Director Development and Outreach

The Development and Outreach Department of Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking applicants for the position of Director, Belgium to lead our fundraising and outreach in Belgium. The Director will oversee a small team in the Brussels office and will report to the Managing Director of Development and Outreach for Europe and the Asia Pacific region (APAC). 

The successful candidate will mobilize support from donors and prospects in Belgium, including the Belgium Committee – a network of close supporters from all linguistic regions (Wallonia, Brussels, Flanders) who support fundraising, outreach, networking, and cultivation initiatives. The Director will be charged with nurturing, stewarding, and growing HRW’s donor base and presence including by planning and executing an annual signature fundraising event.

The successful candidate will be expected to work from the Brussels office at least 2 days per week. We aim to be as flexible and supportive as possible in both the recruitment for and onboarding of this position. 

Responsibilities:

• Develop and oversee the strategic plan, budget and income forecast to further fundraising results in Belgium, across both the Flemish and Francophone regions;
• Manage the Belgium Committee, develop a diverse, equitable and inclusive Committee, and keep the members engaged through regular meetings and communication;
• Seek and secure philanthropic commitments from a personal portfolio of individual, trust and Foundation donors, prioritizing those with multi-year and five to six-figure capacities;
• Identify and develop strategic fundraising and outreach initiatives, fostering engagement and cultivation of major gift prospects, including planned giving and cultivation events to enhance program visibility and increase fundraising results;
• Work in collaboration with the Belgium Committee leadership and members to implement initiatives geared toward maximizing fundraising results, including the planning and execution of the annual Voices for Justice celebration;
• In partnership with the Institutional Giving Team, research, identify, cultivate, steward, and solicit prospective foundations and existing foundations that have the ability and affinity to contribute to HRW;
• Represent the work of HRW to existing and prospective supporters;
• Deliver sustainable growth and meet or exceed agreed-upon financial targets;
• Oversee income tracking, projections, expenditure budgets, event expenses, and revenue, ensuring appropriate allocation of resources within the budget;
• Oversee gift processing and donor support services for Belgium in Salesforce; create and regularly monitor the budget; and
• Perform any other responsibilities as required.

Managerial Responsibilities:

• Lead, motivate, and mentor direct-reports, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely constructive feedback, ensuring a balanced workload, providing guidance on professional growth, and monitoring staff well-being as it pertains to stress and resilience issues and self-care;
• Foster an inclusive, creative, and positive work environment, encouraging diverse perspectives and participation in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, while proactively addressing bias, discrimination, and microaggressions;
• Model inclusive behavior and consistently adhere to HRW’s internal values;
• Incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion values and initiatives into the work of the Brussels team; and
• Collaborate with staff to develop initiatives aimed at movement-building and expanding partnerships with diverse clients, donors, stakeholders, and partners.

Qualifications: 
Education:

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in a relevant field such as international relations, social sciences, or related studies is required. An advanced degree in philanthropy, business, finance, communications/marketing, or law is desirable.

Experience:

• A minimum of seven years of fundraising experience, including at least five years of management experience, is required.

Related Skills and Knowledge:

• Demonstrated success in creating and managing major and leadership gift programs, as well as extensive experience in building and maintaining high-level donor relationships and personally soliciting five and six figure gifts is required.
• Demonstrated experience managing teams is required. Experience overseeing fundraising strategy around events is preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in French, Flemish and English, including strong presentation abilities is required.
• Proven experience in budgeting, revenue tracking, and projections is required.
• Familiarity with the Belgium philanthropic community is desirable.
• Strong technological skills, including familiarity with Salesforce or other relational databases are highly desirable.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills for effective collaboration within the organization and with external partners is required.
• Strong commitment to human rights and/or international issues, with the ability to represent and advocate for the mission and programs of the organization is required.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with self-motivation, independence, and the ability to work both individually and as part of a development team is required.
• Ability to multi-task effectively, including having good planning and organizing skills and ability to work well under pressure are required.
• Willingness to travel locally and internationally as required.