Sr. Director, New Business

First Book

Hybrid, Work must be performed in District of Columbia, US

Apply

Details

Job Type:

Full Time

Start Date:

January 13, 2026

Application Deadline:

January 8, 2026

Education:

4-Year Degree Required

Experience Level:

Director

Salary:

USD $110,000 - $129,000 / year

Cause Areas:

Children & Youth, Education, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, Volunteering

Description

First Book has a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy (medical and religious exemptions permitted). Proof of fully vaccinated status is required before an interview.

About First Book: First Book (https://firstbook.org/) believes that education offers children the best possible path out of poverty. Reaching 5 million children from birth to age 18 annually, First Book has also built the country’s largest and fastest growing network of educators serving kids in need: today First Book reaches 600,000 educators nationwide – and growing every week.

A global leader in social enterprise, First Book harnesses the strategies of the private sector to advance social change. First Book has built a family of social enterprises to serve its network of educators and support children in need including the First Book Marketplace, The First Book Accelerator, First Book Insights, and a range of other efforts. In fact, since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 225 million books and educational materials to children from low-income families. Because of its record of innovation and impact, First Book has been celebrated globally by such institutions as the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, the World Economic Forum and in case studies at Columbia Business School, Wharton Business School, the Yale School of Management, and the London School of Economics. Finally, Charity Navigator recently awarded First Book its highest rating, including a perfect 100% score for Accountability & Transparency.

About the position:

Position Details and Requirements: Expected Hire Date: January 2026

Do you have a private-sector head and a public-sector heart? First Book seeks a creative, values-driven, and entrepreneurial individual to lead new business development strategies for this fast-growing organization. The ideal candidate is a demonstrated leader with experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic organization, possesses an entrepreneurial spirit, and has a highly collaborative work style. The position sources and cultivates NEW corporate partnerships, and also focuses on capacity-building and programmatic strategies that support our organizational growth.

Responsibilities include leading revenue generation of $2 million (minimum), strategy development, relationship building, project management, budgeting, partnership marketing, and team management. The person in this role must be an experienced financial developer or revenue generator, possess solid business writing and presentation skills, excellent verbal communication, experience with pitch formation and delivery, creative and bold thinking, exceptional critical thinking skills, and a passion for corporate social responsibility.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Effectively lead a team of passionate staff members who lead and support new business development efforts.
Responsible for a business development team with an annual revenue goal of $2M.
Design and launch cause marketing campaigns and corporate partnerships that directly benefit local communities in need.
Develop an overarching strategy to secure new corporate relationships in collaboration with Senior Leadership at First Book.
Design and lead new business strategies to secure additional unrestricted corporate funds to further First Book’s mission.
Conceptualize, develop, and present funding concepts and pitches to leading multinational corporations.
Forge new relationships with potential corporate funders and develop leads.
Lead efforts to prioritize funding opportunities and prospect lists in collaboration with the Strategic Alliances and Executive Team.
Collaborate across marketing communications, engagement, e-commerce and operations to create and implement value-added, integrated programs that advance organizational goals.
Respond to and undertake special projects that advance the department as requested by EVP, Strategic Alliances.
Collaborate with EVP, Strategic Alliances on the ongoing development of the department including overall vision, operational processes, staffing, professional development, performance management, etc.
Work with other department leaders to develop monitoring and results frameworks for key performance indicators (KPIs). Ensure consistency in the variety of KPIs across projects, to be in alignment with overall project portfolio goals.
Meet annual financial goals as determined by the Executive Team and EVP, Strategic Alliances.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required:

Demonstrated track record in sales and account management with corporate philanthropy, cause marketing programs, corporate fundraising/sponsorship, and/or business development with a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in a client services environment.
Minimum of seven (7) years of experience leading a high-performing sales/business development team; nonprofit corporate partnership/sponsorships sales experience preferred
Experience securing funds from Fortune 500 companies and/or major philanthropic foundations is a requirement, with current contacts maintained at those institutions.
Proficiency with Salesforce preferred and/or other CRM platforms such as Raiser’s Edge, etc.
Entrepreneurial work experience is a plus
Proven budget management skills.
Experience working in a matrixed reporting structure environment.
Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with the internal staff and external clients.
Must be proactive and a self-starter with excellent problem-solving and implementation skills.
Must be able to work in a fast-paced, multi-tasked environment as a member of a vibrant team with the ability to meet designated deadlines.
Must be able to maintain the highest level of confidentiality
Proficiency with MS Office products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Excellent business writing and presentation skills.
Travel is required as necessary, up to 40%.

Education and/or Experience:

Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree preferred
Prior work experience in private and social impact sectors; consulting or agency experience preferred.

All full-time employees are eligible for the following benefits: