Director, Development Communications & Stewardship (Apply by: January 12th, 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 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. One of the main elements that will drive the success of
JFF’s overall fundraising and development efforts will be the
introduction of several new positions including the newly created
position of Director, Development Communications &
Stewardship. 

We are looking to hire a Director, Development Communications
& Stewardship who will be situated on our central development
team who will be providing thoughtful framework and guidance to
support consistent development and fundraising communication. This
brand-new role will report to the Senior Director of Development
Strategy & Operations and offers the opportunity to create a
stewardship and donor communications strategy to advance
fundraising goals in support of JFF’s mission. The Director will
have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues on the
Development team, Marketing & Communications team and others to
help Business Units (JFF’s program areas) and leverage a OneJFF
approach with effective funder communication strategies to meet
ambitious fundraising goals. 

The ideal candidate for this role is a strategic and
consultative partner who possesses exceptional fundraising
knowledge, is able to develop scalable systems for this work, is
customer service oriented, and a top-notch communicator. JFF has
just launched a $60 million North Star Fundraising campaign
designed to increase flexible funding, and this new position will
play a key role in this campaign. This role is a great opportunity
build and scale strategic communication with donors at
JFF.  

What You’ll Do  

Build and implement strategic donor communications across
JFF’s Business Units with external partners  

• Serve as the point
  person for the Development team with the Marketing &
  Communications department for all Development communications
  needs  
• Leverage an
  entrepreneurial framework to develop a comprehensive communications
  and donor relations program for JFF’s corporate and foundation
  fundraising program and individual giving program 
• Conceptualize and
  produce a suite of development materials, such as; written proposal
  templates, PowerPoint pitch materials, and annual giving collateral
  such as emails, social media assets and appeal letters to solicit a
  diverse range of prospects for Development colleagues and Business
  Units 
• Manage the
  communications implementation of the North Star Fundraising
  campaign and all assets associated with implementation (pitch
  materials, event activation, donor communication and benefits
  execution)  
• Collaborate with
  colleagues across Development and Marketing & Communications to
  design and implement a comprehensive donor communications plan to
  support the Development team’s enterprise-wide fundraising
  strategy, develop new initiatives, increase engagement and enhance
  lines of communication 

Create systems and processes to help implement best
practices with stewardship oversight 

• Manage all reporting
  commitments associated with JFF’s funding, 200+ reports per year,
  including working with Business units on content, developing
  templates, writing, editing and submitting reports 
• Contribute to the
  development of consistent benefit levels across JFF for donors and
  partners, and facilitate the fulfillment of those benefits to JFF’s
  most important donors 
• Develop an
  acknowledgement process designed to recognize all JFF’s donors in
  meaningful ways 
• Identify opportunities
  for learning about the changing philanthropic landscape to help
  steward best practices for the Development Team’s strategy with
  stewardship materials. 

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
  designing and leading stewardship and donor communications in
  non-profits and/or social impact organizations, with a particular
  focus on streamlining efficiencies and creating protocol for
  communication (New hires at the Director II level at JFF typically
  bring 12+ years of prior professional experience through a
  combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance
  positions) 
• You have experience
  building relationships across teams including but not limited to
  program staff, marketing and communication staff and development
  staff within a matrixed organization and place a premium on
  service-orientation and excellent communication; you build positive
  relationships with internal leaders and external stakeholders based
  on trust and building mutual understanding 
• You have a track record
  of success in writing, editing and collaborating with staff on
  items including but not limited to proposals, proposals templates
  and donor communication  
• You have experience
  pulling reports and leveraging data to help inform best practices
  around stewardship oversight  
• 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 in
order 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 $120,000 – $140,000 annually,
in alignment to JFF’s Director II 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 Page Sciotto, Senior
Director, Development Strategy outlining how your skills and
experience meet the qualifications of the position. 

We are accepting applications through January 12th,
2024 Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and
candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of
January 16th, 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
[email protected]. 

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