About Blue Alliance
Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas (BA) is a nonprofit founded in 2015 that actively manages large Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to regenerate coral reefs and build a blue economy that lifts coastal fishing communities out of poverty.
We currently hold official government mandates to co-manage 3.4 million hectares of MPAs across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Zanzibar, representing 1.5% of the world's coral reefs. To date, our work has directly benefitted 48,000 fisher community members through improved food security and sustainable fishing, with a strong focus on women and girls. tackling one of the biggest problems in ocean conservation: MPAs that exist on paper but have little or no real impact on the ground.
We are currently expanding our impact toward 9 million hectares by 2030.
We are tackling one of the biggest problems in ocean conservation: MPAs that exist on paper but have little or no real impact on the ground. Our model brings together public governance, sustainable revenue streams, and private philanthropy to make marine protection financially viable and genuinely effective. We're backed by a small but growing base of institutional funders and high-net-worth donors, and we're now building the team to take that to the next level.
The Opportunity
This is a rare chance to own the fundraising function of a high-ambition conservation organisation at an early but pivotal stage. You won't be inheriting a polished machine, you'll be building one, with real strategic input and direct access to leadership.
Coming in with a foundation already laid (a functioning institutional portfolio, active major donor pipeline, a donor cultivation framework, and field visit programme), you'll take over where our current team leaves off and make it yours. Over time, you'll have the opportunity to grow and lead a development team as Blue Alliance scales.
If you're someone who's shown what you can do in a larger organisation and wants the space to really run something, this is that job.
What You'll DoIdentification, cultivation and solicitation to institutional donors and HNW donors
§ Identify and pursue new funding opportunities across institutional donors, HNW and family offices donors, primarily in the UK, Europe, Hong Kong/Singapore and US (6- and 7-figure prospects and donors through the full cultivation cycle).
§ Work with the CEO and Board to activate existing networks and identify warm paths into new prospects.
Donor stewardship
§ Maintain and grow an existing institutional portfolio (currently ~£2.5M p.a.), with a focus on renewals and relationship depth.
Events and Donor Engagement
§ Leverage major conservation convenings to identify prospects, secure existing donor meetings, and build new relationships with funders.
§ Design the programme and supervise all logistics for donor cultivation events and field visits for prospective and current supporters: working closely with field teams to create meaningful, mission-connected moments, defining participant selection criteria, site itineraries and travel-based engagements.
§ Create follow-up protocols: every meeting and attendee gets a next step within 2 weeks
Fundraising strategy
§ Develop and execute a multi-year fundraising roadmap with clear targets and milestones.
§ Write the playbook for how we take someone from \"never heard of us\" to writing a check – the whole sequence
Content and communications
§ Produce compelling pitch materials in close collaboration with the science and programmes teams.
§ Create site-specific MPA communication packages for Tanzania, Indonesia, and the Philippines. 3 solid MPA-specific pitch packages. A donor should look at one and know exactly what their money does.
§ Translate conservation impact into meaningful donor engagement opportunities and stories that land.
Operations and reporting
§ Build and maintain fundraising systems (CRM, gift records, pipeline tracking) to give leadership real visibility on progress.
§ Provide monthly progress reports and maintain accurate records of all donor interactions and pipeline activity.
Team and organisational development
§ As Blue Alliance grows, help shape the development team structure and recruit and manage direct reports.
§ Develop a KPI framework and manage to it.
What We're Looking For
§ You don't need to have done this exact job before, but you do need to have the instincts for it. We're looking for someone who:
§ Has 5–8 years of fundraising or development experience, with a track record of securing major gifts or institutional grants.
§ Is comfortable working across HNWI, foundations, and institutional donors — and knows these are different muscles.
§ Writes and communicates with real clarity. Our donors include scientists, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists — you need to meet all of them where they are.
§ Act as a thought partner to leadership on funding strategy, not just an executor of it.
§ Is self-directed and organised. This is a role where you'll need to manage your own time and priorities without a lot of hand-holding.
§ Has experience working in or with international organisations, ideally in environment, oceans, or conservation — though we'll consider strong candidates from adjacent fields.
§ Is excited by the challenge of building something, not just maintaining it.
§ Can travel internationally — field visits to our MPA sites and donor meetings in the US, Europe, and Asia are part of the role.
§ Experience working directly with a CEO and board in a founder-led or entrepreneurial organisation.
§ Experience with blended finance or impact investing is a plus but not required.
§ Caring about the ocean is a nice-to-have.
What We Offer
§ Up to £80,000 salary, depending on experience. This role can be employed via an Employer of Record (EOR) with full employment rights, including holiday, pension, and sick pay, with day-to-day management sitting entirely with Blue Alliance.
§ Flexible, remote-first working: we're a small global team and we trust you to manage your time.
§ Direct access to leadership and genuine influence over how Blue Alliance's fundraising develops.
§ A mission that matters. Our work is urgent, specific, and measurable.
§ The chance to grow into a senior leadership role as the organisation scales.