New Haven, Connecticut

Managing Director, Development, Teach For America

The Organization

THE ORGANIZATION

There are more than 16 million children growing up in poverty in the U.S., and less than 10 percent of them will graduate from college. These statistics are not a reflection of our children’s potential; we know that children growing up in poverty can and do achieve at the highest levels. Rather, these statistics reflect the systemic lack of access and opportunity for children in low-income communities.

Teach For America’s (TFA) mission is to find, develop, and support a diverse network of leaders committed to expanding opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate. We are seeking individuals who align with our mission and core values and are ready to join us in this global movement.

Position Overview

THE ROLE

As the Managing Director Development, you will form and shape a diverse coalition of supporters to join the effort to ensure that all children in our state have the opportunity to attain an excellent education. Your work to channel the energy and funding of philanthropy to solve the problem of education inequity has a direct and measurable impact on the opportunities students have to thrive in Connecticut no matter their background. Over the next 5 years you will lead the team to raise nearly $30 million in regional revenue. You will set a bold vision and forge strong and dynamic relationships with public and private partners to position Teach For America – Connecticut as a thriving and enduring institution in the state whose impact and members are driving change across the system to improve outcomes for kids. You are highly ambitious, are a compelling communicator, and have a track record of influencing others to outcomes through forming strong and lasting relationships. You directly manage the Director-Corporate Foundations Relations and Manager-Develpment. You report to the Executive Director.

THE PERSON

  • Create the long–term regional development vision and annual strategic and operating plans for all donor streams to raise $5MM in revenue in FY19 and approximately $30MM over the next five years
  • Set ambitious yet feasible revenue, donor retention, and acquisition benchmarks to achieve both immediate (current fiscal year) and long-term (next 3-5 years) development goals
  • Strategically broaden and diversify our fundraising base to promote long-term organizational sustainability
  • Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of donors through meetings, events, and correspondence
  • Design a stewardship strategy to maintain our strong connections and ongoing communication with existing donors and consistently engage new prospects
  • Serve as the primary external relationship holder and solicitor for the region
  • Directly manage two full-time staff members and support their professional development and growth through providing regular feedback, meeting weekly to track progress-to-goal, and serving as a thought-partner and coach
  • Regularly assess team-wide progress to goals, identifying what is driving and impeding progress and developing strategies to expand opportunities and overcoming barriers
  • Prioritize the right actions for the Executive Director to take in order to cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and prospects and prepare/support ED to execute
  • Suggest and agree upon the strategic ways that best leverage the ED’s time and talent with regards to fundraising
  • Collaborate with the Executive Director to prepare for and  participate in board meetings, lead board members on  development specific projects or activities, and communicate with board members as needed
  • Take on special projects at the direction of the Executive Director to maximize results and organizational impact

Regional & Organizational Stewardship

  • All team members meet submission requirements for reimbursements (monthly), timesheets (weekly), and American Express reports (monthly, as needed) to support the organization’s financial standing
  • Support team–wide goals for Connecticut and the National Breakthrough Results through participation in corps member recruitment, selection and matriculation, regional events and programming, team meetings, professional development, and participation in the city-based events to which the team member is assigned, if applicable

THE MUST HAVES

Prior Experience

  • Bachelor’s Degree Required
  • 6+ years of previous work experience preferred; previous experience working for a non-profit or in education preferred

Work Demands

  • Willing and able to work some early mornings, evenings or weekends as needed
  • Willing and able to travel 2-3 times per year for professional development purposes

Skills

  • Uncommon level of personal responsibility with exceptional goal orientation and a proven track record of success
  • Demonstrated ability to both motivate and manage superiors, peers, and direct reports to achieve ambitious, measurable results
  • Exceptional strategic and critical thinking skills
  • Experience representing Teach For America to external parties
  • Ability to build strong relationships with varying constituencies, even in challenging situations (including regional board members, funders, vendors, etc.)
  • Ability to deeply understand the motivations of donors, corps members, alumni, and external partners and compel them to take action
  • Able to use data and sound judgment to solve complex problems and prioritize action
  • Able to work across multiple stakeholders on critical, time-sensitive projects
  • Strong verbal and written communicator: can speak compellingly about our organization, mission, and goals and has a mature presence

THE TEAM

Institutional  Advancement  is  responsible  for  building  the  support  network  to  resource  and  sustain  our  regional  work by rallying commitment from individuals and institutions who share our aspiration that every student in Connecticut have access to excellent educational opportunities. Over the next 5 years you will lead the team to raise nearly $30 million in regional revenue and grow and strengthen a coalition of champions for Teach For America’s work in Connecticut. The Institutional Advancement team is a three-person team situated within the Connecticut regional team.

THE PERKS

By joining staff, you join a network of individuals committed to pursuing equity for all students and developing themselves as professionals in the process. We as an organization value the longevity of our employees and offer a full benefit plan that has proven to be pretty competitive. The salary for this position is also competitive and depends on your prior work experience. Please be advised, you will have an opportunity to discuss salary in more detail after you begin the application process.

WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Teach For America encourages individuals of all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization, as we want to engage all those who can contribute to this effort.

Teach For America is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

*This job description reflects Teach For America’s assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing in this herein restricts management’s right to assign, reassign or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time.

How To Apply

NEXT STEPS

Interested in this position? Apply now! Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the link to the online application. If you still have questions regarding the role, feel free to contact our recruitment team at staffing@teachforamerica.orgor visit www.teachforamerica.org/about-us/careers.

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