Senior Fundraising & Strategic Partnerships Lead
Location: Pune, Maharashtra
Organization: Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR)
Reporting to: Executive Director / Senior Leadership
About WOTR
Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) is a nationally and internationally recognized organization working at the intersection of landscape and ecosystem restoration, water resource management, nature-aligned agriculture, sustainable livelihoods, climate resilience, health, sanitation, nutrition, and institutional development.
We combine on-ground project implementation with transdisciplinary applied research, training, and capacity building to deliver measurable and scalable impact.
Partnering with communities, institutions, corporates, philanthropies, and international agencies, WOTR drives transformative change across rural and climate-vulnerable regions.
Position Overview
WOTR is seeking a strategic, well-networked and results-oriented Senior Fundraising & Strategic Partnerships Lead to spearhead institutional and philanthropic fundraising efforts in India and internationally.
The ideal candidate brings 8+ years of proven fundraising experience, strong access to Indian and international foundations, corporates (private and public sector), international donors, family offices and HNI philanthropists, along with a demonstrated track record of mobilizing substantial resources from these segments.
This is a high-impact leadership role requiring strategic thinking, strong negotiation and closing capabilities, exceptional presentation skills, and the ability to collaborate across teams to build and execute a diversified fundraising strategy.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Fundraising Leadership
- Develop and implement a comprehensive, multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with WOTR's mission and growth plans.
- Build and manage a robust and diversified donor pipeline across domestic and international markets.
- Identify, approach and secure funding from institutional donors, CSR foundations, family offices, and philanthropists.
2. Donor Relationship Management & Retention
- Leverage existing high-value donor networks to generate new funding opportunities.
- Design and execute long-term donor engagement and retention strategies.
- Represent WOTR at donor forums, CSR platforms, conferences, and philanthropic networks.
- Ensure high-quality stewardship, reporting, compliance, and impact communication.
3. Strategic Partnership Development
- Build and nurture long-term partnerships with institutional and philanthropic stakeholders.
- Lead negotiations and successfully close funding agreements.
- Identify and co-create multi-year partnership opportunities aligned with shared goals.
4. AI-Enabled Lead Generation & Conversion
- Use AI tools and data-driven approaches to identify potential donors, analyze funding trends, and qualify high-potential leads.
- Optimize outreach strategies and improve donor conversion rates.
- Strengthen CRM systems and donor intelligence processes for effective relationship management.
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration, Marketing & Representation
- Collaborate with Program and Research teams to design compelling proposals and concept notes aligned with donor priorities.
- Work closely with Communications to develop high-quality fundraising collateral including pitch decks, case studies, impact reports, and digital content.
- Confidently present WOTR's vision, impact, and growth strategy to senior decision-makers.
- Position WOTR as a trusted, credible and innovative development partner.
- Travel extensively to engage donors and participate in key industry and philanthropic events.
Required Qualifications & Experience
- Minimum 8 years of experience in fundraising, business development, or strategic partnerships within development, CSR, or philanthropy sectors.
- Demonstrated success in raising significant funds from institutional and philanthropic sources.
- Strong networks within Indian and global donor ecosystems.
- Proven ability to design and execute multi-year fundraising strategies.
- Strong storytelling, presentation, and negotiation skills.
- Experience representing organizations at high-level donor forums.
- Familiarity with AI tools for lead generation, donor intelligence, and CRM optimization.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
- Willingness to travel extensively.
Desired Attributes
- Strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial mindset.
- Strong negotiation and closing capabilities.
- Results-driven with measurable fundraising achievements.
- Deep commitment to sustainable development and climate resilience.
Why Join WOTR
- Opportunity to shape and scale high-impact development initiatives.
- Work with nationally and internationally recognized experts.
- Play a leadership role in advancing climate resilience and ecosystem restoration.
- Contribute to transformative, community-centered change at scale.
Send your application to [Confidential Information] with the subject line Senior Fundraising & Strategic Partnerships Lead, Pune and fill the Form: https://forms.gle/tkrcwZsxpHtVEEgX8
