Strategy and Operations Senior Manager

Position description

NEF is an association of leading European foundations dedicated to strengthening philanthropic cooperation. We fund and support civil society in its work for social inclusion, democracy and international development – at the European and global level. We aim at better and more strategic collaboration between foundations. NEF is based in Brussels, at the Philanthropy House, it currently hosts 8 philanthropic collaboratives.

Overall purpose of the role:

The Strategy and Operations Senior Manager strengthens NEF’s ability to operate as a high performing, strategically aligned organisation. Acting as a key partner to the Executive Director, the Strategy and Operations Senior Manager ensures that strategic imperatives are implemented on time and to standard, bridging high-level direction with effective execution. This role enhances NEF’s capacity to deliver its mission by supporting organisational leadership, driving internal cohesion, and ensuring the structures and systems are in place for sustained impact. It balances strategic oversight with operational execution, embedding a culture of learning and continuous improvement while maintaining NEF’s agility and effectiveness.

Working across NEF’s Operations and Project Teams, the Strategy and Operations Senior Manager ensures strong collaboration, anticipates and addresses challenges, and builds trusted relationships with funders and stakeholders. By reinforcing NEF’s position as an enabler of philanthropic collaboration, the role plays a central part in sustaining and growing the organisation’s impact.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Thought Leadership & Strategy

• Support the ED in identifying emerging opportunities for NEF’s strategic growth and influence in collaborative philanthropy;
• Provide research and analysis to inform NEF’s strategic priorities, drawing on sector trends and best practices;
• Contribute to the development of strategic frameworks, policies, and operational plans in collaboration with the ED;
• Offer thought leadership by participating in sector forums, sharing insights, and representing NEF;
• Act as a resource for project leads, offering strategic advice and guidance on collaborative funding through NEF;
• Coordinate with legal, finance, and operations to streamline project initiation and ensure compliance.

Organisation Strengthening

• Support the ED in the leadership and development of both NEF Operations and Project Teams, assisting with any challenges that arise;
• Identify and implement improvements to NEF’s internal systems, including HR, IT, and operational workflows;
• Develop policies and procedures that enhance efficiency, accountability, and compliance;
• Lead initiatives to improve staff wellbeing, remote working practices, and team collaboration.

New Project Onboarding

• Assist the ED in evaluating new project proposals and partnership opportunities to ensure alignment with NEF’s mission and priorities;
• Develop and implement onboarding processes for new collaborative projects to facilitate their integration into NEF’s portfolio, ensuring operational readiness and compliance with NEF policies;
• Provide hands-on support to project teams during initial setup, including resource planning, budgeting, and risk assessment;
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and introductions between new projects and existing NEF initiatives.

Knowledge Management & Learning

• Cultivate a culture of learning and evidence-based decision-making across NEF, leading the development and dissemination of insights to enhance development impact;
• Monitor emerging research and sector trends to ensure NEF remains at the forefront of philanthropic and collaborative funding best practice;
• Analyse M&E data to generate insights that optimise development impact, ensuring a ‘light-touch’ and non-bureaucratic approach;
• Facilitate learning reviews and communities of practice to share insights, good practices, and innovative approaches for achieving enhanced development impact;
• Coordinate the NEF Collaborative Day for the NEF community to share insights and brainstorm together on joint learning agenda;
• Develop and manage a repository of learning resources, ensuring accessibility for NEF stakeholders;
• Embed funder learning agendas into project design, liaising with colleagues and MEL consultants to build capacity and streamline data collection.

Communications & Funders/Projects Relationship Management

• Strengthen NEF’s value proposition by delivering high-quality knowledge-sharing initiatives, learning communities, and sector insights for NEF stakeholders;
• Contribute to building and maintaining strong relationships with NEF’s funders and projects, extending NEF’s reach and increasing collaboration across the philanthropic sector. Collaborate with the ED and with colleagues to develop key messages and communication strategies;
• Contribute to the writing of internal and external communications, including newsletters, reports, website updates and presentations;
• Support the ED and colleagues in preparing funding proposals, grant reports, and donor briefings to sustain and expand funding streams;
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting to the NEF funders, and other stakeholders.

RECRUITMENT CRITERIA:

1) Qualifications

• A master’s degree in a relevant field such as Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, International Development, or a related discipline;
• Equivalent experience in a leadership role within a relevant sector may be considered in place of formal education.

2) Experience

• 10 years of experience in nonprofit or foundation management, with exposure to strategic leadership and operational oversight;
• Demonstrated success in implementing strategic priorities and achieving desired outcomes;
• Experience in managing cross-functional teams and working in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment;
• Familiarity with HR and talent development, particularly in mentorship and staff capacity-building;
• Track record in funder relations, partnership development, and external representation;
• Experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks to drive organisational improvement;
• Proven ability to foster knowledge sharing, peer learning, and organisational strengthening.

3) Competencies

• Strategic Implementation:Ability to translate high-level strategic imperatives into operational execution, ensuring alignment with organisational goals;
• Project & Organisational Leadership: Proven capability in overseeing both internal operations and external projects, supporting teams to deliver impact;
• Funder Relationship Management: Expertise in engaging with philanthropic stakeholders, securing funding, and maintaining accountability to funders;
• Knowledge Management & Learning: Strong knowledge of emerging good practice in the optimisation of development impact; developing learning frameworks, generating insights, facilitating reflections, utilising learning to develop and refine theories of change;
• Policy & Governance: Understanding of governance structures, compliance, and risk management in a nonprofit setting;
• Financial & Resource Oversight: Familiarity with budgeting, financial planning, risk management and resource allocation in an organisational context.

Benefits:

Our Offer

• An indefinite, full-time (37.5 hours per week) contract based in Brussels;
• A monthly gross salary ranging from 5.500 € to 6.000€: annual gross from 74.000€ to 83.500€. This is a Belgian salary range with the 13th salary and holiday pay;
• Additional benefits include meal vouchers, extra holidays, a pension scheme, hospitalisation insurance, flexibility of working from home (up to 2 days per week) and homeworking and phone allowance, etc.;
• An inclusive work culture that values diversity within a driven team.

Application instructions

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