Senior Associate, Development

Center for Employment Opportunities•Charlotte, NC

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Associate, Development supports the Center for Employment Opportunities’ fund development strategy by advancing foundation, corporate, government, and individual giving. The role co-leads complex, high-stakes revenue opportunities, including competitive government grants, national institutional funding, and mid-level or major giving campaigns. It partners with leadership on strategic planning and provides training, peer mentorship, and workflow guidance to Development Associates. The role’s regional or national scope is assigned by departmental leadership based on organizational priorities and portfolio distribution. Regional work focuses on place-based philanthropy, local government funding, site-based funder visits, and collaboration with local and regional Program and Investment Directors. National work focuses on nationwide foundations, multi-site and federal opportunities, enterprise-wide initiatives, and collaboration with Senior Directors and Executive Leadership. The Center for Employment Opportunities provides employment services to people recently released from incarceration. The organization serves 8,000–9,000 participants annually across the United States. Applicants with lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system are strongly encouraged to apply. The position is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a hybrid workplace arrangement. The salary range is $62,500–$75,000. Placement within the range considers comparable tenure, relevant knowledge, skills, experience, internal parity, and geographic location.

Requirements

At least 3 years of professional experience in a relevant area, including at least 1–2 years of direct grant writing and revenue generation experience with a demonstrated record of securing funds.
Prior experience managing complex cross-functional projects across geographically dispersed teams.
Demonstrated experience partnering with executive leaders, board members, or senior program directors on high-stakes funding opportunities.
Proven experience delivering presentations, pitches, or strategic briefings to institutional program officers and individual donors.
Foundational project leadership, cross-team facilitation, and staff or peer mentorship skills across geographically dispersed teams.
Outstanding written and verbal storytelling skills, including the ability to turn complex workforce development and criminal legal system data into compelling cases for support.
Ability to manage concurrent proposal deadlines and competing priorities in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
Rigorous attention to detail regarding grant guidelines, compliance budgets, and qualitative and quantitative reporting.
Proficiency with Google Workspace.
Ability to shift priorities quickly to meet organizational needs.
Commitment to social and racial justice.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Salesforce CRM or donor management platforms.
Lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system.

Responsibilities

Draft, assemble, and submit responses to foundation, corporate, and government requests for proposals, concept papers, and letters of inquiry.
Coordinate the preparation and submission of data-driven, tailored grant reports for institutional funders and individual donors.
Research prospective institutional and individual funders aligned with CEO’s mission; develop strategy memos and provide analytical support for emerging program models or funding priorities.
Coordinate in-person or virtual site visits with current and prospective funders and prepare briefing memos, meeting requests, and follow-up correspondence.
Partner with Program, Investment, Finance, and Grants Management teams to meet submission timelines and grant compliance requirements.
Track cultivation, solicitations, deliverables, and relationship milestones for assigned regional or national portfolios in Salesforce.
For regional scope, partner with the Regional Development Manager and local site leadership to design and execute regional revenue and funder cultivation strategies.
For national scope, collaborate with the Senior Manager, Senior Director, and Executive Leadership to develop and execute national funding strategies, and present research and cultivation recommendations in executive fundraising meetings.
Lead high-stakes, multi-stakeholder revenue opportunities, including federal and public grants, national multi-year gifts, and targeted donor campaigns.
Prepare strategy memos, tailored concept decks, and custom presentations for prospective grantmakers and institutional stakeholders.
Provide guidance, peer coaching, and onboarding support to Development Associates; co-lead training and skill-building sessions with Development Managers.
Lead portfolio review meetings and revenue pipeline calls, maintain Salesforce data integrity, and ensure timely donor stewardship and acknowledgments.
Perform other related duties as assigned.