Head of Fundraising

🌍We're Hiring: Head of Fundraising

About Odyssea

Odyssea is a Non-Profit Organisation in Greece, with sites across Attika and Thessaloniki. Our mission is to ensure that people have equal opportunities by harnessing the power of knowledge for employment and personal development. Our vision is to build a world where all young people thrive by realising their full potential.

We place people at the heart of the programs and services we develop, aiming to meet their needs and help them gain the skills and confidence to become self-reliant and productive members of society. Odyssea follows the principles of transparency, neutrality, and accountability — offering equal upskilling and reskilling opportunities for all, regardless of gender, origin, religion, belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

As Odyssea continues its significant expansion, we invite a dedicated senior leader to be a driving force in our mission. If you genuinely want to make a significant impact on people's lives, this is a great position for you!

📍 Location: Athens, Greece (Hybrid)
🕒 Job Type: Full-time
📅 Application Deadline: 15/05/2026

📈 Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CΕO)

Position Overview

This is a newly created position — a deliberate step in Odyssea’s growth journey. As the organisation has scaled, the need for a dedicated senior leader to unify and steward its diverse funding streams has become critical. This role introduces a new layer of strategic leadership between the CEO and the development team, ensuring that fundraising is managed with the focus, structure, and long-term thinking that sustainable growth demands.

The Head of Fundraising will play a critical role in driving the financial sustainability and growth of Odyssea. This senior leadership position oversees two key sub-departments within the development team: Institutional Development and CSR, Foundations & Individual Giving Development. The role combines strategic vision with hands-on involvement — leading funding intelligence, proposal development, partnership cultivation, and internal coordination to support the organisation’s ambitious growth targets.

The Head of Fundraising will work closely with the CEO and other senior leaders to develop and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies that align with Odyssea's mission and 2030 Strategic Plan.

The overarching goal of this role is to sustain and grow a diversified annual funding portfolio of €4,000,000, composed across multiple income streams: approximately 25% from EU programmes, 35% from governmental and institutional funding, and the remaining 40% from CSR partnerships and private foundations. Maintaining this balance across streams is central to Odyssea’s long-term financial resilience.

Career Trajectory: This is a pivotal leadership role within Odyssea, and one with a clear growth path. As the organisation continues to scale, there is a natural trajectory for the right person to evolve into a Chief Development Officer (CDO) position — a C-level role with full strategic ownership of Odyssea’s development and resource mobilisation function. We are looking for someone who is not just filling a position, but building toward that future.

Team Structure

The Head of Fundraising has two direct reports, each leading a dedicated sub-department:

CSR & Foundations Manager — leads a team of 4

EU & National Programmes Manager — leads a team of 12

In total, the Head of Fundraising provides strategic oversight to a development function of 16 people across two departments.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

Develop and execute a strategic fundraising plan that supports Odyssea's mission and growth objectives.

Set annual fundraising goals and create a roadmap to achieve them, making risk analyses and calculating time-cost ratios to focus effort on the highest-impact activities.

Collaborate with the CEO and senior leadership team to align fundraising efforts with organisational priorities.

Stay informed on new funding trends and opportunities across the EU, institutional, CSR, and foundation landscape to continuously inform strategy.

Team Management

Supervise and provide leadership to the EU & National Programmes Manager and the CSR & Foundations Manager.

Foster a collaborative, high-performance, and results-driven culture within the fundraising team.

Conduct regular performance reviews, set clear objectives, and support the professional development of team members.

EU Funding & Institutional Development

Lead the identification, design, and development of EU-funded project proposals (Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, AMIF, CERV, and similar programmes) aligned with the organisation's mission.

Monitor EU funding calls, policy developments, and programme priorities; assess relevance, eligibility, and competitiveness.

Coordinate and/or lead the full proposal development cycle: concept notes, technical narratives, work plans, deliverables, budget review, full proposal review and consortium coordination.

Build and manage relationships with European partners (NGOs, universities, public bodies, networks) and actively contribute to consortium formation.

Monitor and lead applications for ESPA and other national/regional funding opportunities.

Identify and cultivate relationships with major donors, foundations, and institutional partners; oversee grant writing and proposal submissions.

CSR, Foundations & Individual Giving Development

Lead the strategy for engaging with corporate partners and private foundations to secure sponsorships, grants, and other forms of support.

Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders in the corporate and foundation sectors; write applications and mailshots to reach a range of potential donors and sponsors.

Maintain 80% renewal of current CSR & Foundation programmes and 30% average growth for existing programmes.

Actively manage a portfolio of key corporate and foundation prospects and donors, ensuring effective engagement, reporting, and stewardship to maximise long-term collaboration.

Lead the development of individual giving as a new revenue stream for Odyssea, implementing a dual-channel strategy encompassing online giving campaigns and interpersonal cultivation of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) — building the foundations, systems, and relationships needed to grow this income source sustainably over time.

Monitoring & Reporting

Track and report on fundraising performance, including progress toward goals, campaign effectiveness, and ROI.

Provide regular updates to the CEO and Board of Directors on fundraising activities and outcomes.

Maintain a structured funding pipeline and internal tracking system for opportunities, submissions, and outcomes.

Implement best practices in donor data management and ensure accurate record-keeping within the CRM system.

Contribute to internal knowledge management by documenting best practices, lessons learned, and evaluation feedback.

Representation & Networking

Represent the organisation at relevant networking events, info days, conferences, and partner meetings at national and European level.

Organise and attend non-profit events and networking with relevant stakeholders, in close collaboration with the Initiatives & Partnerships team.

Work collaboratively with Odyssea's programme teams to develop project ideas that align with funding opportunities.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Political Science, Economics, Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, Social Sciences, or Law). A Master's degree is a plus.

Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in fundraising, with a proven track record in securing major gifts, grants, and EU-funded projects.

Demonstrated experience in EU programme proposals (Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, AMIF, CERV, or similar).

Solid understanding of national funding schemes (ESPA), CSR programmes, and institutional donor landscapes.

Demonstrated experience in managing and leading fundraising teams.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both Greek and English, with the ability to articulate complex ideas persuasively.

Proficiency in project management, CRM, and proposal submission platforms (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Asana).

Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.

Skills & Competencies

Strategic Thinking & Planning: ability to analyse funding landscapes and develop effective, prioritised strategies.

Proposal Development & Grant Writing: strong ability to write and oversee compelling, well-structured submissions.

Relationship Building & Cultivation: expertise in building and maintaining effective relationships with diverse stakeholders.

Team Leadership & Mentorship: capacity to lead, motivate, and develop a high-performing team.

Analytical & Reporting Skills: strong skills in tracking data, analysing outcomes, and reporting on fundraising performance.

Adaptability & Problem-Solving: ability to find creative solutions in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Results-Oriented: a drive to meet and exceed ambitious fundraising targets.

Strong Ethical Conduct & Commitment to Mission: deep alignment with Odyssea's values and mission.

What we offer to make your work-life awesome! 🌟:

🏖️ 3 extra holiday days than your PTO (your paid time off as stipulated by Greek law) + 2 extra days off (Good Friday and Pentecost).

📚 3 personal learning days per annum with a 100€ company contribution

🤝 2 volunteer days off per year to be used at another organisation

🌐 Hybrid work model: One remote day per week

💪 Private health insurance

Recruitment Process:

1st Interview: HR Generalist & Community & Development Manager

2nd Interview: CFO & CEO