Senior Manager | Business Development

ABOUT WITNESS

WITNESS is a global organization that helps people everywhere harness the power of video and technology to tell their stories, document the truth, and defend human rights. 

With growing threats to human rights and its defenders, along with the proliferation of manipulated media, how can we ensure that critical voices are heard, amplified, and protected? How do we establish the authenticity of video when the truth is constantly in question? In this volatile landscape, WITNESS deploys its global team of over 40 people, spread across five continents, to ensure that technology works for, not against, human rights.

WHAT WE DO

WITNESS combines grassroots engagement with smart tech advocacy to help human rights defenders around the world use video and audiovisual technology more effectively.

With cameras in everyone's pockets, anyone can document and expose injustice, making it harder for perpetrators of abuses to hide or for oppression to remain invisible. But using video for human rights carries risks, putting defenders or those they film in danger, having documentation misused in court, or being discredited by entrenched power narratives. Our global team works to understand how human rights defenders can best use video and audiovisual technology to advance their work, and helps them do so through training and guidance.

At the same time, rapid advances in audiovisual technology are making it harder to trust what we see and hear. Through research, expertise, and cross-regional networks, WITNESS anticipates and responds to these challenges. We help shape the design, development, and deployment of audiovisual technologies, policies, and practices, ensuring they strengthen, rather than undermine, audiovisual witnessing, with a particular focus on countering deceptive AI.

PRIMARY FUNCTION/PURPOSE

The Senior Manager | Business Development will play a pivotal role within WITNESS’ dynamic External Relations team, leading efforts to accelerate global revenue growth. This highly motivated and strategic professional will be responsible for developing the organization’s  new business pipeline while designing and implementing customized growth strategies to deepen engagement and secure increased support from existing partners.

WITNESS’ External Relations team is a small, driven, and collaborative group dedicated to expanding global revenue streams and cultivating strategic, long-term partnerships. The successful candidate will craft and execute innovative engagement strategies that attract and retain major support from governments, foundations, and other supporters. They will also contribute to amplifying WITNESS’ global reach and advancing its mission at the intersection of video, technology, and human rights.

The ideal candidate is a dynamic and results-oriented professional with exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, and a proven track record in identifying, developing, and securing funding. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Prospect Identification & Qualification

• Systematically research and identify new, high-potential trusts and foundations, and corporate partners whose missions or interests align with WITNESS’ work.
• Qualify prospects based on their capacity, connection, and interest to ensure a strong potential for a major investment.
• Rigorously assess the prospect's programmatic fit, ensuring their interests are a high-value match for WITNESS's current and future funding priorities.
• Lead regular meetings with the Director of External Relations to review pipeline progress, highlight emerging risks, and forecast potential revenue.
• Actively seek out referrals and monitor sector news to uncover "warm" leads.
• Commission external research to grow understanding of new markets that are relevant to WITNESS’ work and growth.

First-in-class cultivation strategies to engage and secure major support from a range of sources 

• Work with the Director of External Relations to lead and develop high-impact, tailored cultivation strategies to meaningfully engage top prospects.
• Work with relevant teams across the organisation to implement these strategies and engagement plans, tapping into relevant expertise of programmatic staff. 
• Support the solicitation process for newly identified partnerships, including writing tailored proposals, developing presentation decks, and preparing case materials.

Growth management and uplifts for existing partners 

• Support the Director of External Relations in conducting timely reviews of upcoming renewals and reporting deadlines to map out opportunities and risks. 
• Support the Director of External Relations in the development of tailored communications strategies to maximize funder engagement.
• Oversee the drafting of accurate, timely and compelling donor reports (narrative and financial), in line with their requirements, to demonstrate the impact of their donations.
• With the Development Coordinator (Grants) and the Development Coordinator (Donor Engagement) periodically audit the current stewardship activities for high-value partners to ensure they are receiving appropriate, high-quality, communication that sustains engagement.

Culture of Learning & Agility 

• Implement feedback loops that enable the improvement of internal ways of working, as well as documenting and implementing lessons learned.
• Actively support the development team on best practices for prospect research, and qualification scoring, ensuring the agile knowledge gained is passed down efficiently.
• Monitor emerging philanthropic trends, new foundation launches, peer fundraising strategies, and shifts in technology/human rights funding. 
• Actively contribute to updating and improving our fundraising key performance indicators and metrics across the board. 

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of 6–8 years of experience in fundraising, with a strong focus on institutional giving, corporate giving, or philanthropy. Experience working in international, multicultural, and diverse team environments is highly desirable.  
• At least 2 years of management or team leadership experience.  
• Proven track record of securing six-figure (and above) gifts or grants from a range of trusts, foundations, and high-value donors.  
• Demonstrated experience in generating new business within a global nonprofit organization, preferably in the human rights or technology-for-good sectors.  
• Strong experience in producing high-quality, funder-facing written communications, including proposals and reports.  
• Proven ability to maintain and grow relationships with high-value supporters and key stakeholders.  
• Exceptional attention to detail, precision, and accuracy in all work.  
• Strong relationship-building and problem-solving skills with a collaborative mindset.  
• Knowledge of and ability to apply a values-based approach to decision-making.  
• Excellent written and spoken English; additional languages are an asset.  
• Deep commitment to social justice and strong alignment with WITNESS’ values and mission.  
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently while maintaining professionalism and discretion when handling sensitive or confidential information.  
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a diverse team, showing sensitivity, kindness, emotional maturity, and strong interpersonal skills.  
• Flexibility to accommodate early morning or late evening calls. While this is not standard, it may occur relatively frequently depending on location and team’s needs.
• Ability to travel at least 1-2 times a year, including international travel.

LOCATION

We are a globally distributed, remote workforce. The ideal candidate is based within European time zones such as Central European Time (UTC+1, e.g., Brussels) or Greenwich Mean Time/British Summer Time (UTC+0/UTC+1, e.g., the United Kingdom), or within North American Eastern Time zones (UTC‑5/UTC‑4, as observed in New York City, Washington, DC, and Toronto). The successful candidate must have the legal right to work in their country of residence. Visa sponsorship or relocation assistance is uncommon and generally only offered for highly specialized positions.

COMPENSATION

WITNESS operates a salary localization policy using a combination of regularly reviewed foreign exchange rates and location adjustment multipliers. WITNESS does not negotiate salaries. Based on current rates, gross salaries for some of our current locations are given as an example: 

• US: 94,900 USD
• CANADA: 108,900 CAD
• UK: 66,750 GBP

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in this role, you must apply via this site (hosted by BambooHR). To complete your application please send your resume/CV and respond to the application questions. 

Applications will be accepted through the end of day Sunday October 26, 2025. 

WITNESS is committed to building an inclusive workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We encourage applications from individuals who are members of marginalized and/or underrepresented groups.

WITNESS is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, religions, genders, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, as well as individuals protected by other statuses under federal, state, or local laws, including but not limited to disability, marital, domestic partnership, familial, caregiver, transgender, and military or veteran statuses.