Director- Development & Strategic Partnerships

Strategic Alliance Management Services (SAMS)

New Delhi

On-site

INR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Smile Train invites a strategic fundraising leader to serve as Director Development & Strategic Partnerships in New Delhi/NCR, guiding corporate CSR programmes, foundations, and philanthropic donors to expand cleft care access across India.

The DDSP will lead high-value partnerships, manage a fundraising portfolio, mentor a 12-member team, and work with the India leadership to drive sustainable revenue growth with a strong emphasis on accountability and impact.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field.
10–15 years of experience in fundraising, resource mobilisation, institutional partnerships or CSR engagement.
Track record of securing, managing and growing high-value institutional partnerships and grants.
Experience with healthcare/public health and child welfare is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead fundraising for corporate and foundation donors to secure, grow and diversify giving.
Develop strategic partnerships with CSR programmes, foundations, and philanthropic institutions.
Build a pipeline for high-value partnerships through outreach and networks.
Manage all stages of new business development: outreach, proposal, contracts, onboarding.
Lead cause-related marketing partnerships aligning with Smile Train's mission.

Skills

Fundraising Strategy

Institutional Partnerships

CSR Engagement

Donor Relationship Management

Proposal Development

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, Social Sciences, Public Health, Development Studies, Marketing, or related field

Tools

Salesforce

MS Office

Job description

1. POSITION VACANT:

Director Development & Strategic Partnerships, Smile Train, New Delhi/NCR

2. ORGANISATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Headquartered in New York,Smile Train is an international not-for-profit, with the mission of transforming the life of every child impacted by cleft lip and palate. The organization trains and supports doctors and medical professionals to provide free, life-changing, and comprehensive, cleft treatment, to afflicted children.

Smile Trains sustainable model has helped improve the lives of 1.5 million children in 90+ countries, to date. The organization is committed to changing the world, one smile at a time. The organization has been operational in India for the past 22 years and successfully carried out more than 700,000 free cleft surgeries to date.

For more details about Smile Train, please visit: https://www.smiletrainindia.org/

3. JOB DESCRIPTION/ RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Director Development & Strategic Partnerships (DDSP) will play a pivotal role in advancing Smile Train India's mission by driving sustainable revenue growth and building strategic partnerships that expand access to life-changing cleft care across the country. The position will lead efforts to identify, cultivate, and secure high-value partnerships with corporate CSR programmes, foundations, philanthropic institutions, family foundations, and other institutional donors.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic and entrepreneurial fundraising leader with a proven ability to build meaningful relationships, develop compelling partnership opportunities, and convert them into long-term support. Leveraging a strong network within the philanthropy and CSR ecosystem, the individual will proactively identify new funding opportunities, steward existing partners, and collaborate with internal stakeholders to create impactful, mutually beneficial partnerships.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Regional Director, Asia, the Director Development & Strategic Partnerships (DDSP) will serve as a key ambassador for Smile Train, strengthening the organisation's visibility, expanding its supporter base, and generating the resources needed to ensure that every child born with a cleft has access to safe, high-quality, comprehensive care. The Director will work closely with the India leadership team and will have 12 team members reporting directly to the position.

(A) Fundraising & Strategic Partnerships:

(1) Lead the fundraising process for a portfolio of corporate and foundation donors to secure, grow and/or diversify their giving. This includes building appropriate strategies to manage existing relationships, initiating new ones, and re-engaging lapsed partners to achieve long-term relationships;
(2) Lead the development of strategic partnerships with corporate CSR programmes, corporate foundations, family foundations, philanthropic institutions, trusts, and bilateral or multilateral funding agencies to expand and diversify Smile Train India's funding base;
(3) Lead new business outreach strategy to develop and expand a pipeline for high-value partnerships, through cold outreach as well as effectively leveraging networks. Ensure strong engagement of existing donors and partners to enhance retention, strengthen long-term relationships, and increase funding support over time;
(4) Manage, in collaboration with relevant internal stakeholders, all stages of the new business development cycle including outreach, meeting planning, proposal and presentation development, contract development, and securing and onboarding new partners;
(5) Lead and manage cause-related marketing partnerships that align with Smile Trains values and advance its goals and brand.

