About Tara Climate Foundation

Tara Climate Foundation is an Asia-based philanthropic organisation committed to building a more sustainable and prosperous future for the region. At the heart of our mission lies Asia’s just energy transition – recognising that with half the world’s population and the fastest-growing energy demand, the region’s progress will shape the world’s collective future.

Established in 2021 and headquartered in Singapore, Tara Climate Foundation works with over 355 partners across 12 Asian geographies, including think tanks, research institutes, advisory groups, and associations. Tara provides grants, convenes stakeholders, and facilitates knowledge-sharing to accelerate clean energy development, drive a just transition, and enable clean industrialisation. Underpinning these efforts is a strong commitment to unlocking sustainable finance, supporting climate goals, and aligning business action with a people-centred energy transition. Our team of over 50 experts is spread across the Asia-Pacific region, working to accelerate climate action in this decisive decade.

About the Role

Over the last 2 years, Tara has significantly increased its funding base and currently has more than twenty philanthropic funders supporting our work. This strong and growing support creates an exciting opportunity to build even more effective systems, processes, and team capacity – enabling us to deepen relationships, streamline reporting, and scale our fundraising efforts with greater impact.

The Head of Philanthrophy and Partnerships will help lead Tara’s next phase of growth by deepening and expanding institutional relationships that are key to the organisation’s long-term sustainability. The role will report to the Head of External Affairs, and work closely with the CEO, leadership team, and colleagues across the foundation to:

1. Cultivate current institutional funders and seek partnerships with new funders,
2. Lead proposal development and grant reporting,
3. Manage funder relations and communications,
4. Partner with the finance and program teams to ensure timely, accurate donor reports and proper allocation of funds in accordance with donor requirements, enhancing accountability and stewardship.
5. Support and manage a small team, while leading efforts to strengthen internal systems, processes, and capacity for effective relationship management, reporting, and fundraising workflows.

Key responsibilities

Cultivate and grow the funding base:

• Co-develop and co-own Tara’s fundraising strategy and donor portfolio, working closely with the CEO and ensuring it is shaped by strong stakeholder input and designed to meet funding targets while building long-term financial sustainability.
• Develop and execute an ambitious funder stewardship plan to meet the needs and expectations of a diverse and committed group of institutional funders.
• Establish fit-for-purpose systems and streamlined processes for the management of funder relationships and track progress towards fundraising goals.
• Collaborate across Tara teams to identify and expand the number of new high value individual donors and philanthropic foundations, including Asian philanthropies interested in climate action.

Proposal development and grant reporting:

• Lead the development of funding concept notes, proposals, and grant reports in collaboration with Tara teams, ensuring they clearly reflect Tara’s strategy and impact.
• Maintain a central calendar of proposal and reporting deadlines, ensuring timely, coordinated, and high-quality submissions across the portfolio.

Project and funder relations management:

• Responsible for managing all fundraising-related projects from start to finish, ensuring clear timelines, accountability, and outcomes. Oversee the coordination of tasks across internal and extenral stakeholders to meet deadlines , including timely response to ad-hoc funder quiries.
• Lead relationships with funders, including meetings and field visits, and support internal teams through briefings and preparations ahead of engagements.Debrief CEO, Regional Program Director and other senior program members to funding opportunities when they arise
• Strengthen internal communication systems and processes to ensure timely program team updates and input into donor-facing materials.
• Develop and delivery high-tailored communication and stewardship materials, including PPT presentations, regular updates, annual reports, and other collaterals.

Donor Fund Management & Compliance:

• Oversee a diverse portfolio of 30+ institutional funders, driving effective renewal and reporting cycles, and working closely with the finance team on revenue forecasting and fund allocation.
• Develop systems to track progress towards fundraising targets, grant deliverables, and reporting deadlines using tools such as Microsoft List, CRM, Excel and others.

People Management & operational responsibilities: 

• Manage and mentor a small team, including external proposal writers and a Strategic Partnerships Officer, ensure efficient resource allocation and high-quality deliverables.
• Promote a culture of excellence, stakeholder responsiveness, high performance, and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrate Tara Values in every action.
• Abide by Tara’s policies, procedures and practices.

As and when required other responsibilities and projects will be allocated by line management in consultation with the post holder.

Person Specification

Excited by the prospect of working for a dynamic and fast-growing international organisation with a mission to solve the climate crisis, the ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of experience in a funder relations role or an account management role in the fields of public relations, CSR or fundraising and development. Experience either working for or interacting with philanthropic foundations or international NGOs is a bonus.

In addition, the ideal candidate will possess the following skills and attributes:

• Strong track record in developing and executing fundraising strategies and stewardship plans.
• Superb verbal and written skills in English, other Asian languages are an asset
• Strong financial and analytical acumen, including the ability to interpret and work with program budgets, revenue forecasts, and grant-specific financial and reporting requirements.
• A systems-oriented mindset, with experience designing and maintaining fundraising pipelines, managing CRM platforms, and using reporting dashboards to support strategic decision-making.
• Strong presentation skills for communication with individual donors, senior executives of trusts, foundations, business and opinion leaders, including ability to create visual compelling Presentation materials (e.g. PowerPoint decks) for high-level meetings.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and project management, with the ability to coordinate across internal functions and work with multiple stakeholders from diverse nationalities and backgrounds, time zones, and remote settings.
• Experience working in energy and climate change issues is not a must, but there must be genuineinterest in the issue and a demonstrated ability to learn quickly
• Strong ability to consolidate information and data and present them in a concise and compelling manner.
• Proven track record of working in an environment that demands professionalism, discretion and confidentiality.
• Able to solve problems resourcefully, efficiently and independently with a proactive, “can-do” attitude to challenges and changes.
• Ability to travel nationally and internationally as and when required.
• Embraces Tara’s mission and identifies with and is committed to living the Tara Values.

Education

• Advanced degree or relevant expertise in a relevant field such as public policy, communications, environmental management, business administration, economics, sustainable development or related discipline or equivalent professional experience and expertise.

What Tara Foundation can offer

• The unique opportunity to work as part of a highly dynamic, international team who combine their passion to make a difference with a rigorous and results-oriented approach to work
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for career develop and challenge yourself
• Competitive compensation and benefits
• A collaborative, fun and thriving team, driven by our mission and live our values

Tara Climate Foundation is working in partnership with Perrett Laver. To apply, please proceed to: https://plusportal.perrettlaver.com/VacancyDetail/9f925ba8-ff0a-4416-2538-3a1d12f24ffd. To confidentially get in touch about this role, or for advice on your application please email, Kieran Pollentine, Kieran.Pollentine@perrettlaver.com

The deadline for applications is Monday 16th November 7:59am at Singapore Time. 

The salary is commensurate with the seniority of the appointment. The successful candidate can be based in Singapore, or other locations in Asia Pacific, to be discussed on a case-by-case basis.