Development Manager

Target Incentive Opportunity: 5% of salary (contingent on meeting team performance and individual goals):

Office

Location:

This position is based in our headquarters in Chicago's West Loop. We provide options for remote and flexible scheduling. We offer a 37.5-hour work week; hours are 8:30am – 5:00pm.

Company

Summary:

Junior Achievement is the world's largest and fastest-growing non‑profit economics education organization. Started in Chicago in 1940, the Junior Achievement of Chicago office served over 425,000 students last school year. We are passionate people dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy through experiential, hands‑on programs. See the JA website hicago.org for more information.

Position

Purpose:

The Development Manager plays an important role in helping Junior Achievement of Chicago achieve its annual fundraising goals. The position drives JA’s corporate and foundation renewal grant efforts and helps manage the day‑to‑day activities supporting Major Gifts, Personal Giving, and the General Campaign.

The Development Manager also helps manage JA’s overall grant tracking and coordination, working with other staff to keep funding opportunities moving forward.

In addition, the Development Manager provides day‑to‑day guidance for development operations and works closely with the Data Entry Specialist to help ensure timely and accurate gift processing, acknowledgments, donor information, data entry, reporting, and other daily development activities.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Drive JA’s corporate and foundation renewal grant efforts, including proposal development, coordination, submission, follow‑up, and reporting.
• Help manage and maintain JA’s overall grant tracker, including new and renewal opportunities, deadlines, status, assignments, and next steps.
• Support and help drive Major Gifts, Personal Giving, and the General Campaign, including prospect follow‑up, proposals, tracking, donor outreach, and helping move opportunities forward.
• Research, identify, cultivate, and help solicit companies, foundations, and individuals whose interests and priorities align with JA programs and funding needs.
• Meet regularly with current and prospective donors and assist with donor cultivation, stewardship, and follow‑up.
• Coordinate day‑to‑day Development operations and work closely with the part‑time Development Admin to ensure priorities, follow‑up, processing of all revenue, acknowledgments, data entry, database updates, and routine reporting are completed accurately and on time.
• Assist in preparing Development, campaign, grant, and key account reports and support the Development Committee as needed.
• Work collaboratively with the VP of Development, Director of Development, Programs, Communications, Finance, and other staff to support Program Funding opportunities and help achieve JA’s annual fundraising and revenue goals.

Education/

Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Skills/Ability

Required:

• Proven relationship‑building, business development, and persuasion skills.
• Proven track record in grant development and individual giving initiatives.
• Strong interpersonal, telephone, written, and presentation communication skills with experience in client presentations and business writing.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities is essential. Good organizational skills. Proven ability to maintain confidential information.
• Must be proficient and experienced in Microsoft Office.

Digital Literacy: All JAC employees are expected to demonstrate the digital literacy needed to work effectively in a modern, technology‑enabled workplace. This includes

• ability to effectively use computers, cloud‑based file…