Senior Director of Development

What We Do

At Leading Educators (LE), we know that excellent teaching is the most important driver of student success. The moment a student steps foot in the classroom, their opportunity to learn depends on how prepared their teacher is to translate complex content knowledge, standards, and their knowledge of that student into lessons that help them learn deeply and apply their thinking to the real world.

That’s a big lift, and it often happens alone. As a national nonprofit, we partner with school systems to overcome persistent instructional challenges, foster intentional collaboration and adult learning by design, and ignite new possibilities through systemic solutions at the intersection of teaching, talent, and technology.

We work shoulder-to-shoulder with educators at every level of the education system to strengthen their instructional and leadership practices, bring a vision for excellent instruction to life with consistency, and ensure every student reaches their full potential.

Through direct support, strategic advising, innovation pilots, and best-in-class research, we help educators work toward a future where every student is ready to thrive. Learn more about our work at leadingeducators.org.

Internal Candidate Application Deadline: March 24th, 2025

External Candidate Application Deadline: March 26th, 2025

Position

Are you a strategic fundraising leader with a proven track record of securing major gifts, institutional grants, and corporate partnerships? Do you excel at building high-impact donor relationships and leading high-performing fundraising teams? If so, Leading Educators invites you to bring your expertise to a mission-driven organization shaping the future of K-12 education.

As the Senior Director of Development (SDD), you will play a key leadership role in advancing Leading Educators’ fundraising strategy and securing vital philanthropic investments that support scalable, equity-driven education initiatives.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Development, you will oversee a team of three Directors of Development and manage a high-value portfolio of major donors, foundations, and corporate partners. Your leadership will be instrumental in expanding and diversifying unrestricted funding, multi-year philanthropic commitments, and corporate partnerships.

This is an exciting opportunity for a results-driven, relationship-oriented fundraising professional to shape and execute a bold, multi-year revenue strategy that aligns with Leading Educators’ FY25-27 Strategic Plan.

Do you have expertise in…

• Major donor strategy and institutional giving, including securing and stewarding multi-million-dollar philanthropic commitments
• Building and leading high-performing fundraising teams that meet and exceed ambitious revenue goals
• Developing corporate partnerships that align with mission-driven initiatives
• Fundraising strategy development, including identifying sustainable revenue streams and mitigating risks in a shifting philanthropic landscape

Do you enjoy…

• Building transformational donor relationships that drive long-term impact
• Leading a team of fundraising professionals, fostering collaboration, accountability, and innovation
• Developing compelling fundraising materials, including proposals, case statements, and pitch presentations
• Collaborating cross-functionally with program and partnerships teams to align fundraising with strategic priorities

If you've answered affirmatively to these questions and meet the following prerequisites, we urge you to seize this opportunity. This role calls for the following:

• 10+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience, with a strong focus on securing major gifts, institutional grants, and corporate funding
• Experience leading and managing high-performing teams, including coaching and developing fundraising professionals
• Demonstrated success in donor cultivation and stewardship, with the ability to engage, solicit, and retain major funders
• Deep knowledge of philanthropic trends, revenue diversification strategies, and funding models for mission-driven organizations
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to develop and execute multi-year fundraising plans
• Experience partnering with executive leadership and board members to drive fundraising success
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and presentation skills, with expertise in crafting compelling funding proposals and donor materials
• Ability to effectively use donor management systems (Salesforce preferred) and leverage data for strategy development and forecasting
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, managing multiple priorities and meeting deadlines.

Travel Requirements

This is a remote position that requires up to 30% travel

• National travel for org retreats, programming, job related travel, donor meetings or professional development 
• Outside of the above mentioned travel, this person will work from a home office that must be located anywhere within the U.S. 

Why Work at Leading Educators? 

Imagine being part of an organization where your ideas and perspectives are highly valued. At Leading Educators, we believe in fostering individual strengths, encouraging personal growth, and embracing innovative ideas. If you thrive in a remote working environment, with the added excitement of travel, we're the perfect fit for you. By joining us, you become part of a powerful community of peers nationwide. Regardless of your location, you possess the power to make a significant impact on both students and teachers who rely on us daily. Join Leading Educators and become an integral part of driving progress in education. 

Learn About Our Mission & Values:

Mission: Leading Educators partners with school systems to sustain the teaching, leadership, and conditions for every student to succeed in school and in life.

Values:

• Build on strengths: We affirm and begin with the unique and collective talents, experiences, and wisdom of ourselves and others.
• Continuously learn: We develop ourselves and others. We apply new learning and deepened self-awareness to our relationships and practices.
• Prioritize people: We build trust and reflect on the impact of different perspectives and experiences.
• Champion success for all: We re-imagine structures, habits, and mindsets to ensure every learner has access to evidence-based learning opportunities.

Benefits

• Compensation:
  • The compensation range for this position is between $104,695, with a midpoint of $136,103, and a maximum of $167,511 annually. Candidates, either newly hired or new to the role, can typically expect a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint depending on qualifications and internal alignment.
• Benefits:
  • 100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees. Additional premium costs are covered 60% by Leading Educators for partners and dependents on medical, dental, and vision plans. 4% matching 401k plan, Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare and commuter expenses, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Benefits are valued at or above $9,000 for employees.
• Time Off: 
  • First three years of employment, full time staff accrue 22 days a year. 
  • Five additional days are accrued after the third and sixth year of employment.
  • Leading Educators also offer 16 additional paid days off for various holidays, including three floating holidays staff may use at their discretion.

Equal Opportunity Employment 

Leading Educators is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

Apply: https://leadingeducators.org/careers/opportunities