Senior Development Manager/Development Manager (Title & Level Determined by Experience & Qualifications)

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Children & Nature Network’s fundraising program is entering a period of substantial, sustained growth, and we are building the team to match it. This position sits at the center of that growth: the Chief Development Officer (CDO) and CEO will rely on the person in this position to maintain deep command of our donor and funder landscape, to prepare them thoroughly for every major relationship conversation, and to ensure our fundraising program runs on well-built systems rather than institutional memory.

This is a high-trust role within our Development Team. It is especially well-suited to two kinds of candidates: an experienced development or nonprofit operations professional who has found that a support-oriented role is where they do their best and most rewarding work; or, an accomplished development assistant or coordinator ready to take the next step in their career. While this is not a frontline fundraising position, it carries management and leadership potential, meaningful direct engagement with donors and funders for candidates who want it, and the opportunity to take on grant writing for those with an interest in it. As C&NN's fundraising program grows, so will the scope, skills and responsibility this role carries.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Core Roles and Responsibilities

• Own our donor and funder data and CRM (LGL).
• Lead moves-management tracking for our major donor and funder relationships from first contact through stewardship.
• Lead prospect research and produce briefings that ensure our CDO and CEO are fully prepared for every major donor and funder conversation.
• Manage C&NN's individual donor program — appeals, campaigns, renewals, and stewardship.
• Support proposal writing and assemble and submit completed grant proposals and reports on time for institutional funders, coordinating with program staff to gather the data, metrics and materials each submission requires.
• Help build a culture of philanthropy across the C&NN team, and take on supervisory responsibility for future development staff as our program grows.

Expanded Scope and Career Growth Opportunities

This role has potential for expanded scope and a trajectory for professional advancement:

• Specific emphasis and focus areas will be tailored around the hire’s distinct strengths, skill sets and professional interests, whether that means deepening into individual major gifts, institutional and grants work, or development operations and systems — including potential to assume frontline fundraising responsibilities.
• The position offers potential to evolve into direct supervisory management or specialization of responsibilities as the development team expands. Initial focus of the position is on hands-on operations and strategy.

WHO YOU ARE & WHAT YOU BRING

Core Qualifications

• A track record of managing complex work independently, with good judgment about what matters and what can wait.
• Direct experience with moves management and donor/funder pipelines.
• Comfort with CRM and project management systems (LGL and Asana experience a plus), and an interest in using AI and new tools to work smarter.
• Strong writing skills for donor communications, briefings and grant support.
• Genuine commitment to C&NN's mission: To increase equitable access to nature so that children — and the natural world — can thrive.
• Collaborative and self-motivated, with a proven ability to thrive and connect in a virtual team setting.
• Tech-savvy and comfortable navigating digital workflows (experience with Google Workspace is a plus).
• Equipped with a home office setup, including a computer, phone and reliable high-speed internet.

Leveling Criteria

• Development Manager
  • 3+ years of experience in nonprofit fundraising or a closely related support role.
  • Proven track record of operational execution, database accuracy, and supporting workflows.
• Senior Development Manager
  • 5+ years of experience in nonprofit fundraising or a closely related field.
  • Demonstrated capability to independently manage donor/funder relationships, write complex proposals, or lead design and implement fundraising systems.

• 20 days (160 hours) of Paid Time Off (PTO) annually, accrued from day one
• 2 Paid Personal Days annually to support staff in civic engagement and community volunteerism
• Medical, dental & vision insurance
• Access to employee-paid Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity insurance
• Short and long-term disability insurance
• Retirement with a 3% non-elective employer contribution
• Remote office allowance
• Professional development allowance