(B) Planning, Performance & Portfolio Management:

(1) Lead, in collaboration with the India leadership team, the fundraising annual budget preparation and team goal-setting processes to drive sustainable revenue growth from corporate and foundations;
(2) Oversee fundraising performance metrics and report regularly to executive leadership on revenue progress and portfolio health;
(3) Oversee portfolio activity in Salesforce and the structured Moves Management process, and report on performance to senior leadership with status updates and revenue projections.

(1) Represent Smile Train India, alongside relevant leadership and programme colleagues as appropriate, at philanthropy, CSR, healthcare, and development sector forums to strengthen visibility and cultivate prospective funding relationships;
(2) Serve as the internal corporate and foundations giving expert, staying current on the sector landscape with an effective understanding of corporate and foundation interests, consumer trends, and alignment with organizational priorities.

(D) Cross-functional Collaboration:

(1) Collaborate closely with Finance, Programmes, and Grants teams to ensure effective donor relationships, timely fulfilment of grant commitments, compliance with donor requirements, and high-quality reporting on programme impact.

(E) Team Leadership & Culture:

(1)Develop fundraising team members and consultants through mentoring and performance management, fostering a high-performance, collaborative, and results-oriented culture;
(2) Collaborate with colleagues across the organisation to foster a positive, collaborative, and performance-oriented growth mindset work environment grounded in accountability and continuous improvement.

4. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES:

Qualifications and Experience:

(1) Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, Social Sciences, Public Health, Development Studies, Marketing, or a related field. A postgraduate qualification would be an advantage;
(2) 10–15 years of experience in fundraising, resource mobilisation, institutional partnerships, business development, or CSR engagement within the development sector.;
(3) Demonstrated track record of securing, managing and growing high-value institutional partnerships and grants from Indian corporates and CSR foundations, philanthropic and family foundations, and international funders;
(4) Experience working with healthcare, public health, child welfare, disability, or related social sector programmes would be an advantage;
(5) Experience across the new business development cycle, including qualification, research, proposal development, solicitation, closing and ongoing partner engagement;
(6) Experience in revenue forecasting, pipeline management, and reporting against key fundraising performance indicators;
(7) Experience managing, coaching and driving performance from a team of fundraising professionals.

Skills and Competencies:

(1) Strong knowledge of India's CSR regulatory framework and corporate funding landscape, including CSR funding requirements, compliance considerations and corporate giving practices;
(2) Strong understanding of the wider philanthropy and institutional funding landscape in India, including emerging donor priorities, funding trends and partnership models, with the ability to translate these into fundraising opportunities aligned with Smile Train's mission and global health priorities;
(3) Strong working knowledge of donor compliance, grant management, reporting requirements and partner relationship management;
(4) Entrepreneurial and self-driven, with the ability to develop and execute strategies independently;
(5) Expertise in developing effective partnership proposals and presentations and articulating alignment between Smile Train's objectives and those of corporate, foundation and institutional prospects;
(6) Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and negotiation skills;
(7) Excellent oral and written communication skills to be able to share complex information to a variety of audiences;
(8) Excellent time management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines while maintaining a keen attention to detail;
(9) Enthusiastic team player with the ability to work effectively with internal stakeholders:
(10) Strong proficiency in MS Office Suite, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint and database software(s) such as Salesforce;
(11) Interest and commitment to the work of Smile Train and knowledge of international / humanitarian issues.

5. ACCOUNTABILITY EXPECTATIONS:

(1)Ownership of Outcomes: Take full responsibility for one's own performance, ensuring alignment with Smile Train's mission and objectives.
(2)Transparent Communication: Communicate openly and effectively with team members, fostering trust and a shared understanding of expectations and priorities.
(3)Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrate empathy, understanding, and cultural sensitivity to contribute to an inclusive and supportive team environment.
(4)Empowerment: Effectively communicate with supervisors to ensure you are equipped with the resources, guidance, and autonomy you need to excel in your role.
(5)Team Cohesion: Contribute to a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared accountability, helping the team to thrive in a fast‑paced, mission‑driven environment

6. COMPENSATION OFFERED:

The compensation offered for the position is competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications.