Vice President, Breakthrough Partnerships & Foundations

International Rescue Committee•Oakland, CA

2d•Remote

About The Position

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future. IRC has set itself a target of reaching 40 million clients annually by 2033, delivering programs for clients in the hardest to reach settings. IRC is an industry leader in humanitarian cost-effectiveness, pioneering rigorous research and evidence-based programs to ensure aid dollars reach more clients and deliver the highest possible impact, per dollar spent. We have set an ambitious target to raise $700M in annual private revenue by 2033 — up from around $400M today. The gap will not be closed by doing more of the same. It requires a step change in the scale and nature of IRC's philanthropic relationships: with founders and philanthropists who have made their wealth in the AI era, with family offices and foundations that are still defining their giving strategies, with donors informed by effective altruism, and with funders making evidence-based philanthropic investments and allocations who are looking for organizations that can deploy capital at scale and prove it works. Our reputation as The Solutions NGO means that we are well placed to lead in these spaces. Our outcomes-driven, evidence-based interventions have real impact and can be rolled out at scale – these are what will make the difference between life and death, opportunity or stasis for those 40 million clients. This role exists to build the relationships needed to fuel that scale and impact. The VP of Breakthrough Partnerships and Foundations will own a pipeline of transformational prospects at the $100M+ level. This role will also lead IRC's established Foundations and Trusts team, which provides a revenue base and some of the institutional relationships from which to work. Many of the partnerships that this role is designed to close do not yet exist on IRC's books. Getting there will take curiosity, pipeline discipline, a deep understanding of IRC's current and potential programmatic work, the ability to compellingly articulate that work, and the kind of credibility that comes from genuinely knowing the ecosystems’ stakeholders and languages – effective altruism networks, tech philanthropy, and the advisors who sit between wealth and giving. We are looking for someone who thinks differently about what a humanitarian organization can ask of its donors, and what a donor can ask of a humanitarian organization. Someone whose central focus is meaningful change in the lives of our clients and the paths to get there. A person who can build coalitions around the solution, not the entities that deliver the services. Someone who finds the intellectual challenge of this space interesting, who is a strong collaborator internally, and who brings colleagues with them rather than working around them. The role is based on the West Coast, reports to the Chief Operating Officer, and works closely with IRC's President/CEO, philanthropy leadership, and research leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
15 or more years of relevant experience in major gift fundraising, strategic relationship development, investment, or a closely adjacent field where closing large, complex partnerships was central to the role.
Demonstrated track record of closing private transformational gifts or partnerships at the $50M+ level.
Deep knowledge of the top philanthropic ecosystems - AI and technology founders, emerging foundations, family offices, and the advisors who shape their giving decisions.
Strong strategic and narrative thinking. Able to take complex programmatic content and build a donor-facing argument that is ambitious, evidence-grounded, and holds up under the scrutiny of sophisticated givers.
Disciplined pipeline management and sound judgment about where to invest time.
Strong collaborative instincts and organizational intelligence. This role works across functions constantly. The ability to convene, influence, and bring others along is as important as personal credibility.
Comfortable with ambiguity and long cultivation timelines. Breakthrough partnerships take years. You manage that process with patience and structure.
Genuine conviction about IRC's mission. The donors this role pursues will notice quickly if it is not there.
Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable presenting and influencing at board, CEO, and major donor level.

Nice To Haves

An existing network among philanthropists, technology-sector foundations, or first-generation family offices, particularly on the US West Coast.
Genuine familiarity with EA-aligned philanthropic networks, major EA foundations, key advisors, and the frameworks that shape evidence-based giving at the top of the market.
Experience at the intersection of humanitarian or development programming and private philanthropy, or the demonstrated ability to get fluent in IRC's programmatic work quickly.
Experience working alongside a prominent institutional leader, President, CEO, or equivalent as a strategic partner in donor engagement.
An MBA, Master's degree, or equivalent in a relevant field.

