Development manager

Type: Full-time, 12‑month renewable (subject to funding & performance)

Compensation: £45,000 gross per year, plus benefits (UK-based). For candidates outside the UK, compensation is adjusted based on regional cost of living.

Location: Remote, must be able to overlap at least 4 hours per day with West Africa Time (WAT).

Reports to: Chief Growth Officer

Apply here: https://hiring.lafiya.org/r/NpO2VW

Deadline: 23:30 West Africa Time, Sun July 5, 2026

About Lafiya

At Lafiya, we're on a mission to make contraception accessible to anyone who needs it and wants it – no matter where they live. Through our network of dedicated female health professionals – our Lafiya Sisters – we provide information and deliver contraception directly to communities that need it most. Our approach is cost-effective, community-based, and deeply rooted in respect and agency. We operate in hard-to-reach communities that otherwise do not have access to contraceptive products and information. We currently run our core programme across four states in northern Nigeria, managing 480 Lafiya Sisters. In addition to our direct community work, we are building our own supply chain to address widespread supply challenges in Nigeria and are partnering with government stakeholders to realise sustainable financing models for the procurement of contraception. To date, we have supported more than 650,000 women through our innovative last-mile approach.

We're a fast-growing non-profit in the middle of a transition from start-up to scale-up. Our focus is on impact, cost-effectiveness, and ensuring our work enhances the dignity and agency of those we serve.

Position overview

We are seeking an exceptional Development Manager to strengthen and diversify Lafiya's funding pipeline during an exciting period of growth. As we transition from startup to scale-up, this role will play a critical part in building the systems and seizing the opportunities that underpin our fundraising success. This isn’t a role where you’ll be just supporting someone else’s work - you’ll be doing it yourself: finding the right funders, building the relationships, writing the proposals, producing the reports, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. It’s a role with real weight and, over time, real independence.

You’ll come in during a structured onboarding period, learning the portfolio and how Lafiya works, before taking on ownership of a growing tier of donor relationships. A significant part of the job is back-office: maintaining the pipeline, writing proposals, coordinating reporting, keeping the CRM in shape. As you get up to speed, you’ll increasingly be in front of funders yourself: leading calls, managing renewals, and stewarding relationships independently.

What You’ll Do

Build and manage Lafiya's funding pipeline

Identify, research, and qualify new funding opportunities from foundations, philanthropists, family offices, bilateral and multilateral donors, and other strategic partners.
Maintain a healthy fundraising pipeline with a balanced mix of prospects at different stages of engagement.
Track opportunities, deadlines, next steps, and donor interactions through our CRM system.
Develop donor intelligence and briefing materials so you and others in your team can engage effectively with current and prospective supporters.
Independently manage outreach and follow-up for your own donor relationships.

Lead proposal and material development

Write compelling letters of inquiry, concept notes, grant applications, and donor proposals tailored to each funder's interests and priorities.
Coordinate proposal development across teams, gathering inputs from programme, operations, and leadership colleagues.
Translate complex programme work into clear, persuasive, and evidence-based fundraising materials.
Continuously improve Lafiya's fundraising collateral, case for support, and donor communications.

Stewardship

Oversee donor stewardship by coordinating reports, updates, and other relationship-management activities.
Ensure timely follow-up on donor conversations, requests, and commitments.

Who You Are

Education and Experience

Completed bachelor’s degree
5–8 years of fundraising experience in a non-profit working on global health, livelihoods, or a related development sector
Proven track record of securing and managing 6- to 7-figure grants from foundations, corporate donors, major donors, and/or government grants
Experience working with data, CRM systems, and technical reporting

Skills & Personal Qualities

Exceptional writing and editing skills: able to write clearly, concisely, and persuasively for different audiences.
You have a solid understanding of non-profit models and the metrics our donors look for (e.g. financial sustainability, $/DALY averted, $/life saved, cost per CYP).
You are genuinely comfortable with the operational side of fundraising, such as managing the pipeline, keeping the CRM in order, and producing reports.
You are also confident representing the organisation in donor conversations: you exercise good judgment on tone and framing.
Strong strategic thinking: you can read guidelines, understand what the funder really cares about, and position Lafiya accordingly
Comfortable working with data, outcomes, and budgets; able to translate numbers into clear, compelling narratives
Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise and deliver results under pressure.
Proactive and self-motivated, with a high degree of professional confidence.
Proficiency with digital work tools, including Google Workspace and Slack.
Why should you apply
This is a role with a clear learning trajectory. You will join with a structured ramp-up, when you will spend time learning about our donors, systems, and ways of working, and progressively take on full ownership of a growing funder portfolio. A significant part of the work is always operational: writing proposals, reports, and ensuring that the CRM remains up to date. If both of these fundraising elements excite you, you will thrive in this role.
The funding you secure and the quality of your work make a real impact. Our funding and relationships with donors directly determine how many women Lafiya can reach with life-saving contraception.
There will be room to take initiative, make decisions, and leave your mark on a critical stage of Lafiya’s growth. At Lafiya, we bypass bureaucratic layers; if the evidence is there, you will have the mandate to implement bold, transformative changes.

Benefits include:

30 days’ of paid annual leave
Fully paid 16 weeks of parental leave
Laptop, phone and communications data allowance
Working closely with a team of senior leaders who are collaborative, ambitious and serious about impact.
HMO insurance cover, travel reimbursements, possibility of a co-working space.

What is the recruitment process for this role?

We value your time and aim to make our recruitment process as insightful as possible. It includes:

Stage 1: Application Form & Assessment. Share your CV and complete a 40-minute multiple-choice quiz to assess your fit for the role. There is an opportunity to upload writing and design samples to showcase your writing style.
Stage 2: Test Task. Engage in a 2-3 hour task that mirrors the kind of work you'll do with us.
Stage 3: Interview. This is the final stage, after which we’ll make offers. All candidates will be asked the same questions in a 1-hour interview. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask us questions.

NOTE: We recognise that AI tools are changing how people work and can be helpful thought partners. However, this role is rooted in creativity and human understanding. Writing with authenticity is part of how we build trust. Submissions that appear to rely excessively on AI will be disqualified.

We're committed to transparency and will provide feedback from Stage 2 onwards. If you're ready to embark on this journey with us, apply here: https://hiring.lafiya.org/r/NpO2VW

For any questions, reach out to our Operations Team at operations@lafiyanigeria.org