Position OverviewThe Manager, Donor Communications is a senior proposal writer and project lead responsible for developing high-quality proposals and reports for institutional, corporate, foundation, government, and high-net-worth donors. This role plays a critical part in securing large, complex, multi-year funding opportunities that support Room to Read's Literacy and Gender Equality programs globally.
The position leads proposal development processes from strategy through submission, working closely with cross-functional global teams to develop compelling, donor-ready narratives that align with organizational priorities and donor requirements. The Manager, Donor Communications, also helps strengthen proposal systems, tools, and organizational capacity across the organization.
This is a full-time position reporting to the Director of Strategic Content and Creative.
ResponsibilitiesProposal & Report Development (60%)- Lead the writing and project management of complex, high-value proposals and donor reports for institutional, corporate, foundation, government, and high-net-worth individual donors.
- Manage proposal development processes from kickoff through submission, including timelines, workflows, responsibilities, and review cycles.
- Develop compelling donor narratives, including program approaches, theories of change, implementation plans, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) components.
- Coordinate proposal development across Programs, Finance, Research/MEL, Operations, and Development teams to ensure cohesive, donor-ready submissions.
- Facilitate review processes with senior leadership, technical experts, and country teams; incorporate feedback into final deliverables.
- Ensure all submissions comply with donor requirements, formatting guidelines, and internal quality standards.
- Manage external grant writers, editors, and consultants as needed to support proposal and report deliverables.
Content & Process Improvement (20%)- Build and maintain proposal templates, boilerplate language, technical content libraries, and donor-facing resources.
- Develop and improve systems, tools, and workflows that streamline proposal and reporting processes across global teams.
- Contribute to internal guidance materials, trainings, and documentation related to proposal development.
- Provide coaching, mentorship, and quality assurance support to colleagues contributing to donor communications.
Strategic Proposal Leadership (10%)- Review funding opportunities (RFPs) to assess strategic fit, eligibility, competitiveness, and compliance requirements.
- Provide recommendations and go/no-go input to leadership on major funding opportunities.
- Advise relationship managers and internal teams on proposal strategy, positioning, and win themes for major bids.
- Support development of competitive funding strategies for complex donor opportunities.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management (10%)- Partner closely with relationship managers, technical teams, finance staff, and leadership throughout the proposal development process.
- Collaborate effectively with geographically dispersed teams across multiple regions and time zones.
- Maintain strong communication and coordination with internal and external stakeholders to support successful submissions.
Qualifications- Minimum 7 years of experience in grant writing, donor communications, or proposal development within an NGO, INGO, or international development organization.
- Demonstrated success leading and securing complex 6- and 7-figure grants from institutional, bilateral, multilateral, corporate, and foundation donors, with preferred experience developing proposals for institutions such as U.S. Government, FCDO, GAC, World Bank, or similar.
- Proven experience managing complex proposal development processes involving cross-functional global teams, multiple stakeholders, and competing deadlines.
- Strong writing skills, with the ability to translate complex education and development concepts into compelling narratives for a wide range of donors
- Strong understanding of donor compliance requirements for major grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.
- Experience mentoring, coaching, or managing the work of colleagues, consultants, or external writers.
- Strong project management, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Salesforce or similar CRM systems, digital workflow tools, and AI-assisted writing tools used to improve productivity and quality.
- Strong communication and intercultural collaboration skills.
Preferred Qualifications- Bachelor's degree or higher in international development, communications, journalism, public policy, or a related field.
- Familiarity with education, literacy, and/or gender equality programming.
- Experience working with teams and programs across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and/or the Middle East.
Child Protection Principles- Room to Read is committed to the education and welfare of children and protecting them from abuse and exploitation
- Room to Read has zero tolerance for child abuse and exploitation.
- All children have the right to be free from abuse and exploitation, including neglect, maltreatment, and physical, mental or sexual violence, injury or abuse.
- All children should be treated with respect and dignity.
- The well-being of the child is Room to Read's first priority when dealing with all identified or suspected cases of child abuse.
- Room to Read shall integrate child protection into all its organizational strategies, structures and work practices.
Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Principles- Room to Read Representatives must create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.
- Room to Read has zero tolerance for adult sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Sexual exploitation and abuse are serious violations of fundamental human rights and will not be accepted or tolerated.
- All adults should be treated with respect and dignity.
- Room to Read implements a survivor-centered approach, putting the survivor's rights and dignity at the forefront.
- Survivors referred to available professional assistance (e.g. mental health counselling), upon consent.
