Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations Grants Management (Apply By: March 22, 2024)

About JFF 

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.  

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 300 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.    

We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.  

DEIBW at JFF  

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF’s North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and equitable career advancement opportunities. Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF. 

We seek to invest and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. In alignment to JFF’s North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply.  

About the Position 

JFF has experienced a period of unprecedented growth in revenue, programming, and funding pursuit over the last 3-4 years. As such, the Development Team is expanding, both in number of positions and function, not only to align with this growth, but also to meet significant needs for more flexible resources to support organizational capacity and innovation. Changes are underway in JFF’s fundraising strategy and processes to ensure a strong and diversified resource base for the organization. The team has launched an enterprise-wide fundraising approach and will be driving an organization-wide culture of philanthropy, supported by best practices. Key to this approach will be the introduction of several new positions including the newly created position of Director, Corporate & FoundationRelations Grants Management. 

This role will report to the Chief Development Officer and offers the opportunity to strengthen JFF’s work for Corporations & Foundations to advance fundraising goals in support of JFF’s mission. This role will be responsible for stewardship of existing corporate and foundation funders and will collaborate with frontline fundraisers to support proactive outreach efforts to prospective enterprise-wide funders. This person will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with colleagues on the Development team and other teams including Marketing and Communications and Finance to help Business Units (JFF’s program areas) develop effective strategies to maximize the support of Corporate and Foundation funders and partners.  

As a result of this being a new position at JFF, the Director will have the opportunity to contribute and build out a best-in-class Corporate & Foundation Relations program. Currently, the enterprise-wide portfolio of corporate & foundationfunders consists of 70  funders for a total of approximately $70 million. This comprises roughly 70% of our annual fundraising and has great potential for growth. In addition, JFF has just launched a $60 million North Star Fundraising campaign designed to increase flexible funding, and this new position will play an important role in the campaign. Theideal candidate for this role is a strategic and consultative partner who possesses exceptional fundraising knowledge, is a systems thinker, is customer service oriented, and a top-notch communicator. 

What You'll Do   

Oversee and implement a brand-new system for Corporate & Foundation Portfolio Management 

• Manage the stewardship of a portfolio of roughly $30M of current corporate and foundation enterprise-wide funders in partnership with Development Leadership and Business Unit leaders to ensure deliverables for current corporate and foundation partners are met  
• Create and implement stewardship plans for all current and new corporate & foundation funders in partnership with relationship managers and Director, Development Communications & Stewardship  
• Support corporate and foundation fundraisers in renewals of all current funders, with a goal of renewing at least 75% of all current funders  
• Plan, implement and support corporate and foundation fundraisers in pursuit of new enterprise-wide funding through proposal creation and internal coordination of funder deliverables serving as a key liaison across all JFF teams in enterprise-wide proposal creation  
• Staff enterprise-wide corporate and foundation external funding calls as needed 
• Lead internal meetings focused on managing current funder deliverables and renewal processes for current funders working with colleagues in Solutions Design & Delivery and Project Management & Execution 
• Manage database entry for portfolio of funders, which includes using CRMs such as Salesforce and an online foundation directory to build out this work

Create and develop Corporate & Foundation stewardship strategy to operationalize best practices across JFF’s Business Units  

• Manage relationships with Marketing & Communications, Finance, Program Teams, Research & Evaluation, Policy and Strategic Engagements in support of corporate and foundation deliverables 
• Serve as thought partner for all fundraisers pursuing corporate & foundation prospects to maximize potential asks for prospective funders  
• Coordinate internal activities between Business Units and the development team related to strategy development for corporate & foundation relationships 
• Develop corporate & foundation processes working closely with Development operations in order to ensure best practices across JFF
• Develop and execute on corporate and foundation benefit levels and leverage engagement opportunitiesdesigned to enhance and extend relationships for all funding including sponsorships  

Who You Are  

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces, such as People of Color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, neurodivergent individuals, and people with records. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work. 

• You bring experience building and leveraging systems for moving prospects more efficiently through the pipeline (New hires at the Director I level at JFF typically bring 10 years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions) 
• You have experience managing a portfolio of corporate and foundation funders at the $500,000 and above threshold per funder  
• You have experience working with program staff and development staff to manage corporate & foundation portfolios and advance those relationships to maximize the support of each funder 
• You have experience with complex and multi-faceted project management initiatives including managing complex funder relationships  
• You have experience creating new and innovative engagement opportunities for corporate & foundation funders  
• You are an excellent writer, editor and collaborator 
• You have experience leading work with both internal and external stakeholders leveraging development best practices to advance funding relationships 
• You have experience communicating with groups and individuals effectively leveraging a DEI lens and model how to build effective relationships with colleagues and teams across the organization as well as external stakeholders 
• You leverage professional development and other learning opportunities to stay current with advances in your field, deepen your subject matter expertise, and support the learning of your team  
• You set ambitious and achievable goals to deliver high-quality outputs and results for multiple initiatives while empowering, inspiring and holding self and others accountable for delivering on commitments consistently 
• You are skilled at navigating ambiguity, anticipating bottlenecks, and coming up with creative solutions that support you and others’ work 
• You have leveraged professional development and other learning opportunities to stay current with advances in fundraising and development, along with other areas to help support the business needs and mission of your organization  
• You have experience using CRM tools (Salesforce) and see the value in maximizing the use of these tools 
• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work    
• You are energized by stewarding JFF’s DEIBW values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing the differences and celebrating the diversity that each individual brings to JFF  

What We Offer  

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.   

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.   

The hiring range for this role is $100,000 - $120,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Director I salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.  

To Apply  

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Amy Seusing, Chief Development Officer, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position. 

We are accepting applications through March 22, 2024, Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of March 29th, 2024.   

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process.  

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org. 

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.