Director of Development, Special Projects

Location: Remote 

Reports to: Development Director 

Position Overview

The Director of Development Special Projects is a senior operational role responsible for supporting the President in executing the organization's external fundraising and partnership strategy. This position serves as a primary project management partner to the President and Development Director,  coordinating across teams, and ensuring follow-through on key funder and partner relationships. The Director will staff the President in external meetings, manage the President's funder-facing calendar, and assist with preparing briefings and materials to support high-stakes engagements. This role reports to the Development Director and works in close coordination with the full development and program teams.

This is a full-time, remote, temporary salaried position available immediately. The expectation is that staff are generally available between 9am–6pm central time. 

Start Date: Monday, March 16th, 2026 or as soon as possible

End Date: Friday, December 18th, 2026

Job Responsibilities

• Manage the President's external-facing calendar with respect to funder and partner meetings, ensuring strategic prioritization and timely scheduling.
• Staff the President in external meetings — preparing briefings, tracking action items, and driving follow-up to completion.
• Maintain visibility into the President's fundraising pipeline and project workload, coordinating across the development team to keep priorities on track.
• Draft donor correspondence, meeting memos, proposals, and presentations on behalf of the President.
• Serve as an operational bridge between the Development and internal program teams to coordinate relationship management across the organization

Donor & Partner Relations

• Manage and steward partner and funder relationships as identified with the President, Development Director, and program teams.
• Prepare compelling proposals, reports, and impact presentations for funders in coordination with program staff.
• Track donor and partner activity, notes, and relationship mapping through the organization's CRM.
• Support fundraising trips, donor events, and engagement activities in coordination with the President and Development Director.

Communications & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work cross-functionally with program teams to develop materials that reflect the organization's mission and impact.
• Support the execution of donor communications and stewardship touchpoints throughout the year.
• Represent the organization with professionalism and discretion in all external interactions.

Successful candidates will meet the following criteria  

• 5–7 years of professional experience in fundraising, development operations, or principal support at campaigns, advocacy organizations, or philanthropic institutions.
• Demonstrated experience staffing a principal or senior leader in external-facing settings, including meeting preparation, briefing, and follow-up.
• Knowledge of the nuances and limitations of fundraising across 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and PAC vehicles.
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft high-quality donor correspondence and briefing materials.
• Proficiency with CRM systems, preferably NGP.
• Willingness to travel regionally (approximately 25%).

Additional consideration will be given to candidates with any of the following background

• Experience with and commitment to people-centered and ethical storytelling
• Ability to think creatively, identify barriers and roadblocks, and propose solutions and recommendations
• Previous background working in diverse communities or cultures. 
• Have existing relationships with national or state partners.

Be fluent in a second language, including: Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Hmong, or Navajo.