Director of Development Strategy and Operations

Director of Development Strategy and Operations

Start Date: TBD

Location: Boston, MA

About UP Education Network

UP Education Network manages and operates two schools in Boston, MA. We serve over 1,300 elementary and middle school students. UP is invited by local school districts to restart chronically underperforming district schools as UP Academies. Each UP Academy shares the same mission: to ensure that students acquire the knowledge, skills, and strength of character necessary to succeed on the path to college and to achieve their full potential.

Role

The Director of Development Strategy and Operations will oversee the strategy and operations of UP’s Development team, ensuring the organization meets its fundraising and development goals. They will take ownership of tracking progress, making strategic adjustments as needed, and managing their own portfolio of donors. This individual is a highly organized, confident, and results-driven professional who thrives on planning and keeping teams on track. They enjoy cultivating relationships, expanding networks, and are equally comfortable managing upward and collaborating laterally.

Specific Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Development team to raise $1m per year by providing strategic direction, setting priorities, and driving operational execution to ensure opportunities are identified and realized.
• Oversee development operations, monitoring progress and holding the team accountable, keeping the CEO informed, adjusting strategies as needed, and ensuring all activities are executed efficiently.
• Prepare the team, especially the CEO, for high-impact donor and partner meetings with briefing materials, research, and follow-up content in partnership with Sr. Manager of Development and Communications.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date fundraising and donor information systems.
• Communicate clearly and confidently, setting a standard of goal-driven excellence.

Board Management

• Ensure board members feel valued and actively engaged in UP’s mission.
• Organize and manage board meetings, including scheduling, agenda preparation, and note-taking in partnership with the board chair.
• Support onboarding of new members and cultivation of prospective members by providing necessary information and materials.
• Conduct relationship mapping to leverage board member networks for funding opportunities.
• Maintain accurate records of board members’ connections and contributions.
• Engage board members to host micro-events that increase contributions and deepen engagement with UP.

Manage a Portfolio of Donors

• Own the organization’s mid to small-dollar donor strategy ($10k and below) and meet or exceed contribution goals.
• Manage and grow a portfolio of donors, cultivating new and existing relationships and guiding them through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship stages, including upgrading contributions from small to major gifts.
• Plan and lead donor cultivation and stewardship activities aligned with the Development strategy, including through events, in partnership with the Sr. Manager of Development and Communications.

Qualifications

• Strong belief in UP Education Network’s mission.
• Self-starter who is goal-driven, highly motivated, and skilled at executing strategies effectively while remaining receptive to feedback.
• Experience in fundraising or a similar field, with a proven track record of developing strategy and managing a team to achieve goals.
• Demonstrated success raising gifts of all sizes, with a track record of success in small to mid-level gifts.
• Excellent relationship-building skills and experience cultivating and stewarding donors.
• Exceptional writing, storytelling, and communication skills, with the ability to inspire a range of audiences.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Compensation and Benefits

This position falls into UP Education Network’s Director salary band. UP offers medical insurance coverage and subsidizes the majority of employee, spouse/domestic partner, and child premiums. Other benefits include dental and vision plans, disability and life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending accounts, generous vacation time, commuter benefits, and access to a 403(b) plan.