Responsibilities

Build and own the Breakthrough Partnerships pipeline: Identify, qualify, and develop a portfolio of prospects capable of $100M+ multi-year commitments. Maintain at least 20 active relationships across cultivation stages at any given time.
Bring current, firsthand intelligence about where significant new wealth is forming and new ideas in the foundation world are burgeoning. The existing IRC prospect list is a starting point.
Build active relationships within donor networks guided by effective altruism and cost-efficiency: foundations, advisors, and the broader community of evidence-driven philanthropists where IRC's programmatic rigor and scale are genuine differentiators.
Work with the philanthropic intermediaries informed by effective altruism and cost efficiency that increasingly shape where serious philanthropic capital goes so that more donors appreciate IRC’s ability to deliver highly cost-effective interventions at scale.
Partner with the Global Corporate Partnerships and Philanthropy teams to find synergies across pipelines especially in the AI and broader tech sector.
Run a disciplined pipeline. Know which prospects to prioritize and which to set aside. Pressure-test the list regularly against what Campaign 2033 actually needs.
Design and lead the pitch: Build tailored, compelling asks for each significant prospect. Draw on IRC's programmatic depth, impact evidence, and the work of our Impact at Scale teams. This is not a role where the pitch gets delegated. You will be the Breakthrough convenor and shape the programmatic direction of the work. The donors this role targets are not moved by standard fundraising formats. They want to co-invest in something that is ambitious and backed by evidence. The VP's job is to make that case with intellectual rigor and enough specificity to be credible under scrutiny.
Translate IRC's work into the language that resonates with sophisticated donors: systems change, measurable outcomes, scalable delivery, and an honest account of what IRC knows and what it is still learning.
Know when to bring in IRC's President, COO, or program leadership and prepare those moments so they count.
Realize internal capability: A significant part of this role is internal. IRC colleagues from External Relations, program staff and senior leadership want to think bigger about what philanthropic partners can be asked to fund and how to build coalitions of funders around life-saving and life-changing interventions. The VP will help to foster that ambition.
Work across the organization to improve the quality and ambition of donor-facing narratives. IRC's Impact at Scale offerings need to be packaged in ways that are credible and genuinely bold.
Work closely with program colleagues to ensure that donors can track the impact their engagement is having in a compelling and transparent way.
Be a strong collaborator. The VP's standing inside IRC matters as much as external credibility. Progress happens by bringing colleagues along, not by working around them.
Work with the COO and philanthropy leadership to develop IRC's long-term model for transformational giving — including shaping direct team support and how program staff are brought into high-value donor engagement.
Contribute to Campaign 2033 strategy: Help shape the architecture of our multi-year fundraising campaign strategy, particularly how breakthrough gifts anchor and accelerate the wider revenue ambition.
Serve as a senior thought partner on the External Relations leadership team on how IRC's positioning and offer should evolve as the philanthropic landscape shifts.
Represent IRC in the external forums, networks, and events where being present builds the breakthrough pipeline.
Lead and grow the Foundations & Trusts team: Partner with executive staff and senior program leadership to shape the Foundations & Trusts strategy, deepen institutional engagement, and grow revenue across existing and new portfolios in line with Campaign 2033 targets.
Lead, mentor, and develop a global F&T team. Set a culture of ambition and accountability, and work across functions to ensure strong coordination with program and technical colleagues.
Strengthen existing foundation relationships while tracking shifts in the philanthropic landscape that create opportunities for IRC.

Benefits

10 paid sick leave
10 U.S. holidays
20-25 generous paid time off based on role and tenure
medical insurance starting at $163/month
dental starting at $6.50/month
vision starting at $5/month
flexible spending accounts (healthcare, dependent care, and commuter)
a 403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match (immediate vesting) along with a non-elective employer contribution based on age and years of service (3-year vesting)
disability and life insurance
an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering confidential counseling and support services for employees and their families.