Balmer Dawson Executive Search is delighted to partner with Mellon Educate in their search for an experienced Grant Writer to join their successful organisation. Mellon Educate is an Irish-based African development charity founded by Niall Mellon in 2002. From the enormous collective effort of their volunteers, in conjunction with the South African government, they have built houses for 250,000 homeless people in South Africa’s townships. In 2013, the charity redoubled its commitments to those less fortunate in Africa, pledging a 10-year education development programme to provide better education to more than 100,000 African children. Mellon Educate wishes to recruit a Grant Writer on a part-time OR full-time basis with specific experience and a proven track record of success in educational grant applications in Sub-Saharan Africa from medium and large sized international funders, sovereign donors, corporate and philanthropic foundations and institutional donors. Role Purpose: This is a brand-new position that has been created to increase Mellon Educate’s capacity to secure grants on a global scale. The Grant Writer will be responsible for identifying suitable funding opportunities and coordinating, preparing and writing funding applications. The successful candidate will work with colleagues to develop and implement Mellon Educate’s strategic approach to funding against agreed key performance indicators. This role requires an enthusiastic self-starter, with good knowledge of educational grant-writing, exceptional persuasive writing and organisational skills and a good knowledge of the South African education system. Key Responsibilities: Responsible for identifying, preparing, producing and submitting grant applications and funding proposals. Writing and editing high quality and compelling content for competitive proposal processes and other fundraising materials as required. Researching, exploring and identifying new grant and funding opportunities which support Mellon Educate’s current strategic objectives. Gathering, analysing and synthesizing proposal inputs and co-ordinating and reviewing content from all contributors. Building and maintaining a database and schedule of grant opportunities and grant application materials. Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships across the organisation to ensure that grant management is fully embedded. Building strong strategic partnerships with funding organisations and donors. Working with colleagues to support all of Mellon Educate’s fundraising work, including trusts, foundations, major gift, legacy giving, and capturing stories of change to demonstrate impact to funders. Essential Skills and Core Competencies : Proven track record of success in educational grant writing in Sub-Saharan Africa Demonstrated education related expertise Knowledge of the South-African education system (a distinct advantage) Keen understanding of the challenges faced by countries in the developing world Experience securing grants from Sovereign funders Evidence of success in securing medium and large-scale educational programme funding in the developing world Exceptional writing, editing and literacy skills. Ability to write clearly and concisely, producing compelling narratives. Excellent attention to detail. Proven organisational skills. Strong capacity to use ICT to improve efficiency and information-sharing across the team. Capacity to work under pressure to tight deadlines. Capacity to prioritise effectively and manage time well. Strong communicator and team player. Enthusiastic and disciplined self-starter, with a target driven approach. Strong financial literacy with competency to plan, manage and track grant expenditure. Skilled relationship and network builder. Flexibility, creativity and a positive work attitude. Track record of producing high-quality grant applications, documentation and presentations. Remuneration: • Salary will be in the region of €50,000 DOE (depending on experience) on a full-time basis or pro-rata on a part-time basis Application process: To apply, please submit your CV and Cover Letter (maximum one page) in MS Word format (outlining how your motivation, experience and skills fit this role profile) for the attention of BOTH Gilly Balmer and Zena Dawson at the email address provided. Closing Date: The closing date for applications is Monday 24th February by 5pm (GMT)