Sandton: Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager posted by Kendrick Recruitment

Kendrick Recruitment is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager for a luxury property group based in Sandton. This senior role is ideal for a professional with a proven fundraising track record, strong donor networks, and expertise in partnership development across private, public, and corporate sectors.

Key Outputs & Responsibilities

• Grant Prospecting & Proposal Development Identify potential donors, draft clear and persuasive proposals, and ensure high-quality copywriting and proofreading.

• Budget & Financial Alignment Collaborate with Operations and Finance teams to prepare budgets aligned with proposal narratives, timelines, human resources, and financial allocations.

• Monitoring, Evaluation & Integrated Learning Develop results frameworks including project-specific Theories of Change, Log Frames, and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning frameworks.

• Knowledge Management & Process Coordination Maintain proposal and reporting templates, coordinate proposal processes, and prepare fundraising and partnership reports, including Board reports.

• Analytics Maintain a live database of donors and track philanthropy trends to inform strategy.

• Compliance Ensure all activities comply with organisational policies regarding funding sources, confidentiality, and data handling.

Competencies

• Strong work ethic, professionalism, and diplomacy

• Highly organised, proactive, and adaptable

• Successful fundraising track record with the ability to raise over R50,000,000 per annum within three years

• Excellent communication, influencing, and presentation skills

• Strategic thinker with a results- and impact-driven approach

• Experienced in project management and cross-functional collaboration

• Strong financial literacy, budget oversight, monitoring, and impact measurement skills

Personal Attributes

• Professional and well-presented

• Confident public speaker

• Diligent, tenacious, self-motivated, and goal-oriented

• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple campaigns

• Proactive, adaptable, and deadline-driven

• Collaborative and comfortable working across teams

• Passionate about social and environmental impact

Previous Work Experience & Requirements

• Minimum Bachelors or Honours degree in a relevant field

• 5+ years experience in proposal development and grant writing, including private, public, and corporate funding streams

• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills

• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and coordinate interdisciplinary teams

• Knowledge of donor requirements, compliance standards, and proposal formats

• Passion for community-based work and conservation

Work Environment

• Sandton office-based role with extended hours

• Extensive travel within South Africa, regionally, and internationally, including remote locations and challenging working conditions

This is an exceptional opportunity for a strategic and results-driven professional to lead fundraising and partnership initiatives within a respected luxury property group.