Director of Development

ORGANIZATIONAL AND POSITION OVERVIEW

Education Pioneers’ mission is to attract, develop, and mobilize a diverse network of high potential leaders who bring the capacity to address an evolving set of challenges to make education a lever for equity and excellence. As an organization, we’ve grown and learned through a series of challenges and changes, both internal and external, and are excited to be pivoting toward our pre-pandemic aspirations for scale and long-term transformation.

Over the next three years Education Pioneers is poised to rescale our Fellowship programs from our current size of 50 Fellows to more than 300 Fellows. The Director of Development will play a critical role in resourcing this next phase of growth—helping to implement a long-term, sustainable fundraising strategy and strengthening the systems, practices, and relationships that cultivate and steward EP’s champions. This is a unique opportunity to shape and drive a high-impact development function at a pivotal moment in EP’s evolution.

This position will report to the MD, Development + MarComms.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE GOALS

The Director of Development will be charged with achieving the following outcomes:

• Drive Fundraising Results: Achieve ambitious personal and team fundraising goals by actively cultivating and stewarding a portfolio of donors, and by enabling and supporting cross-functional fundraising efforts across the organization.
• Build Scalable Development Infrastructure: In partnership with the MDD, lead the design and continuous improvement of efficient, user-friendly grants management systems and internal fundraising operations that support a high-performing development team and organization-wide fundraising success.
• Develop and Execute Strategic Fundraising Initiatives: Spearhead key fundraising strategies, including a robust local fundraising strategy and a compelling individual giving program to diversify revenue streams and deepen engagement across EP’s donor base.
• Be a Force Multiplier for Teamwide Fundraising: Serve as EP’s internal fundraising strategist and infrastructure builder, equipping and empowering colleagues, especially Directors of Local Impact and fellow development team members with the tools, support, and strategies needed to fundraise effectively within their regions and networks.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The following roles and responsibilities represent broadly what the Director of Development is responsible for and specific responsibilities that are aligned with our organizational objectives over the next 2-3 years. As our organization evolves, these roles and responsibilities could change or expand.

Portfolio Management & Revenue Generation - 35%

• Own and drive revenue outcomes by managing a strategic portfolio of institutional and individual donors. Serve as the primary relationship manager and solicitor for a subset of this portfolio, while also coordinating and supporting engagement strategies across the broader donor base.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a targeted group of donors directly, aligning their interests with EP’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Strategically manage a broader portfolio by coordinating internal relationship owners (e.g., executive team, local impact leaders), ensuring aligned engagement and timely follow-up.
• Build and maintain funder relationships to deepen commitment and drive long-term support, including with key program officers, HNWIs, and philanthropic partners.
• Track engagement and donor data meticulously in EP’s CRM to inform decision-making, monitor progress, and ensure effective stewardship.
• Regularly research and align donor interests with EP’s evolving priorities, identifying growth opportunities and mitigating potential funding risks.
• Proactively manage toward long-term renewal, identifying potential churn and implementing strategies to sustain and grow revenue across the portfolio.

Grants & Fundraising Systems Leadership - 30%

• Lead and strengthen EP’s organization-wide grants and fundraising systems to ensure clarity, consistency, and scalability across a growing and increasingly complex development function.
• Design and maintain scalable, tech-enabled systems and processes to manage the full lifecycle of grants—from prospecting and proposal development through reporting and renewal—enabling EP to grow its grant portfolio while maintaining rigor and efficiency.
• Build and continuously improve EP’s integrated fundraising infrastructure, including calendars, workflows, templates, and progress monitoring tools, to support high-quality execution, real-time visibility, and long-term sustainability.
• Project manage all grant application and reporting cycles, collaborating across teams to ensure deadlines are met, deliverables are coordinated, and funder expectations are exceeded.
• Serve as the internal point of contact for grants operations, ensuring all stakeholders (including finance, program, and executive teams) are aligned, informed, and equipped to support funder requirements.
• Proactively identify gaps and pain points in current systems and implement improvements that enhance automation, reduce duplication, and support EP’s fundraising scale.

Strategic & Operational Fundraising Infrastructure - 20%

• Lead and own the strategy and infrastructure that drive individual giving and local fundraising success across the organization.
• Develop and implement effective fundraising strategies for individual giving and local fundraising, with a focus on long-term growth, donor retention, and alignment with EP’s mission and priorities.
• Design and manage the systems, processes, and tools (e.g., Salesforce, calendars, trackers) that enable multiple internal fundraisers—including members of the External Affairs team, Executive Team, and Office of the CEO—to engage donors consistently, track progress, and meet their goals.
• Ensure data quality and consistency across platforms, and build infrastructure that provides real-time visibility, strengthens cross-team coordination, and supports decision-making.
• Co-lead with MDD quarterly development planning by setting goals, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and establishing strong accountability and performance monitoring mechanisms.

Collaboration, Messaging & Donor Materials -15%

• Own the development of compelling, tailored donor materials that align with EP’s case for support.
• Develop and maintain EP’s case for support and messaging toolkit along with audience-specific messaging and collateral that brings EP’s work to life and enables other fundraisers to operate effectively
• Analyze pipeline data to surface trends, generate insights, and guide decision-making around resource allocation and strategy refinement

CORE COMPETENCIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE

What is outlined below is an articulation of the most important competencies you’d need to excel in to be successful in your role. It’s not necessarily an articulation of all the skills you’ll lean into or even a reflection of your “superpowers,” but we want to transparently communicate the areas we feel are most important.

• Strategic Thinking - You make connections between previously unrelated notions and integrate context, findings, perspectives into meaningful and actionable strategies or solutions
• Operating and Managing - You execute your work with precision and accountability, using systems thinking to design and manage infrastructure that drives outcomes. You focus on delivering results through clear planning, streamlined processes, and effective support of distributed fundraising efforts.
• Understanding the Perspectives of Others - You demonstrate a depth of awareness of the beliefs and contexts of others and their organizations to tailor actions appropriately
• Building Relationships and Networks - You cultivate high-quality donor relationships and identify connections across networks that deepen engagement and support fundraising goals.
• Making Decisions and Demonstrating Judgment - You use appropriate breadth and depth of context and data to make sensible and timely decisions, and display sound judgment when faced with opportunities/challenges
• Communicating Effectively with Others - You are a strong writer and verbal communicator who crafts compelling messages and adapts for audience, purpose, and channel. You bring EP’s impact to life in writing and conversation.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 5–7+ years of non-profit fundraising experience with a background spanning both individual and institutional giving
• Demonstrated ability to grow donor relationships and revenue through strategy, storytelling, and execution
• Strong writing and communication skills, especially in crafting proposals, cases for support, and donor-facing materials
• Systems-oriented thinker with experience managing fundraising tools (e.g., Salesforce) and infrastructure
• Experience in small to mid-sized, mission-driven organizations; comfort with complexity, change, and entrepreneurial environments
• Strong internal collaborator who can support cross-functional teams and coach non-dev fundraisers in donor engagement
• Deep understanding of the education sector and its role in advancing equity and systemic change.
• Demonstrated commitment to and alignment with EP’s culture and values