Position Title: Mekong Development Officer (Grade 6)

Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Travel: Regional travel required, potential travel to the U.S.

Reports To: Development Director (Based in the U.S.)

Contract Type: Full-time (Open-ended)

Application Deadline: May 1, 2026

Organizational Summary

EarthRights International is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that combines the power of law and the power of people in defense of human rights and the environment, which we define as “earth rights.” A key part of who we are organizationally is our three-pronged approach to making change: training community and legal activists, strategic legal work in defense of human rights and demanding corporate accountability, and campaigns to promote systemic governmental and corporate policy change. Our work focuses on climate justice and accountability, earth rights defenders, and corporate accountability.

Position Overview

The Development Officer is responsible for managing funding relationships and the grant writing process for EarthRights International’s Mekong and Myanmar programs. This role involves developing, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a pipeline of funders and partners in the region, as well as collaborating with EarthRights' global Development Team. The Development Officer will also support the Regional Director (RD) in establishing and implementing a regional funding strategy for the Mekong and Myanmar program. Key aspects of this role include pipeline development, donor cultivation, grant writing and reporting, donor stewardship, and collaboration with the global Development Team. The EarthRights global Development Team is made up of six staff located in Washington, DC; Lima, Peru, and Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Key Responsibilities

Pipeline Development, Donor Cultivation, and Donor Stewardship -

• Build funder pipeline for EarthRights’ Mekong and Myanmar programs and conduct successful donor cultivation and stewardship towards EarthRights’ fundraising goals.
• Through regular research, identify and develop new funding opportunities for EarthRights’ regional and country based work. Identify potential funding opportunities that align with organizational and programmatic priorities.
• Develop and implement a donor engagement plan and accompany and support Mekong program leadership and other program staff during funder meetings and engagement trips.
• Support program teams to host regional donor visits. Coordinate logistics for meetings between funders and staff members.
• Draft content based on updates from staff to be sent to major donors and foundation contacts.
• Coordinate due diligence for donor applications and proposals and donor audits
• Understand donor policies, practices and strategic priorities and share with program teams to ensure understanding and compliance.

Grant Writing and Reporting

• Manage all aspects of the grant cycle including solicitation, proposal development, agreement, monitoring, reporting, stewardship, and close out.
• Develop and write grant concept notes and proposals in coordination with Program and Monitoring and Evaluation teams.
• Work with the Finance Teams to prepare budgets and financial reports according to funder requirements.
• Write compelling grant reports for funders and ensure all reports are developed and submitted on time.

Monitoring and Evaluation Integration with the Development Team

• Support the MEL team in the seamless integration of the global and regional MEL systems with Development to ensure grant proposals and reports align with organizational goals and outcomes.
• Contribute to developing monitoring and evaluation systems to properly track and report on grant activities.
• Work with teams to establish reporting practices that directly feed into proposals, donor updates, and reports.
• Utilize MEL systems in order to draft donor updates and grant reports, as well as properly aligned new funding proposals.
• Ensure new proposals, activities, and log-frames reflect the organization’s global MEL system and strategic plan.

Collaboration with Global Development Team

• Collaborate with the other members of the Development team based in D.C. and Lima on organization-wide fundraising goals and team responsibilities.
• Update grant progress and record communication with funders in a Salesforce database.
• Contribute prospect research and donor relationship updates to the global Development Team to support the organization-wide development strategy.
• Assist the Individual Giving unit with region-specific fundraising campaigns, when necessary.
• Work closely with the development and communication teams to identify content to use for fundraising.
• Prepare briefer books for directors meetings and visits with donors.
• Provide training to staff and partners on fundraising and grant writing
• Provide reports and updates to regional directors on fundraising progress and priorities
• Participate in annual planning and monitoring to ensure grant outcomes align with program goals.

Accountability

The Mekong Development Officer is directly accountable for the following:

• Development and implementation of a successful regional funding strategy for the Mekong and Myanmar program.
• Identification and cultivation of a strong pipeline of funders in the region, supporting program growth and sustainability.
• High-quality proposals and grant reports, leading to increased funding opportunities and strong relationships with funders.
• Effective donor stewardship, ensuring donor satisfaction and long-term support for EarthRights initiatives.
• Successful collaboration with the global Development Team, contributing to a coherent organization-wide development strategy.

Competencies and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education, preferably in a related field.
• English fluency with professional-level English writing skills; ability to speak Thai or other regional languages is a plus.
• Minimum four years of experience in fundraising, with a focus on environment/human rights and/or Southeast Asia context; or two years of experience in fundraising with two additional years of nonprofit experience
• Demonstrated experience leading and producing high quality proposals and writing compelling and engaging content for funders and major donors
• Experience managing relationships with funders and managing donor contracts including foundations, governments, and other institutional donors
• Proficiency in CRM systems, donor and grant databases, Microsoft Word, Excel, and the Google platform.
• Strong communication skills to effectively engage with diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines, self-motivated, and highly responsible; experience working with international teams is preferred.
• Familiarity with bilateral and multilateral funding, and experience living and working in Southeast Asia is a plus.

Equal Opportunity Statement

EarthRights International is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices, and actively encourages people of color, women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQI people to apply.

How To Apply

Please visit the career page on our website or use the directly to application link to apply. Be sure to submit the following documents:

• Cover letter
• CV or resume
• 1-3 pages of writing sample in English

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis until positions are filled.

​www.earthrights.org

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