Remote Development Director — Lead Fundraising Strategy

The American Energy Leadership Institute is a conservative energy policy research and advocacy organization. Our goal is to ensure America leads and dominates the 21st century. We promote solutions that accelerate US energy innovation, expand domestic energy production, reduce reliance on foreign adversaries, enhance our energy security, hold adversaries like China accountable for their emissions, win the arms race for new energy technologies, and contribute to the revitalization of America's manufacturing and energy production base. We believe that America's interests are best served through a vigorous, competitive, and exuberant economy, a forward-thinking energy agenda that puts US interests first, and a conservative movement that plays offense to secure our nation’s economic, environmental, and national security priorities. Given the longstanding cultural dominance of the environmental left—and their anti-capitalism and de-growth agenda,we aim to restore the American conversation on climate and energy, curb the epidemic of pessimism, especially amongst our youth, and invite the next generation into a more exciting, optimistic vision about our nation and its future. Position Summary AELI is seeking a Development Director to build and lead its fundraising function from the ground up. This is not a support role inside an existing development shop — it is the senior fundraising seat at AELI, responsible for setting strategy, building the donor pipeline, and translating the organization's mission into the resources it needs to scale. The Development Director will report directly to the President and will operate as a close strategic partner to leadership on growth, positioning, and funder relationships. Location Remote. Compensation AELI offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience, and a growing benefits package. The base salary range for this position is $132,000–$156,000 annually, with increases aligned with organization growth. Core Responsibilities Build and own AELI's overall development strategy, annual fundraising plan, and revenue targets, reporting progress directly to the President Identify and prioritize the funding sources best suited to AELI's mission — major individual donors, family and corporate foundations, and energy-sector partners aligned with American energy leadership Set the long-term vision for AELI's development function, including when and how to build out a development team as the organization scales Donor & Partner Cultivation Identify, research, and personally cultivate a portfolio of major donors, foundations, and corporate partners, managing the full pipeline through close Serve as a primary external face of AELI's fundraising effort — representing the organization in donor meetings, briefings, and conferences Build trust-based, lasting relationships with funders who share AELI's vision for energy security, innovation, and American competitiveness Communications & Persuasive Writing Draft compelling funding proposals, briefing materials, and donor correspondence that translate AELI's policy work into a clear case for investment Partner with leadership and policy staff to ensure funding asks reflect AELI's current priorities and wins Develop donor-facing materials, impact reports, and stewardship communications that reinforce AELI's optimistic, offense-oriented narrative Operations & Reporting Stand up and maintain a donor database/CRM appropriate to AELI's stage, ensuring accurate records of donor activity and giving history Track and report on pipeline health, fundraising metrics, and progress against goals for the President Manage development-related administrative functions — grant tracking, gift processing, acknowledgments — until the function grows enough to warrant additional support Qualifications Required Five years or more of experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, external affairs, or a related field Demonstrated experience with prospect research and donor cultivation Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize and manage competing deadlines Proficiency in donor database management (experience with Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, or similar CRM preferred) Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including persuasive writing for fundraising and external audiences Strong interpersonal skills with a collaborative, professional, and relationship-first approach Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and/or Google Workspace History of successful solicitation and ongoing management of relationships with family foundations and other grant-making institutions Preferred Familiarity with grant research tools such as Candid/GuideStar or Foundation Directory Online Experience with email marketing platforms (Mailchimp, Constant Contact, etc.) Knowledge of Moves Management fundraising tactics Demonstrated passion for American energy leadership, innovation, and security, and/or a conservative approach to climate and energy policy Qualities & Attributes Mission-Driven — Genuine commitment to AELI's vision of American energy leadership and its conservative, pro-growth worldview Self-Starter — Able to work independently and take initiative with minimal supervision, especially given the lead nature of this role Detail-Oriented — Meticulous attention to accuracy in data, writing, and follow-through Adaptable — Comfortable navigating a dynamic, early-stage organization where structure is still being built Collaborative — Team player who thrives in cross-functional partnerships with leadership and policy staff #J-18808-Ljbffr American Energy Leadership Institute