so please keep an eye on our job board and apply for positions that match your skills and experience.