Managing Director of Development

May 1

Anticipated Start Date: 7/28/2025

Description

The Managing Director of Development will play a critical role by leading the function primarily responsible for resourcing our growth and transformation, developing and implementing a long-term and sustainable fundraising strategy, and building the approach and practices to authentically and consistently cultivate and steward our champions. Leading EP’s development function is a unique and exciting opportunity to continue to build a best-in-class fundraising function. This position will report to the MD, External Affairs.

Responsibilities

Ensuring EP consistently reaches its annual contributed revenue targets $5-6M annually
Quarterly commitment benchmarks (commitments > or = current YTD budget + 3-6 months) Improving sustainability of EP’s contributed revenue stream
Growth in dollars and number of long-term renewable gifts
Prioritization, stewardship, and support of Alumni Annual Giving (dollars and number of Alumni participating)
Growth and diversification of funding streams, decrease percentage of revenue from top 10 donors over time
Development and implementation of donor cultivation, acquisition, and stewardship strategy at scale Improved efficacy and efficiency of development execution
Establish clear annual and quarterly fundraising plans and metrics for managing team performance and progress to goals
Establish and implement clear cadences and progress monitoring tools / practices to assess progress and adjust accordingly
Develop innovative fundraising strategies including cases for support responsive to current market dynamics
Define and manage development operations practices and systems that are effective for EP’s context - scalable approaches that allow a small team to manage a large number of donors with complex, overlapping, strategies
Manage and motivate a matrixed team of development collaborators toward ambitious goals
Build a strong internal development team
Establish and maintain a strong culture as measured by organizational survey data and performance indicators
Manage team performance and execution to meet ambitious goals
Create conditions for successful matrixed fundraising … (centralized / development driven strategies, practices, and tools + relationship management through a broad set of players)
Effectively engage and motivate EP colleagues contributing to external relationship management and development-related strategic projects and priorities

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in business, public administration, or policy preferred but not required.
7–10+ years of leadership experience in fundraising and development, ideally within nonprofit or education-focused organizations.
Experience fundraising for organizations focused on social impact, equity, and community-driven outcomes.
Proven success leading and managing high-performing teams — setting direction, managing execution, and achieving strong results across complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt strategies and approaches in response to evolving needs and challenges.
Strong organizational and planning abilities, with experience managing workflows, resources, and timelines across strategic initiatives.
Demonstrated ability to use data and metrics to drive decisions, assess progress, and adjust strategy in real time.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire teams and engage diverse stakeholders.
Skilled at clearly articulating an organization’s vision and value proposition to external audiences, including funders and supporters.
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.

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

Education Pioneers believes in compensating staff members fairly and equitably in relation to their relevant experience, competencies, and geographic location.

The applicable salary range for EP’s roles is based on where the employee lives / works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers according to a cost of labor index in that geographic area. Given our commitment to equity, EP does not negotiate salary offers.

You will have an opportunity to discuss salary in more detail if you progress in the hiring process. The expected salary range for this role are set forth below.

For details on which cities fall into each tier, see this list: