Job Opening
Grant Officer
Terms of Reference
Introduction
MarAlliance is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving threatened marine wildlife and sustaining healthy ocean ecosystems for the benefit of coastal communities. Our mission is to Explore, Enable, and Inspire the protection and recovery of sharks, rays, turtles, and other marine megafauna through science, community engagement, policy support, and capacity building.
Founded in 2014, MarAlliance works across the Mesoamerican Reef and the Eastern Tropical Pacific, partnering with fishers, governments, and local organizations to advance conservation solutions that support both biodiversity and livelihoods. Through rigorous research, community collaboration, and policy engagement, MarAlliance seeks to ensure that tropical seas remain vibrant and productive for generations to come. As we grow, we seek a dedicated and skilled Grants Officer to strategically strengthen and diversify our grant and funds acquisition efforts, donor relations, and team coordination in fundraising activities.
Purpose of the Role
Purpose of the Role
The Grant Officer will play a critical role in securing and managing institutional financial resources to support MarAlliance’s mission. Reporting to the ED or her designee, the Grant Officer will research, write, and submit and report on competitive proposals to bilateral, multilateral, foundation, and government donors, while building new and expanding existing relationships to cultivate a growing network of institutional funders and secure financial commitments in support of MAR’s programmatic and organizational priorities. This position works closely with the ED, development team, science teams, and communications consultants to align funding strategy, storytelling, and brand presence. This full time role will be remote within the Americas time zones (PST to EST).
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary grant writer for single- and multi-year foundation, bilateral, and multilateral proposals, leading the preparation, calendarization, writing, and timely submission of compelling proposals and reports.
- Research and identify new funding opportunities from foundations, governments, and corporations, and maintain and grow a prospect pipeline aligned with MarAlliance’s species and regional strategies.
- Coordinate complex submissions, including technical and financial narratives, logframes, theories of change (TOCs), budgets, and annexes, ensuring all applications and reports meet donor guidelines and organizational, partner, and country priorities.
- Maintain a strategic calendar for proposals, donor engagement, campaigns, and reporting deadlines.
- Work closely with the Executive Director, development and science teams, national coordinators, and communications consultants to align funding strategy, storytelling, and a consistent brand presence across countries.
- Coordinate cross-platform campaigns and donor outreach materials, including newsletters, reports, and social media content, supporting priority proposals and donor engagement efforts.
- Support and help coordinate donor briefings, meetings, presentations, and site visits as needed.
- Maintain donor data systems, including Salesforce CRM, Instrumentl, proposal trackers, pipelines, and cashflow tools, ensuring accurate records of funding received, proposals submitted, and grant performance metrics.
- Work with finance and country teams to align budgets, proposals, and reporting requirements, including budget development and financial tracking.
- Monitor fundraising metrics with the development team and country leadership, track progress toward goals, and prepare quarterly board-level development updates and cashflow refreshes.
Required Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in natural resources, marine biology, conservation, resource management, or a related field is highly desirable, along with 5+ years of grant writing experience with institutional funders.
- Proven track record of securing large grants ($250,000+), including demonstrated success in writing winning proposals for bilateral, multilateral, and foundation donors.
- Demonstrated fundraising success within the marine conservation, coastal community, and ecosystem sectors, with familiarity in marine science, wildlife conservation, and tropical environments.
- Demonstrated proficiency with Salesforce CRM, prospect research, donor relationship management, and effective fundraising communications, including storytelling techniques.
- Strong verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, coupled with exceptional organizational and time management abilities.
- Proven ability to synthesize complex information, develop budgets, and exercise independent judgment in decision-making and project management.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and experienced with CRM platforms, particularly Salesforce.
- Spanish language proficiency (reading, writing, and presenting) is highly preferred.
- High level of integrity, professionalism, accountability, and attention to detail.
Terms and Conditions
This position accrues paid holidays and sick time monthly in accordance with local labour law and organizational policy. Occasional travel may be required for team meetings, donor engagements, or field visits. Compensation is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Candidate must be based in a country located between the PST and EST time zones.
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, CV, three writing samples (successful grant proposals/reports), and contact information for three references in a single PDF to careers@maralliance.org with the subject line “GO– [Your Name]” by the 5th of July 2026.
MarAlliance is an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. No calls or emails please to request feedback.