Director of Development and External Engagement

Title: Director of Development and External Engagement

Reports To: Chief Advancement Officer

Position Location: Remote

Position Type: Full-time, exempt

Compensation: $95,000-$120,000

About NAL/AF:

New American Leaders (NAL) and New American Leaders Action Fund (NALAF) are working in tandem to build an inclusive democracy by preparing first and second-generation immigrants and refugees to run for office, win their campaigns, and lead in elected office. We are the only organizations preparing New Americans to enter the political process and govern with accountability and authenticity. As a result, more New Americans will run for office, engage their communities, turn out new voters, and ultimately serve as values-aligned leaders in office who can advance just and equitable policies.

About the Role:

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), the Director of Development & External Engagement is a senior partner in growing and stewarding the financial and reputational resources that fuel NAL/AF's mission. This person will help lead the advancement function across NAL/AF — driving institutional and major donor fundraising, cultivating strategic partnerships, elevating alumni elected officials as spokespeople, and overseeing a communications function that advances fundraising, partnership, and brand goals across our 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities.

As deputy to the CAO, this person will step in on advancement strategy and external-facing leadership as needed. The scope and structure of this position — including team size and supervisory responsibilities may evolve with NAL/AF's growth.

This role suits a senior development-and-communications generalist who thrives at the intersection of writing, fundraising, and external relationship-building, and who is energized by helping build a growing function rather than stepping into a fully fixed one.

What You Will Do

External Engagement & Strategic Partnerships (40%)

• In partnership with CAO, develop a strategy for external engagement and strategic partnerships.
• Cultivate partnerships with aligned organizations, coalitions, and influencers to advance shared goals and NAL/AF's reach. Identify opportunities for enhancing brand recognition.
• Identify and prepare credible spokespeople across the NAL/AF network — alumni elected officials, program participants, executive leaders — as visible validators of impact.
• Build relationships with media and other external audiences. Help ensure that we are positioning ourselves in the right spaces, platforms, events, coalitions, and people to align with our advancement goals.
• Partner with the CAO and CEO to prepare for external-facing events, board and funder meetings, interviews, and site visits. Help ensure these opportunities are maximized.

Development (35%)

• Partner with the CAO on institutional and major-donor strategy
• Plan and execute cultivation events — funder tables, small convenings, site visits, briefings — managing logistics, run-of-show, and follow-up.
• Support cultivation meetings, site visits, and stewardship moments.
• Help maintain the moves-management system across both entities through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Partner with the CAO on the development calendar and revenue forecasting.
• Work with the team to translate programmatic impact and policy wins into case statements, one-pagers, periodic donor email updates, impact reports.

Communications & Brand (25%)

• Supervise the Communications Specialist, setting priorities and editorial calendar so external presence reinforces national positioning, donor pipeline, and partnership goals.
• Personally write op-eds, statements, donor/partner proposals, board and funder briefings, talking points, and rapid-response content.
• Refine and protect NAL/AF's brand voice and identity; recommend ways to strengthen brand presence with donors and partners.
• Prepare staff and leadership for media interactions, donor meetings, and external events.

Who You Are:

To be successful in this position you will have a combination of the following experience and qualities:

• 5+ years fundraising experience
• Experience managing a team.
• Experience managing and tracking budgets.
• Program conception, planning, and execution: You have experience and a track record of conceiving strategy and overseeing implementation for a team, function, program, or project. You have taken a concept from idea to execution with success.
• Development fundamentals expert: Track record preparing foundation proposals and reports, stewarding major donors, and managing a moves-management pipeline or a demonstrated ability to learn the distinction quickly.
• Strong written and verbal communicator: Proven ability to turn complex ideas into exciting narratives.
• Relationship builder: Skilled at cultivating funders, peer organizations, coalitions, and/or influencers, with sound judgment.
• Ownership mentality: Sets a vision, drives it forward independently, anticipates problems, and course-corrects as needed.
• Inclusive, collaborative leader: Actively seeks staff input while still owning final decisions; keeps development, programs, and communications in sync.
• Coach and mentor: Gives actionable feedback and takes the time to develop others — staff, alumni, or executive leadership prepping for a pitch.
• Mission-aligned: Cultural awareness and sensitivity to immigrant communities, with genuine commitment to inclusive democracy.

At NAL/AF, we believe in investing in our employees' well-being and professional growth. Our comprehensive benefits are designed to support you in achieving a healthy work-life balance, maintaining your health, and advancing your career. NAL/AF offers a competitive salary, benefits, and leave policies. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• 20 days of vacation plus holidays including a winter holiday break
• Full coverage health insurance options for medical, dental, and vision
• Health reimbursement arrangement stipend for fertility expenses and gender affirming care (eligible after 3 months)
• Vanguard 401K plan with a 5% match (eligible after 3 months)
• Health care flexible spending account plan
• Life insurance and personal accident insurance
• Voluntary short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Monthly telecommunications stipend
• Annual work-from-home stipend