Senior Associate, Development

Center for Employment Opportunities•San Diego, CA

6d•$62,500 - $75,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Associate, Development advances the Center for Employment Opportunities’ fundraising work by co-leading complex, high-stakes revenue opportunities, partnering with leadership on strategic planning, and providing training, peer mentorship, and workflow guidance to Development Associates. The Fund Development team researches, develops, and implements efforts to grow foundation, corporate, government, and individual support, collaborating with Investment, Program, and Executive leadership to align fundraising with organizational impact and strategic outreach goals. The role may have a regional or national scope, assigned by departmental leadership according to organizational priorities and portfolio distribution. Regional work focuses on place-based institutional philanthropy, local government funding, site-based funder visits, and partnerships with local and regional Program and Investment Directors. National work focuses on nationwide institutional foundations, multi-site and federal opportunities, enterprise-wide initiatives, and collaboration with Senior Directors and Executive Leadership. The Senior Associate drafts and submits proposals and reports, researches prospective funders, coordinates funder visits, and works across teams to meet deliverables, timelines, and grant compliance requirements. The position also leads multi-stakeholder revenue opportunities, prepares strategy materials and presentations, supports donor relationship tracking and stewardship, and helps build Development team capacity. The position is hybrid in San Diego, California. CEO strongly encourages people with lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system to apply. The salary range is $62,500–$75,000. CEO offers medical and dental coverage, professional development opportunities, paid parental leave, retirement plan participation, sick and vacation leave, and paid holidays, along with learning and team activities.

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 proven record of securing funds.
Prior experience managing complex cross-functional projects across geographically dispersed teams.
Demonstrated track record of partnering with executive leaders, board members, or senior program directors on high-stakes funding opportunities.
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 explain complex workforce development and criminal legal system data in compelling cases for support.
Ability to manage multiple concurrent proposal deadlines and competing priorities in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
Strong attention to detail regarding grant guidelines, compliance budgets, and qualitative and quantitative reporting.
Proficiency with Google Workspace.
Ability to shift priorities quickly to match organizational needs.
Commitment to social and racial justice.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency with Salesforce CRM or donor management platforms is preferred.
Lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system is strongly encouraged.

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; draft briefing memos, meeting requests, and follow-up correspondence.
Partner with Program, Investment, Finance, and Grants Management teams to submit deliverables on time and comply with project timelines and grant requirements.
Track cultivation, solicitations, deliverables, and relationship milestones for assigned 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 research, shape, and execute national funding strategies, and present research and cultivation recommendations in regular Executive Leadership 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 skill-building and training with Development Managers.
Lead portfolio review meetings and revenue pipeline calls; maintain accurate Salesforce records, meeting agendas, and timely donor stewardship and acknowledgments.
Perform other related duties as assigned.