Managing Director of Development

Democracy Prep Public Schools•New York City, NY

6d•$170,000 - $190,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Democracy Prep Public Schools is seeking a Managing Director of Development to lead its philanthropic growth strategy and revenue engine. The organization operates a network of tuition-free public charter schools in New York serving more than 3,000 PreK–12 students across 10 campuses, with an annual budget of more than $100 million. The role will build and scale a high-performing development function in support of the 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, including priorities in academic excellence, operational sustainability, programmatic scaling, and regional growth. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and partnering with the Deputy Chief of Staff and senior leadership team, the Managing Director will lead a key organizational function and deliver measurable fundraising results across individual, foundation, corporate, and institutional giving. The position works on a hybrid schedule, with three days per week in the New York City office and two remote days. The successful candidate will be a mission-driven, reflective, and results-oriented leader with major-gift fundraising experience, strong relationship-building and communication skills, and the ability to build scalable development programs. A bachelor’s degree is required; a master’s degree or related advanced study is preferred. Salary is $170,000–$190,000, based on equivalent years of experience. Benefits include medical, vision, and dental insurance, 403B matching, and parental leave.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Experience securing major gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
Deep knowledge of fundraising programs and strategies.
Ability to navigate complex institutions, identify donor alignment, and adapt to rapidly evolving environments.
Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills, including the ability to develop long-term internal and external partnerships and inspire confidence among Board members, donors, and colleagues.
Excellent writing and presentation skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, persuasive messages for multiple audiences.
Commitment to Democracy Prep’s mission of college success and authentic civic engagement for all scholars.
Commitment to equitable culture-building, self-awareness, and reflective leadership.
Results-oriented leadership, creativity, initiative, and rigor in building scalable development programs.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or related advanced study.

Responsibilities

Design and lead a multi-year development strategy aligned with Democracy Prep’s Strategic Plan.
Own and drive annual and multi-year, multi-million-dollar fundraising targets.
Build a diversified funding model across individual giving, principal gifts, foundations, corporate partnerships, government opportunities, and advocacy initiatives.
Identify emerging funding opportunities and build high-capacity donor pipelines.
Personally manage a portfolio of at least 25–40 high-capacity prospects.
Secure six-figure and select seven-figure gifts in partnership with the CEO.
Conduct at least 15–20 strategic cultivation and solicitation meetings annually.
Develop multi-year stewardship and engagement plans for top-tier donors.
Partner with the CEO to identify and cultivate Board-aligned prospects with philanthropic capacity.
Retain existing foundation partners and secure at least 3–5 new institutional partnerships annually.
Lead the preparation and submission of grant and foundation applications, ensuring quality, timeliness, and alignment with organizational priorities.
Increase foundation revenue year over year through proactive relationship management.
Lead strategic grant positioning with the Senior Leadership Team to maximize network-wide impact.
Develop and execute a corporate engagement strategy aligned with operational and programmatic priorities.
Secure corporate partners annually and develop partnerships beyond sponsorship toward sustained philanthropic investment.
Drive a Board giving strategy with the CEO and Board Chair, supporting progress toward 100% Board giving.
Oversee giving campaigns and donor engagement initiatives, including Giving Tuesday and major galas.
Activate Board members and development committees to leverage networks and open doors.
Build an organization-wide culture of philanthropy through leadership coaching and strategic alignment.
Monitor trends and best practices in education and the nonprofit sector to inform strategy and identify opportunities.
Implement and optimize a donor management system that tracks pipeline health, conversion rates, revenue progress, and donor retention.
Produce monthly and quarterly dashboards for senior leadership and Board review.
Build scalable systems that enable long-term revenue growth.
Collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team and Marketing & Communications to develop vision, strategy, and supporting materials for core programs.