Managing Director of Development

Position: Managing Director of Development

REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer

DEPARTMENT: Development

DIRECT REPORTS: Development Coordinator, Proposal & Reporting Writer; oversees contracted writers and consultants

FLSA STATUS: Full-time, Exempt

CAREER LEVEL: First Level Management

SALARY RANGE: $135,000 – $175,000, commensurate with experience, plus benefits

LOCATION: Remote; candidates based in or near one of PeerForward’s existing markets preferred. Regular travel to partner markets, donor meetings, and board convenings.

aBOUT pEERFORWARD

For 30 years, PeerForward has been built on a simple and powerful idea: students listen to their peers. In high schools, we train students as Peer Leaders who change the college-going culture of their entire school. They help classmates complete the FAFSA, apply to colleges that fit, and map out what comes next. Peer Leaders don’t just open doors for others. They walk through them too, persisting in college at rates above the national average.

And our work doesn’t stop at high school graduation. We are growing on college campuses, where peer leadership helps students stay enrolled, find belonging, and finish their degrees.

What started as one idea is now an international college success organization, working in 11 states and in Bermuda, and reaching more than 700,000 students over three decades. Our mission is to get students to and through college.

SUMMARY

We are in our 30th year, and our most ambitious work is ahead of us. We are going deeper in the communities we already serve and partnering with others to help more than 100,000 students get to and through college every year.

That ambition needs a fundraising leader to match it. As Managing Director of Development, you will lead a $4–6 million annual fundraising program, with room to grow it as we scale. You will shape the story PeerForward tells the world, open doors to new national partners, and personally close the gifts that make this growth possible. You will work side by side with the CEO and Board, lead a lean, committed team, and have a real voice in where the organization goes next.

This is a hands-on role for a builder. If you want your fundraising to show up in the lives of students and the strength of their communities, and you want a seat at the table where strategy gets made, we want to talk with you.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy and revenue leadership (≈25%)

• Own the annual and multi-year development plan, revenue targets, and diversified funding mix.
• Partner with the CEO and senior leadership to align fundraising priorities with program strategy and budget.
• Provide monthly revenue and cash-flow projections; coordinate with Finance on pledges and receivables.

Major gifts and institutional fundraising (≈45%)

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a personal portfolio of major individual, foundation, and corporate funders.
• Lead solicitation meetings independently and with the CEO; prepare the CEO and Board members for their asks.
• Open new doors with national foundations, corporate partners, and high-net-worth individuals.
• Oversee the proposal and reporting calendar, ensuring compelling, on-time, accurate submissions.

Team, systems, and operations (≈20%)

• Lead, coach, and hold accountable the development team and contracted partners.
• Maintain disciplined prospect management in Salesforce, including weekly moves management and pipeline reporting.
• Establish clear metrics for each team member and portfolio: activity, pipeline, and dollars closed.

Board and external engagement (≈10%)

• Staff the Board’s Development Committee and equip Board members to open doors and give.
• Represent PeerForward at events and with external audiences; collaborate with Marketing on donor communications and the funder newsletter.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

Required

• 10+ years of progressive fundraising experience, including at least 5 years in a senior development role.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic development, building both the resources and the relationships that sustain an organization over the long term.
• Comfort and credibility representing an organization before public, private, and community stakeholders, from funders and elected officials to school and neighborhood partners.
• A documented record of personally closing gifts of $100,000+ and leading an organization or department to annual revenue goals of $4 million or more.
• Experience building and managing a development team, including hiring, coaching, and performance management.
• Strength across institutional and individual giving, with deep experience in foundation relationships.
• Disciplined, data-driven approach to pipeline management; proficiency in Salesforce or a comparable CRM.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication; able to make a complex model simple and compelling.
• Experience working directly with a CEO and Board, and comfort managing upward.
• Commitment to PeerForward’s mission and to students from low-income and first-generation communities.

Preferred

• Experience in education, youth development, or college access and success.
• Campaign experience, especially an anniversary or capital campaign.
• Established relationships with national education funders.
• Experience with public funding sources (state, county, or federal).

PeerForward is proud to offer a remote-first work environment and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome candidates who share our vision of transforming lives through access to higher education.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit a resume and a cover letter that describes the largest gift you personally secured and how you got there. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

PeerForward is an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply.