Fundraising and Marketing Director (Executive Director) – National Sea Rescue Institute

NSRI is looking for an exceptional leader to join our executive team as Fundraising and Marketing Director. This is a board-level appointment: the successful candidate will serve on the Board of Directors as an Executive Director, reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and carrying full fiduciary responsibility for the NSRI's fundraising and marketing function.

FUNDRAISING AND MARKETING DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

National Sea Rescue Institute  |  Cape Town  |  Permanent

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Remuneration: Competitive, commensurate with experience

ABOUT NSRI

The National Sea Rescue Institute is a registered non-profit company (NPC) committed to preserving life and livelihoods on and around South African waters through education, drowning prevention and rescue. We are volunteer-led, and our purpose is to save lives, change lives and create futures in all our communities. Our collective vision is a water-safe South Africa.

Every rescue, every act of prevention, every moment of education extends far beyond the immediate event. None of it happens without a funding model that works reliably, sustainably and at scale. This role is central to that purpose.

We are looking for an exceptional leader to join NSRI's executive team as Fundraising and Marketing Director. This is a board-level appointment. The successful candidate will serve on the Board of Directors as an Executive Director, reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and carrying full fiduciary responsibility for the fundraising and marketing function. It is one of the most consequential roles in the organisation.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

You are a seasoned leader who understands how to build and grow a revenue-generating function at scale. Your background, whether in the commercial or non-profit sector, has given you the strategic, financial and people leadership skills to lead a complex, multidisciplinary team. You are as comfortable interpreting data and navigating compliance obligations as you are inspiring a major donor or presenting to a board, and you have the gravitas and judgement to serve as a director of a nationally significant organisation.

You will have a minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience across commercial revenue generation, fundraising, and marketing. A relevant postgraduate qualification supports your candidacy, and experience in a non-profit environment is an advantage.

Beyond experience, we are looking for someone who is:

• A strategic thinker with the commercial acumen to grow and diversify income.

• A compelling communicator and relationship builder who can represent NSRI with authority and warmth.

• A resilient, accountable leader who sets high standards and holds their team to them.

• Genuinely motivated by purpose and committed to NSRI's life-saving mission.

THE ROLE

As Fundraising and Marketing Director and Executive Director of NSRI, you will be accountable for the full integrated fundraising and marketing function, leading a senior team across fundraising, retail, performance marketing, and business development. NSRI's fundraising model is multi-channel, data-driven, and operates at significant scale. Leading it demands both analytical rigour and strategic creativity: the ability to read the data and make bold decisions from it. You will drive revenue growth, deepen donor relationships, and position NSRI as a leading voice in prevention, advocacy and life-saving services, ensuring the long-term sustainability of an organisation that exists to save lives.

Your key areas of responsibility will include:

• Participating as an Executive Director on the NSRI Board of Directors, contributing to governance, strategic oversight and organisational accountability.

• Developing and implementing an integrated fundraising and marketing strategy aligned to NSRI's long-term sustainability goals.

• Driving growth across all fundraising channels, including corporate partnerships, trust and legacy giving, individual giving, grants, and new income streams.

• Leading multi-channel marketing, brand, and communications campaigns that strengthen NSRI's public profile and stakeholder engagement.

• Managing the fundraising and marketing budget, reporting regularly to the Chief Executive Officer and the Board on performance against targets.

• Overseeing complex donor and performance data, ensuring data integrity, meaningful analytics, and compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including POPIA and relevant non-profit legislation.

• Building and leading a high-performing team of senior managers, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation and continuous improvement.

• Representing NSRI externally as a key spokesperson and advocate, cultivating relationships with donors, government funders and the media.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates must send a letter of introduction, outlining how their experience and skills align with the role, together with their CV and three contactable references to: 

Contact: executive.recruitment@searescue.org.za

Subject line: NSRI-FM2026 (Applicant's Name)

Closing date: 23 July 2026

Queries: Sharon Carter, tel 021 434 4011