North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation, Senior Director of National Partnerships

Mossand Ross•Raleigh, NC

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation (Foundation) seeks a Senior Director of National Partnerships to elevate its national campaign and partnership development efforts. This role is crucial for strengthening the Foundation's capacity to support the NC Community College System, which serves 600,000 students and awards 60,000 credentials annually. The Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit established in 1986, is dedicated to advancing the System's mission. Recent strategic investments have focused on organizational capacity, fundraising, awareness, and innovation. The Foundation is currently leading SOAR: the Campaign for North Carolina Community Colleges, a multiyear venture aiming for a $75 million goal, with over 80% already raised. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to meaningful work that transforms lives and communities.

Requirements

Personal commitment to the mission and vision of NC Community Colleges and passion for the national community college reform movement, national partnership development, project management, marketing and communications, and fundraising.
Knowledge of the national higher education philanthropic landscape and familiarity with key individuals and organizations.
At least five years of higher education-related experience, ideally with community colleges at the local, state, and national level.
A proven record of success in partnership development, ideally at the national level, leading processes and writing proposals for significant gifts and grants.
At least five years of project management experience, demonstrating mastery of methodology and application of necessary skills.
Ability to effectively and persuasively engage with a wide variety of individuals.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, active and thoughtful listening, clear communication, and engaging storytelling.
Knowledge of and experience in fundraising, development, and advancement, and guiding prospective funders through the donor journey.
Comfort with and commitment to use technology, including Google Workspace, Bloomerang donor database and CRM, and other tools for prospect identification, performance tracking, and reporting.
Must be based in North Carolina.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree a plus.
Professional certifications such as CFRE, CGW are ideal.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Foundation’s in-house community college reform expert, working closely with the System.
Maintain deep knowledge of the national community college reform movement, focusing on student success and labor market outcomes.
Track and analyze the needs of local colleges, statewide priorities, national funder interests, and workforce development trends to inform partnership strategy.
Develop and lead the Foundation’s national partnership strategy and engagement plans, connecting local, state, and national needs.
Determine the annual operations plan with measurable objectives, tactics, and budget requests.
Identify and participate in statewide and national convenings to drive awareness and funding.
Serve as the Foundation’s lead for identifying, vetting, and assessing national funding opportunities aligned with System priorities.
Lead the collaborative process to develop partnership concepts and facilitate prospects through the donor journey.
Demonstrate expertise in fundraising, development, and advancement, including solicitation and stewardship.
Use financial models to set and achieve annual national partnership goals and revenue projections.
Serve as managing director of the national campaign, providing central command and control for the campaign executive team and workstream groups.
Ensure clarity of roles and responsibilities among all partners.
Direct transparent communications for alignment with the 58 colleges and ensure compliance with Guiding Principles and Practices.
Facilitate and support System Office and other subject matter experts in engagements with prospective funders.
Maintain and update the campaign pipeline, leveraging technology to monitor prospects through the donor journey.
Provide guidance on the implementation of national partnership programs, tracking outputs and outcomes.
Prepare and deliver national campaign performance reports and presentations.
Serve as the lead writer for national partnerships, translating complex information into persuasive documents.
Be an authentic, visible, and persuasive advocate for the System.
Proactively engage System leaders with open, transparent communication.
Provide input and guidance on the Foundation’s strategic marketing and communications materials.
Maintain and share current knowledge of best practices in philanthropy, post-secondary education, and workforce development.
Contribute to a high-performing team culture.
Support the recruitment, training, and retention of staff and contractors.
Perform other duties as assigned.