Senior Specialist, Strategic Partnerships (Hybrid)

  • Mid-level, Full-time staff position
  • Posted on 3 October 2025
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Job Description

In this role, you will:

Contribute to cross-functional collaboration between departments, ensuring alignment on strategic goals, planning, and reporting.

Lead collaborative processes to develop and deliver high-quality, successful proposals to government, multilateral, and other institutional donors.

Advance the organization’s efforts to develop and sustain strategic relationships with government and global funders, including identifying opportunities for proactive engagement and positioning.

Manage or support partnerships with funders and key gatekeepers, ensuring alignment with Movement Principles and CRC’s strategic and operational priorities.

Lead donor intelligence efforts by conducting in-depth research and analysis to identify funder priorities, assess alignment with CRC strategies, evaluate funding trends, and estimate return on investment.

Ensure effective tracking and analysis of funding opportunities and maintain up-to-date information on sector priorities, donor terminology, and proposal requirements.

Develop and refine tools and resources (e.g. marketing materials, donor profiles, CRM reports, briefings, analytics products) to support funding acquisition and partnership development.

Represent CRC in external meetings, donor forums, and sector working groups to strengthen relationships and stay abreast of emerging funding priorities and trends.

Provide strategic guidance and technical support to colleagues on donor engagement strategies, proposal development, and partnership best practices.

Track progress against fundraising and engagement targets and contribute to the development, monitoring, and reporting of quarterly and annual workplans.

Manage analytics and data related to funders and partners, leveraging CRC’s CRM and knowledge management systems to inform strategy and decision-making.

Coordinate internal reviews and post-submission debriefs to extract lessons learned, incorporate donor feedback, and improve future proposal outcomes.

Monitor and analyze changes in donor policies, funding frameworks, and geopolitical contexts to proactively identify partnership risks and opportunities.

Collaborate with finance, program, and legal teams to ensure proposals and partnerships meet compliance, budget, and contractual requirements.

Contribute to the design and implementation of internal processes and tools that enhance the organization’s competitiveness and readiness for funding opportunities.

Support internal capacity-building by developing guidance materials, facilitating training sessions, and mentoring staff on partnership and donor engagement practices.

Support the development and execution of CRC’s institutional funding strategy in alignment with broader organizational priorities and resource mobilization goals.

What we are looking for:

Qualifications include a minimum of 6-9 years experience and a 3-year college diploma or university degree in international development, public administration, political science, business, or a related field and/or an equivalent combination of education and experience. May require a graduate diploma/degree in a related field and/or a professional degree, certification, or designation. Requires expertise in a specialized discipline or broad experience across fields, along with an understanding of interconnections between processes and business units.

Experience in institutional fundraising, donor relations, government partnerships, or strategic business development.

Experience leading the development of complex funding proposals and managing relationships with institutional donors

Strong understanding of institutional donor landscape, funding trends, and sector priorities relevant to humanitarian or development programming.

Strategic and analytical thinking skills, with the ability to assess funding opportunities for alignment, risk, and return on investment.

Strong relationship-building skills and political acumen for managing external partnerships and internal collaboration.

Proven ability to research, analyze, and synthesize donor intelligence, policy documents, and funding frameworks.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint) and SharePoint is required.

Ability to identify complex problems, analyze interrelated factors, assess and mitigate risks, and develop solutions using specialized skills.

Communication and influence skills to gather perspectives, understand needs, and present information to reach consensus, often in somewhat sensitive situations.

Fluency in English is required, French is an asset.

Applications will be received until this position is filled.

About the Organization

The Canadian Red Cross helps people affected by emergencies and disasters—situations ranging from a housefire to a flood that disrupts an entire region of the country. Following a disaster, the Red Cross works with governments and other humanitarian organizations to provide for people's basic needs—food, clothing, shelter, first aid, emotional support and family reunification. The specific services offered are based on the community's needs and the role that their Red Cross has in the local disaster response plan. The Canadian Red Cross works overseas in cooperation with other members of the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement: 185 National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross. With the support of the Canadian public and the Canadian International Development Agency, we work in situations of war and natural disaster to bring urgently needed relief items, reunite families and help rebuild communities. The Canadian Red Cross supports and manages development and rehabilitation programs, ranging from primary health care to water sanitation. Each year, the Canadian Red Cross sends about 100 professional relief workers on overseas missions.

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