Organizational Overview
For nearly 70 years, Pathfinder has worked alongside women and girls in more than 100 countries, ensuring they have access to critical services and resources.
Pathfinder’s women-driven, community-centered solutions advance the health, leadership, and resilience of women and girls—creating opportunities for them to thrive. Pathfinder places the experiences and voices of women and girls at the heart of its solutions, unlocking their leadership and innovation to transform the systems holding them back and build a better future for all.
Approach
Pathfinder works alongside women to reduce systemic barriers and unlock innovation so they can drive a better future for society and the environment. By co-designing solutions at the intersections of health, climate resilience, and leadership with women and their communities, the organization ensures a context-sensitive approach grounded in lived realities.
To address complex challenges, Pathfinder adopts an intersectional lens to drive meaningful change. Overcoming barriers requires a multisectoral approach, one that is interconnected with economics, education, and governance. The organization’s approach brings together stakeholders across sectors, leveraging our power to dig deeply into interconnected systems and build sustainable, scalable solutions.
Role Summary & Context for Recruitment
The Chief Revenue & Partnerships Officer (CRPO) is responsible, in partnership with the President and CEO, for building and leading an integrated revenue strategy that diversifies Pathfinder’s funding. A primary value add of this role will be driving higher unrestricted funding through philanthropic development and innovative financing to unlock new capital streams that enhance financial sustainability and resilience. Reporting to President and CEO Dr. Tabinda Sarosh, the CRPO will serve as her strategic partner in revenue generation and will work closely with the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Programs and Impact Officer, the Vice President of Strategic Engagement and Innovation, country directors, and the Board of Directors, led by newly appointed Chair Dr. Harald Nusser. The CRPO will directly lead three areas: the Individual Giving Unit, including the Director of Major and Leadership Gifts; Pathfinder's emerging impact and capital investment work; and corporate partnerships. The Business Development team under the Chief Programs and Impact Officer leads proposal-based fundraising from foundations, governments, and other institutional donors.
Pathfinder conducts this search at a defining point in its nearly 70-year history. For decades, U.S. government funding underwrote much of the organization’s work, and the end of USAID support in 2025 brought that era to a close. Pathfinder had anticipated a shift in the donor landscape and was already well into a transition to a country-led model, moving leadership and support functions closer to the communities it serves. Through difficult decisions made quickly, its leadership has positioned the organization to weather this period and to set its own course. Pathfinder narrowed its focus to deliver deeper impact in fewer places and is building a revenue model that matches its mission: one grounded in local leadership and self-reliance.
The CRPO’s charge is to build that model. Pathfinder raises funds today through institutional grants and through an Individual Giving Unit that stewards a loyal base of U.S. donors, many of whom provide unrestricted support. The organization is also developing new sources of revenue, including impact investment, blended finance, and social enterprises incubated within Pathfinder that can generate earned income. The CRPO will define a clear revenue and financial strategy that sets out what share of revenue each stream should provide, what investment each requires, and how progress will be measured. The CRPO will select and sequence the opportunities of highest potential among many and will grow individual giving from mid-level through major gifts. Over time, the CRPO is expected to integrate traditional and new approaches into a unified global revenue function and to position Pathfinder as a leader in innovative development financing.
Candidate Profile
Pathfinder will consider a broad range of backgrounds and does not expect any one candidate to bring expertise in every revenue channel. It seeks a leader with demonstrated success in both philanthropy and investment or enterprise finance, the judgment to set priorities across channels, and the ability to learn quickly where experience is lighter. The ideal candidate will align with the following qualifications:
Minimum Education and Work Experience
- Significant senior progressive leadership experience in revenue generation, business development, strategic partnerships, philanthropy, impact investing, venture philanthropy, corporate engagement, investment management, or related fields.
- Demonstrated success in securing and growing diversified revenue streams, including a combination of philanthropic funding, corporate partnerships, strategic alliances, impact investment, blended finance, social enterprise models, or other innovative financing mechanisms.
- Proven experience engaging and influencing senior executives, investors, philanthropists, foundations, corporate leaders, development finance institutions, and other strategic stakeholders.
