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Associate Director- Strategic Partnerships

  • Company

    Milaan

  • Location

    New Delhi, Mumbai, India (with frequent travel to field locations)

  • Employment Type

    Full-Time

  • Functional Category

    Fundraising & Development

  • Experience

    12 - 15 years

  • Date Posted

    25-Oct-2025

About Milaan

Milaan Foundation is a social impact organisation working to impart girls the knowledge skills and social environment needed to pursue their aspirations. Established in 2007 Milaan envisions an equal and inclusive world where every girl is educated healthy and safe. We approach our work with a mission to empower girls by advancing their skills rights & opportunities and unlocking their voice choice and potential. We at Milaan believe in the power of movement building working closely with the community to challenge the social norms that reinforce gender inequality and to re-write the narratives that shape the day-to-day lives of women and girls normalising social economic and political exclusion. Our projects primarily focus on adolescent girls from marginalised communities of India for whom we promote the continuation of secondary education prevention of child marriage prevention of gender-based violence and adequate health and well-being. We enable our goals through the use of technology undertaking life skills-based leadership pedagogy offering one on one mentoring support and promoting community participation. We measure the impact of our work through robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks and have also been independently evaluated by scholars from UC Berkeley and other social impact consultancies. With its head office In Gurugram Haryana Milaan has in the last 14 years worked with over 50000 children especially adolescent girls creating a thriving network of change agents in 3 states of India - Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. Through various state and national platforms Milaan has continued to create safe spaces for youth engagement and development.

Overview of the Role

Milaan is looking for an experienced and passionate professional to drive our Startegic partnerships & fundraising function to help build a strong foundation for our future growth and ambitious scale plans. The Associate Director—Strategic Partnerships role will play a pivotal role in shaping the organization's trajectory, managing a high-performing team, expanding the donor pipeline, strengthening donor relationships, and designing an overall fundraising strategy that supports Milaan’s ambitious scale and impact goals. This role is critical in developing and managing annual funding goals, securing multi-year commitments, and ensuring a diversified and sustainable fundraising portfolio. The individual will work closely with the Country Director, senior leadership, and external stakeholders to maximize funding opportunities and enhance Milaan’s visibility in the philanthropic ecosystem. Milaan is dedicated to creating a gender-equal world where women and girls can thrive. A prior work experience in the sector and familiarity with the challenges will be an advantage.

Job Description

Fundraising Strategy & Execution
• Drive and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy to support annual and multi-year financial goals.
• Lead donor segmentation and portfolio management across bilateral, multilateral,
philanthropic foundations, HNIs, CSR, and individual giving and build dedicated teams for each.
• Oversee the design and submission of compelling grant proposals, concept notes, donor reports, and presentations. Accountable for maintaining quality and datelines.
• Identify and cultivate new funding opportunities, diversifying revenue streams across geographies and sectors.
• Work closely with communications and program teams to craft aligned narratives and
cases for support.

Donor Engagement & Relationship Management
• Build and maintain long-term, trust-based relationships with existing donors and key prospects.
• Represent the organisation in donor forums, conferences, and high-level meetings.
• Develop and steward a strong pipeline of partners and funders, driven by research,
aligned with the organisation’s values and impact vision.
• Organise donor visits, events, and engagement opportunities to showcase impact.

Leadership & Team Management
• Inspire and lead a high-performing fundraising and partnerships team with clarity and empathy
• Set performance metrics, track progress, and foster a culture of excellence and accountability
• Mentor team members in proposal development, donor research, and relationship management

Cross-Organisational Collaboration
• Collaborate with program, MEL, finance, and communications teams to ensure alignment in grant proposals and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements and internal systems, including due diligence, audits, and financial tracking.
• Strengthen systems and processes to support efficient fundraising operations.

Strategic Leadership
• Contribute to organisational strategy and direction as part of the senior leadership team.
• Bring donor and funding ecosystem insights into long-term planning, organisational positioning, and risk mitigation.
• Participate in Board meetings and leadership deliberations as required.
• Help build and protect the organisation’s reputation, thought leadership, and partnerships ecosystem.

Required & Preferred Qualifications

Skill

• Proven track record of raising multi-crore grants from a diverse set of donors (e.g., institutional donors, foundations, CSR, HNIs).
• Strong understanding of the social impact space, preferably with experience in gender rights, social norms, or feminist movements.
• Excellent proposal writing, presentation, and storytelling skills.
• Experience in team leadership, strategy development, and senior stakeholder management.
• Deep understanding of compliance, donor reporting, and financial oversight in the nonprofit sector.
• Strong network across philanthropic and development sectors in India and globally is an advantage.
• Strategic and systems thinker with an eye for detail.
• Persuasive communicator with excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Deep commitment to gender justice, equity, and inclusion.
• Collaborative and values-driven leader, able to work across diverse teams.
• Resilient and adaptive, with a solutions-oriented positive mindset.

Experience

12-15 years of relevant experience in fundraising/resource mobilisation, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership role