Director of Development & External Affairs
$90,000–$100,000 year
On-site · Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Job Summary
Director of Development & External Affairs leads fundraising, communications, and external engagement to strengthen donor relationships, grow the grants portfolio, and enhance visibility for Esperanza. The role combines leadership in development with strategy for external communications, including management of a major gifts portfolio, grants lifecycle, corporate sponsorships, events like Fiesta of Hope and Back-to-School, and donor stewardship. The ideal candidate partners with the CEO and Board, develops pipelines across individual, foundation, government, and corporate funders, oversees CRM data integrity and reporting, and leverages AI tools to accelerate impact. The position requires strategic fundraising leadership, relationship-building across diverse stakeholders, and strong project-management capabilities to drive revenue targets and organizational growth.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, communications, business, or a related field — or equivalent experience
- 5+ years of fundraising experience with a demonstrated track record across multiple channels (individuals, foundations, corporations, and/or government)
- Strong relationship-building skills and comfort with direct solicitation
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to diverse audiences
- Financial literacy and proficiency in Excel for forecasting and pipeline management
- Experience with a donor CRM and data analytics
- Strong project management skills and ability to manage competing priorities
- Experience working with contractors and vendors, and comfort directing others as the team grows
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate across teams and lead with cultural humility
- Practical proficiency with generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or similar)
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