- Strong track record of identifying, developing, and executing growth opportunities that generate both social impact and sustainable revenue.
- Experience designing and implementing revenue diversification strategies within complex, multi-country, global, or mission-driven organizations.
- Demonstrated commercial acumen, including the ability to evaluate market opportunities, business models, partnership structures, investment propositions, and financial sustainability.
- Experience leading high-performing, geographically dispersed teams and building a culture of innovation, accountability, and results.
- Exceptional relationship-building, negotiation, and influencing skills, with the ability to establish credibility across the private, philanthropic, public, and nonprofit sectors.
- Strong strategic and analytical capabilities, including the ability to translate organizational priorities into executable revenue growth strategies.
- Degree in business administration, finance, international development, economics, commercial strategy, public policy, global health or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Preferred Education and Work Experience
- Experience working across both the private and social impact sectors.
- Familiarity with global health, international development, women’s economic empowerment, climate, education, or other mission-driven sectors.
- Experience with impact investing, blended finance structures, public-private partnerships, venture philanthropy, or innovative financing mechanisms.
- Prior experience serving in a chief revenue officer, chief growth officer, chief partnerships officer, investment director, corporate development, or similar executive leadership role.
Competencies/Attributes
- Strategic and systems thinking: Able to translate vision into actionable business development plans and to prioritize and sequence competing opportunities.
- Executive leadership and team building: Able to inspire and unify cross-functional global teams around common goals.
- Partnership with leadership: Confidence to set and drive a revenue agenda while keeping the CEO and Executive Leadership Team closely informed; committed to the success of the CEO and the organization.
- Relationship management and influence: Proven ability to influence others at all levels in the organization through diplomacy and proven oral and written communication skills. Proven ability to develop and maintain donor relations.
- Financial acumen and negotiation: Demonstrates strong financial insight and the ability to analyze revenue drivers, budgets, and business performance while effectively negotiating partnerships, contracts, and funding opportunities to achieve organizational goals and maximize sustainable revenue growth.
- Innovation and adaptability: Thrives in evolving environments, balancing strategic priorities with on-the-ground realities.
- Results orientation and accountability: Committed to achieving measurable outcomes within timelines and budgets.
- Change leadership: Able to guide an organization through significant transitions or transformations by inspiring and empowering people to embrace and adapt to new directions.
- Entrepreneurial mindset: Ability to champion innovation, opportunity recognition, proactive problem-solving and value creation. Brings a growth mindset and the drive to take new ventures from concept to revenue.
- Integrity and accountability: Upholds the highest ethical standards, ensuring transparency and responsible stewardship of organizational resources.
- Cultural competency: Demonstrates sensitivity and respect for diverse cultural contexts, and welcomes working with colleagues, partners, and donors across many cultures and languages.
- Organization, planning, and multi-tasking: Has in-depth demonstrated organizational and planning skills, project planning, and management skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality in work-related matters.
- Languages: Advanced writing and speaking skills in English; proficiency in additional languages spoken in Pathfinder’s regions is a plus.
- Foundational knowledge of women’s health and agency principles, practices, and services, including program strategies and indicators.
- Travel: ability to travel as needed for the role.
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer Statement
Pathfinder International provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Safeguarding and Protection Statement
Pathfinder is committed to the safeguarding and protection of the people we serve and our staff. We have zero tolerance for any type of behavior that inflicts harm on children, young people, adults, our staff, and partners including sexual abuse, harassment, bullying, and exploitation. We do everything possible to ensure that we recruit only those who are suitable to work with for us and expect that everyone we hire will abide by our safeguarding and related policies and will report any suspected or known violations. This job is subject to a range of vetting checks as legally permitted in the country where they are being hired. By applying, the job applicant acknowledges they understand our intent to verify suitability to work with us.
Pathfinder has retained DSG Global to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) may be submitted via the following link or directed to the leaders of the search team:
https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/23537
Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.
Global Managing Partner and Practice Founder, DSG Fundraising & Advancement
[email protected] | 212.542.2587