Senior Director of Advancement

Accountabilities

• Fundraising Strategy and Revenue Growth: Develop and execute comprehensive annual and multi-year fundraising strategies aligned with organizational priorities, targeting $1 million in annual fundraising while building a sustainable pipeline for future growth. Diversify revenue through major gifts, individual giving, corporate partnerships, foundations, government funding, events, and other philanthropic opportunities.

• Corporate and Foundation Partnerships: Build and strengthen national partnerships with corporations, foundations, and institutional funders. Develop compelling funding proposals that connect organizational impact with partner priorities, including STEM education, scientific innovation, workforce development, and community investment. Support the cultivation and solicitation of high-value institutional prospects while increasing multi-year and unrestricted contributions.

• Major Gifts and Individual Giving: Personally manage a portfolio of significant donors and prospects, cultivating relationships, soliciting five- and six-figure gifts, and closing major contributions. Develop engagement and fundraising strategies for alumni, families, faculty, and supporters, creating pathways for annual and planned giving.

• Alumni Relations and Membership Development: Oversee alumni engagement initiatives, regional chapters, virtual programming, and community events that strengthen long-term relationships and encourage philanthropic participation. Expand the membership program through data-driven recruitment campaigns, acquisition and renewal targets, compelling member benefits, and sustainable recurring revenue.

• Board and Executive Collaboration: Partner with executive leadership and the Board of Directors to establish fundraising priorities and advance organizational objectives. Serve as the advancement liaison to the relevant Board committee, equipping members with prospect information, fundraising materials, coaching, and actionable opportunities to cultivate relationships, solicit gifts, and steward donors.

• Performance Measurement and Operations: Establish revenue targets, forecasts, performance indicators, and reporting processes to measure fundraising effectiveness and guide strategic decisions. Oversee the advancement budget, fundraising calendar, donor records, prospect research, gift processing, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, ensuring accurate reporting and compliance with ethical standards and donor restrictions.

• Team Leadership and Development: Directly manage and develop the corporate and foundation relations, development coordination, and alumni engagement functions, while providing broader leadership across events and alumni programming. Set measurable goals, coach team members, support professional development, and establish effective remote workflows that promote collaboration, accountability, and high performance.

• Continuous Improvement: Use fundraising data, donor trends, and emerging opportunities to refine strategies, improve systems, strengthen donor stewardship, and enhance operational efficiency. Collaborate across departments to ensure advancement activities support the organization's broader mission and long-term strategic plan.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, philanthropy, business, communications, marketing, public relations, or a related field. An advanced degree and/or Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential is preferred but not required.

• Professional Experience: At least 10 years of progressively responsible fundraising or advancement experience, preferably within organizations with national reach.

• Fundraising Expertise: Demonstrated success developing and implementing annual and multi-year fundraising strategies that generate measurable revenue growth, including direct experience cultivating, soliciting, and securing significant five- and six-figure gifts.

• Major Donor and Partnership Development: Proven ability to build lasting relationships with individual donors, institutional funders, and corporate partners, ideally in science, technology, pharmaceuticals, higher education, STEM education, or related sectors.

• Strategic and Financial Acumen: Strong strategic planning, systems thinking, and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret fundraising data, identify revenue opportunities, establish performance measures, and translate organizational priorities into actionable plans.

• Leadership and Team Management: Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop teams, set clear expectations, provide constructive feedback, and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.

• Executive and Board Engagement: Experience partnering with executive leaders and Board members to establish fundraising priorities, strengthen donor relationships, and advance organizational goals.

• Communication and Relationship Building: Excellent written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate a compelling case for support to diverse audiences and build trusted relationships.

• Technology and Systems: Experience managing and leveraging fundraising CRM platforms, such as Raiser’s Edge or comparable systems, to support prospect management, donor engagement, pipeline tracking, and accurate reporting. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and the ability to adopt new technologies effectively are also required.

• Remote Work and Organization: Self-motivated and comfortable working independently in a fully remote environment, with strong organizational skills, sound judgment, effective time management, and the ability to prioritize competing responsibilities while meeting deadlines.

• Mission Alignment and Eligibility: A genuine commitment to expanding access to science education and supporting inclusive learning communities. Authorization to work in the United States and successful completion of a background clearance are required.

Benefits

• Annual Salary: $180,000, commensurate with experience.

• Remote Flexibility: Fully remote position available to candidates based in the United States.

• Leadership Opportunity: Join the senior leadership team and help shape long-term fundraising strategy, philanthropic partnerships, and organizational growth.

• Meaningful Impact: Contribute to expanding access to transformative STEM education and creating opportunities for students, educators, scientists, and alumni.

• Professional Development: Opportunities to lead a growing advancement function, develop team capabilities, and strengthen expertise in fundraising, donor engagement, and strategic partnerships.

• Collaborative Culture: Work with executive leadership, Board members, program teams, alumni, educators, and scientific communities in a mission-driven environment.

• Travel Opportunities: Approximately 15–25 days of travel per year, including twice-yearly in-person staff meetings and occasional donor, alumni, and program events.

• Work Arrangement: Full-time, exempt position with a remote-first working environment.