Director of Development at Ubongo Kids

Job Title: Director of Development

Location: Tanzania

Work Remotely: Applicable

Reports To: CEO

Team Leader: Mwasi Wilmore

Travel Required: Frequent Travel

Gross Salary Range: Director Level

Department: Development

Position: Full Time

Contract Type: Full employment

Organization: Ubongo Learning

Benefits: Applicable

Number of Posts: 1

Organisation Summary: UBONGO is an education non-profit, and Africa's leading creators of kids' edutainment. As a non-profit social enterprise, Ubongo creates fun, localized, and multi-platform educational content that helps kids learn and leverage their learning to change their lives. The organization aims to meaningfully impact 100 million kids across 19 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2028. To date, Ubongo's edutainment programs, Ubongo Kids, Akili and Me, and Nuzo and Namia, reach over 42 million kids across Africa through accessible technologies like TV, radio, and mobile phones in multiple languages.

Job Position: To achieve its goal, Ubongo needs to raise $28 million by 2028 and is seeking an experienced, motivated, and Utu (shared humanity)-driven Director of Development to lead towards sustainability by securing funding and attracting collaboration partners. The Director of Development will be responsible for overseeing the creation and nurturing of sustainable partnerships with a wide variety of audiences, including public and private funders such as NGOs, foundations, trusts, corporations, and individuals. This involves developing and owning fundraising, grants, and commercial revenue strategies, and building and supporting implementation teams to attain financial sustainability at scale, ensuring Ubongo has the necessary funding and partnerships to support its mission.

This role focuses on:

• Securing and retaining philanthropic funding (including institutional partners, corporates, and HNWIs)
• Building partnerships with governments, funding partners, and NGOs to fund large-scale projects
• Developing and expanding earned revenue opportunities aligned with Ubongo's strategic goals
• Building Ubongo's brand to help create credibility and support among these stakeholders

The Director of Development will lead fundraising, strategic partnerships, and commercial revenue initiatives to ensure ongoing support and resources for Ubongo's activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Fundraising Strategy & Board Engagement:

• Develop and lead the execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy to ensure long-term financial sustainability.
• Partner with the Board of Directors to strengthen fundraising capacity, including equipping and mobilizing board members to engage their networks.
• Organize and lead the Board Sustainability Committee to oversee and support fundraising initiatives.
• Provide regular fundraising reports, strategic recommendations, and pipeline updates to the board and executive leadership.

Donor Development & Relationship Management:

• Cultivate and steward relationships with high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), philanthropic donors, foundations, and institutional funders.
• Lead high-level donor cultivation efforts, leveraging executive and board relationships to secure multi-year commitments.
• Oversee the development of compelling proposals, impact reports, and donor engagement strategies to drive renewals and new investments.
• Position the CEO and leadership team for strategic donor engagements, ensuring alignment with fundraising priorities.

Government & Institutional Partnerships:

• Develop and implement a long-term strategy to secure funding from governments, private foundations, individual philanthropists, and major development agencies.
• Establish and maintain high-level relationships with government ministries, development agencies, and international NGOs to unlock new partnership and funding streams.
• Advocate for public-private partnerships that position the organization as a preferred implementer of large-scale education initiatives.
• Ensure compliance, impact reporting, and strategic alignment with government and other stakeholders within the ecosystem.

Revenue Diversification & Commercial Partnerships:

• Drive strategic initiatives to diversify revenue, including commercial partnerships, licensing, and sponsorships.
• Identify and cultivate corporate partnerships aligned with brand growth and financial goals.
• Provide high-level guidance on pricing strategies, revenue models, and market expansion efforts.
• Collaborate with the commercial team to align revenue-generation efforts with donor and investment strategies.

Brand Stewardship & External Positioning:

• Serve as a key external representative for the organization, positioning it as a leader in education, philanthropy, and African storytelling.
• Lead thought leadership efforts, including op-eds, white papers, and high-impact donor messaging.
• Represent the organization at global forums, donor convenings, and high-level partnership discussions.
• Collaborate with strategic communications to amplify fundraising and brand-building efforts, to help create credibility and support among key stakeholders.

Leadership & Organizational Development:

• Lead and mentor a high-performing team responsible for fundraising, partnerships, and revenue generation.
• Align development goals with broader organizational strategy, ensuring sustainable growth and mission impact.
• Oversee department budgeting and financial planning related to philanthropic and commercial revenue.
• Foster a culture of excellence, accountability, and innovation within the development team.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• Familiarity with the education sector in Africa, and experience working in Africa and Africa-related causes.
• At least a Bachelor's degree in Business, International Development, Social Sciences, Communications, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, business development, or partnerships.
• Proven track record in fundraising, including institutional funding, grant writing, and HNWI engagement.
• Wide/strong networks in the development and funder space which can still be tapped into.
• Strong strategic thinking, project management, and organizational skills.
• Experience working with governments, individual philanthropists, private foundations, or large-scale NGO-funded projects.
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and build strong and authentic relationships with funders and partners.

Preferred:

• A Master's Degree or MBA.
• Certification in fundraising (e.g., CFRE) is a plus but not required.
• Experience in revenue generation, commercial partnerships, or business development.
• Strong data-driven decision-making skills with experience in financial planning and budgeting.