Senior Advisor – Strategic Partnerships & Donor Engagement (Consultancy)Apply by 24 May 2026

The organization Connecting Research to Development (CRD Dubai) is seeking a highly experienced Senior Advisor for Strategic Partnerships & Donor Engagement. This is a senior-level, performance-based consultancy role with a global scope and a strong focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Unlike traditional employment positions, this opportunity is structured as an independent consultancy with no fixed salary or retainer. Instead, compensation is directly tied to outcomes and engagement milestones. The role is designed for professionals who operate at a high strategic level and are motivated by results-driven partnership building.

Role Overview

This position is aimed at senior professionals with extensive experience in international development funding, philanthropy, and donor relations. The consultant will be responsible for identifying, engaging, and converting high-value partnerships across a wide network of stakeholders.

The core expectation is not operational execution, but strategic influence and deal-making capacity. The ideal candidate is someone who can open doors at the highest levels of funding ecosystems and translate relationships into long-term partnerships.

The role operates globally but has a particular emphasis on:

• Gulf region philanthropy
• Family offices and high-net-worth individuals
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) platforms
• International development donors and foundations

Organizational Context

The Connecting Research to Development works at the intersection of research, funding, and development programming. Its focus is on building bridges between knowledge production and practical implementation through strategic donor engagement.

The organization engages with a wide ecosystem of actors including:

• International development agencies
• Private philanthropic foundations
• Government-linked funding bodies
• Corporate and CSR initiatives
• Regional and global family offices

This consultancy role supports the organization’s broader goal of expanding and strengthening its partnership network across these sectors.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Advisor will take ownership of high-level relationship development and partnership conversion activities.

Strategic Partnership Development

• Identify and engage high-value donors, foundations, and philanthropic actors
• Build relationships across Gulf-based philanthropy and international funding networks
• Convert early-stage conversations into structured partnerships and collaborations
• Advise on strategic positioning for donor engagement opportunities

Network Activation and Deal-Making

• Leverage existing professional networks to open funding opportunities
• Facilitate introductions between CRD and key decision-makers
• Support negotiation processes for partnership agreements
• Guide strategic conversations with senior stakeholders

Donor Engagement Strategy

• Provide insight into donor priorities, trends, and funding behavior
• Shape engagement strategies tailored to specific donor categories
• Advise on positioning CRD’s offerings for maximum funding alignment
• Support long-term relationship management strategies

Representation and Advisory Role

• Represent CRD in high-level conversations where appropriate
• Act as a trusted advisor on partnership development strategy
• Contribute to refining outreach and engagement approaches
• Support positioning of CRD in competitive donor environments

Candidate Profile

This is a senior consultancy role requiring more than 10 years of experience in donor relations, partnerships, or fundraising within international development or related sectors.

The ideal candidate is expected to bring:

Experience and Expertise

• 10+ years in donor engagement, partnerships, or strategic fundraising
• Strong track record of working with international donors or philanthropic networks
• Experience with Gulf region philanthropy, family offices, or CSR platforms
• Deep understanding of global development funding ecosystems

Network Strength

• Established connections across donors, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals
• Ability to activate networks for strategic partnership building
• Proven success in converting relationships into funding opportunities

Skills and Capabilities

• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills
• High-level strategic thinking and advisory capacity
• Ability to work independently in a consultancy structure
• Strong communication and interpersonal influence skills

Working Structure and Compensation

This is not a traditional employment role. Instead, it is structured as a performance-based consultancy.

Key features include:

• No fixed salary
• No monthly retainer
• Compensation linked directly to results and engagement milestones
• Flexible, independent working arrangement
• Global scope with MENA regional anchoring

This structure is designed for professionals who prefer outcome-based consultancy work rather than fixed employment contracts.

Application Process

Interested candidates are invited to apply by submitting:

• A short CV highlighting relevant experience
• Evidence of relevant networks or partnership achievements (if available)

Applications should be sent via email to:

recruitment@crdconsultancy.org

Applicants must include the position title in the subject line of the email.

Why This Role Matters

The opportunity with Connecting Research to Development reflects a growing trend in global development funding: the increasing importance of strategic partnerships and non-traditional financing networks.

Rather than focusing on operational program delivery, this role centers on relationship capital, influence, and funding ecosystem navigation. It is designed for senior professionals who operate at the intersection of philanthropy, development, and high-level advisory work.

For experienced donor engagement specialists, this consultancy offers a flexible, high-impact opportunity to shape funding flows and strategic partnerships across global development systems.

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Disclaimer: Remote Job Opportunities (RJO) is not the organization offering this internship. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to RJO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.