MANAGING DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

MANAGING DIRECTOR of DEVELOPMENT

Boston, MA

Who We Are and What We Believe:

Founded in 1997, Bottom Line is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization with a mission to partner with degree-aspiring students of color from under-resourced communities as they get into college, graduate, and go far in life. We achieve this mission by providing one-on-one guidance during the college application process through college graduation and the successful launch of their careers.

Our vision is to dramatically transform urban communities by producing thousands of new career-ready college graduates.

When you join Bottom Line, you will find a rewarding, fast-paced, results-oriented environment. We build strong relationships with our students and with each other. We take our work seriously, and we know that a focus on data and metrics is integral to our continued success. Experts in our fields, we are driven by our mission and extremely proud of the work we do.

What You Will Do:

The Managing Director of Development (MDD) is a key leader responsible for driving regional fundraising strategy, managing a high-performing development team, and cultivating meaningful relationships with donors and stakeholders. In close partnership with the Executive Director, the MDD leads efforts to grow revenue year over year in alignment with Bottom Line’s ambitious organizational goals, with a strong focus on strategic donor engagement and relationship-building.

As a frontline fundraiser, the MDD manages a portfolio of major donors and spends a significant portion of their time externally, deepening relationships with individuals, institutions, and key champions who can expand the region’s fundraising capacity. They also support the Executive Director in engaging top-tier donors and collaborate with the Regional Advisory Board and other influential connectors to strengthen the region’s philanthropic network. The MDD leads a development team of [insert number] and works closely with the National Development Operations (DevOps) team to ensure alignment with organizational systems, tools, and best practices.

Primary Responsibilities:

Drive Regional Fundraising Strategy – 15%

• In partnership with the Executive Director, serve as the region’s senior-most fundraising leader with responsibility for setting multi-year strategic priorities to ensure sustained revenue growth.
• Develop and lead the region’s comprehensive development strategy across all revenue streams (individual, corporate, foundation, events), ensuring alignment with both regional and national goals. Monitor progress toward fundraising goals using data and reporting tools to inform strategy and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure the regional donor engagement and communications strategy is effectively implemented by the development team and aligned with national brand and messaging.
• Focus on growing individual giving and fundraising event revenue streams to support the region’s year-over-year revenue growth.
• Act as the regional fundraising lead in collaboration with the National Development team to shape national fundraising approaches and share best practices.

Donor & Portfolio Management – 45%

• Represent the organization at high-profile donor events, community gatherings, and philanthropic convenings.
• Spend significant time externally cultivating relationships with current and prospective major donors ($5,000+), with a focus on expanding the region’s base of philanthropic support.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with senior-level stakeholders, including philanthropic partners, corporate sponsors, and community influencers. Develop and execute tailored strategies to deepen donor engagement and increase giving.
• Partner with and support the Executive Director in managing top-tier donor relationships and strategies.
• Use Salesforce to manage the donor pipeline, track activity, and capture institutional knowledge

Connector Engagement & Advisory Board Support – 10%

• Partner with the Executive Director to engage key connectors (e.g., board members, champion donors, event hosts) to expand the region’s donor pipeline and long-term fundraising capacity.
• Support Regional Advisory Board fundraising efforts, including meeting preparation, strategy development, and execution of Board Action Plans to ensure effective engagement and alignment with fundraising goals.

Coach and Support Development Team – 20%

• Lead and mentor a team that may include Directors or Managers overseeing major gifts, events, development operations, and donor engagement.
• Establish team priorities, capacity plans, and success metrics; build an inclusive, high-performing development function that supports staff retention and growth. Champion internal talent development and succession planning across the development function.
• Foster an inclusive, equitable team culture grounded in Bottom Line’s values and a shared commitment to fundraising excellence.
• Ensure consistent and strategic use of Salesforce and other tools to support team effectiveness and accountability.

Cross-Functional & Culture Leadership – 10%

• Collaborate closely with the Executive Director and program leads to align fundraising messaging with impact and outcomes.
• Serve as a member of the regional leadership team, contributing to strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and organizational decision-making. Represent development perspectives in organizational planning, budget development, and regional leadership decisions.
• Partner with program leadership to align messaging, elevate student stories, and connect fundraising efforts to program outcomes.
• Collaborate with the National Development Operations (DevOps) team to ensure alignment on systems, tools, and strategy implementation.
• Actively contribute to the Bottom Line development community across regions and national, sharing learnings, aligning practices, and supporting collective growth.
• Model inclusive, equity-driven fundraising practices and contribute to a culture of belonging and shared ownership of fundraising success.

Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without advanced notice.

Direct Reports:

3 – Director of Individual Giving, Director of Institutional Giving and Manager, Donor Experience

Work Schedule:

Approximately 9:00a-5:00p, with additional hours as needed. Hybrid schedule with minimum 3 days in-office.

Expected Travel:

Frequent travel across region, limited travel outside of the region (1-2 trips to other regions throughout the year)

Who Should Apply:

If you meet the qualifications below, you should apply.

• Bachelor’s degree and work authorization.
• Minimum of 8-10 years of development experience with a proven fundraising track record, including growing a major gifts pipeline.
• Demonstrated success managing all aspects of the donor lifecycle, including securing six-figure or larger gifts from individuals and institutions.
• Experience in major gift individual giving fundraising and with fundraising events highly preferred.
• Experience supporting and engaging a Board or volunteer leadership group in fundraising.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coach a team to meet or exceed goals. Self-awareness, curiosity, and comfort communicating needs with supervisors and peers.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across teams and leverage available resources and support.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, evolving environment and adapt to shifting priorities.
• Experience working within a matrixed or multi-site organization.
• Demonstrated commitment to Bottom Line’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values