Director of Development and Communications

Director of Development and Communications

Opened Aug 27, 2026 Closing Sep 8, 2026 Organization Indian Law Resource Center Locations Helena, MT-Remote Considered Contact Information

The Indian Law Resource Center:
The Center is an Indigenous-led organization that provides legal and advocacy assistance to Indigenous peoples of the Americas to protect their lands, to create and uphold laws grounded in Indigenous legal principles and values, including self determination, and to advance the human rights of Indigenous peoples and individuals. Founded in 1978, the Center has an established reputation based on its leadership in gaining the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Our Mission:
We seek to advance the rule of law, to establish national and international legal standards that protect Indigenous peoples’ rights, and we challenge the governments of the world to accord justice and equality before the law to all Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Job Description:

The Center seeks a full-time Director of Development and Communications to help us advance Indigenous rights across North, Central, and South America by securing financial support for our work and sharing our impact with funders, policymakers, the public, and new partners. Our Director of Development and Communications will work closely with our Executive Director, supervise our Grants and Communications Officer, and collaborate with all of our staff to create compelling narratives about the Center’s groundbreaking work and to manage the Center’s fundraising efforts.

In 2022, the Center received an eight-year, $20 million grant from the Kellogg Foundation to support the Indigenous Lands Initiative (ILI) Project, which expands and strengthens Indigenous collective land ownership in Mexico and Central and South America. Further information about the Center is available on our website ianlaw.org. POSITION OVERVIEW The Director of Development and Communications will manage fundraising and communications operations and activities.

The Director will leverage the Center’s recent fundraising success to secure additional financial support for all the Center’s work and projects. The Director will manage our public writing and public presentation, including our website, social media, media outreach, and visual identity. The position will report directly to the Executive Director and will ideally be based at our headquarters in Helena, Montana.

Remote work will be considered. The position will require an action-oriented strategist, motivated self-starter, effective supervisor and engaging collaborator who will lead the Center through the implementation of a robust fundraising strategy, as well as grow and integrate our communications work into our program and fundraising practices. The ideal candidate will be able to frame complex content for diverse audiences and will have experience working with Indigenous communities and nonprofit organizations.

This position requires an exceptional writer and a creative thinker able to work effectively with the Center’s leadership, board members, staff, and partners.

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, and SKILLS

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s preferred. An academic focus in journalism, communications, marketing, or related fields preferred. Native Studies and liberal arts degrees welcome.
• Track record of success and advancement, including a minimum of five years of experience in a full-time fundraising, communications, or marketing position.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex topics to diverse audiences.
• Experience with Indian or Indigenous communities or organizations is strongly desired.
• Knowledge about some of our substantive areas of work, including federal Indian law, Indigenous rights, Indigenous women’s rights, human rights, environmental protection, environmental justice, climate justice, and social justice, highly valued.
• Demonstrated project management and organizational skills.

• Evolve, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive annual fundraising plan to meet…