Director, Development & Strategic Relationship Support

Summary

Join Instruction Partners as the Director of Development, a remote position with up to 25% national travel, where you will lead the organization's fundraising efforts and build strong relationships with donors. You will be responsible for project managing the execution of the development strategy, overseeing grant management and reporting, and cultivating new prospective supporters. This role requires strong project management skills, excellent writing abilities, and a deep understanding of the non-profit education funding space. You will work closely with the CEO, CFO, and leadership team to ensure alignment and clarity in funding proposals. This position offers a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of students.

Requirements

• 8+ years professional experience ( ideally, a K–12 education nonprofit) in a role that required strong project management across teams and significant professional writing
• Excellent in communications and collateral development (making PowerPoints, creating documents, drafting and editing talking points, etc.)
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Experience managing others and/or a team
• Flexible; able to work in a fluid/fast moving/sometimes ambiguous environment; can turn around on tight deadlines
• Team player
• Comfortable working in a remote environment
• Ability to travel occasionally for team meetings and events

Responsibilities

• Project  Execution
• Project manages the execution of the organization's comprehensive development strategy, collaborating with the CEO and team leaders to ensure alignment, track progress, and achieve fundraising goals
• This includes managing timelines, resources, and communication across multiple stakeholders
• Collaborate with our team and CEO in stewarding relationships with existing funders, build a deep understanding of their respective foundations and interests
• In collaboration with CEO and CFO, drive processes to ensure clarity and alignment about funding asks from teams across the organization
• Develop a nuanced understanding of Instruction Partners’ mission, work, and impact to inform the development of compelling communications for potential funders
• Think outside of the box and proactively bring ideas to the table
• Grants Management & Reporting
• Oversees the entire grant lifecycle, from identifying funding opportunities and developing compelling proposals to managing grant agreements, tracking reporting requirements, and ensuring timely submissions
• Prepare, write, and submit compelling grant proposals and applications, ensuring internal processes allow for cross-team alignment
• Collaborate with internal teams to gather data and information required for applications and reports
• Maintain a comprehensive calendar of grant deadlines and reporting requirements
• Track and report on the status of submitted proposals and funding outcomes
• Project manage Instruction Partners’ grant process, from initial proposal to final reporting and renewal
• Develop clear project plans for managing each grant and collaborating with team members to complete grant deliverables and meet grant deadlines
• Provide regular reports and updates to the CEO/CFOO
• Ensure all development materials and collateral has language that is clear, concise and has a thoughtful story line
• Oversee the development, maintenance, and improvement of systems (including Salesforce) and processes to support fundraising, grant reporting, stewardship, and other revenue-generating initiatives (in collaboration with our Business Systems team)
• Research and identify grant opportunities aligned to Instruction Partners vision, mission, learning agenda, and strategic initiatives
• Strategic Relationship Management
• Responsible for supporting our team in relationship mapping as relates to development and identifying new prospective supporters in order to continue to expand our network Leads relationship mapping efforts to identify and cultivate new prospective supporters, leveraging the CEO's network and collaborating with team members to steward existing funder relationships
• Manages the process of tracking interactions, documenting progress, and ensuring consistent communication with donors
• Attend district and state engagement meetings to catch connections and opportunities for relationship
• In addition to development relationships, support stewardship planning for the CEO and President on the strategic relationships "keep in touch" lists
• Ghost writing comms for CEO across stakeholder audiences
• Network mapping for new members of the leadership team
• Management & Collaboration
• Authentically develop meaningful relationships across the organization
• Exhibit thoughtfulness about the role of each Instruction Partners team member in the development process and how they may be most effectively leveraged and engaged
• Foster strong relationships with members of the executive leadership team members
• Coach and tee up the CEO and other senior leaders on pitches and next steps for development relationships
• Work with ED of Engagement to see across revenue and manage strategy
• Work with SD of Marketing & Communications to sync strategies in order to promote the organization’s work in ways that will generate interest in the funding community
• Effectively collaborates with internal teams (finance, programs, marketing/communications) to ensure seamless execution of development initiatives
• This includes coordinating data collection for grant applications and reports, aligning communication strategies, and facilitating cross-departmental project planning
• Develop collaborative relationships with fundraising staff in other peer orgs
• Team Management
• Directly manages the Development Lead, providing regular feedback, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to foster growth and maximize individual and team performance
• Fosters a positive and productive team environment aligned to our core values by building trust, recognizing achievements, and motivating team members to achieve shared goals
• Sets clear performance expectations, provides regular feedback and coaching, and conducts performance reviews to support individual growth and development
• Addresses performance issues constructively and proactively
• Establishes clear communication channels and fosters open communication within the team
• Encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members to maximize team effectiveness

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience in writing grant proposals or RFPs, preferred
• Experience working with Salesforce a plus

Benefits

• The salary for this role is $ 120,000
• Competitive benefits and private retirement investment options are available, as well as a generous vacation policy
• See our detailed benefits package here: 2023-2024 Benefits in Brief Overview