Senior Director of Development

Senior Director of Development – College Possible

This Work Is Our Mission

At College Possible, we believe talent is universal. For many students, the path to college can feel overwhelming or out of reach. That's where you come in. We support students on their journey to higher education by providing personalized coaching, resources, and guidance. When you join College Possible, you become part of a team dedicated to making college access and success a reality.

Together, we help students navigate the admissions process, overcome challenges, and earn their degrees.

87% of College Possible students are admitted to college and are enrolled at 866 colleges and universities across the United States. Nationwide, we've served 99,000+ students since 2000.

When you work at College Possible, you're not just taking a job—you're advancing a mission to help more students reach and succeed in college. You'll play a direct role in helping students achieve their educational goals and build brighter futures.

• Professional Growth – Access training, mentorship, and career development opportunities as you support student success.
• Mission-Driven Impact – Make a direct difference in students' lives by helping them access and complete college.
• Collaborative Community – Join a team that values teamwork, innovation, and excellence in service of students.
• Work-Life Balance – Enjoy flexible work options, unlimited PTO, and resources to support your well-being.

The Senior Director of Development is responsible for managing, coordinating and achieving annual revenue goals to support organizational priorities. This position works closely with the Executive Director to translate site strategies into an actionable plan for all fundraising activities including corporations, foundations, individuals, government and earned revenue. The role leads on the implementation of the site's fundraising plan including donor and funder cultivation, portfolio management, data analysis, board relations, and the marketing and communications plan.

• Lead and manage the External Relations Team: supervise four development and communication staff members. Build positive relationships, manage expectations, mentor staff, communicate strategies and priorities, and develop skills for high performance.
• Prospecting, Relationship Building and Stewardship:
  Build on existing relationships with institutional funders and individual donors. Improve donor retention through stewardship strategies and prospect new revenue sources, leveraging board and investment committee connections, covering regions aligned with statewide programs.
• Portfolio Management:
  Maintain a portfolio of key institutional and individual supporters, responsible for communication, stewardship, and renewed funding from this group.
• Planning and Analysis:
  Work closely with the Executive Director and the local advisory board to move organizational priorities forward through annual fundraising plans. Oversee creation of site performance metrics to track and analyze progress toward revenue and communication goals.
• Local, State & Federal Government Relations & Advocacy:
  Create a multi-year plan with the Executive Director and board to cultivate and build on existing government relationships, focusing on funding opportunities at local and state levels; advocate for College Possible and key legislative initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education/Certifications/Licenses

• Bachelor’s degree required;
  Master’s degree and/or CFRE helpful.

Related Work Experience

• Eight or more years of leadership/oversight of development in a similar organization or industry.
• Strong management and supervisory experience.
• Experience demonstrating increasing levels of responsibility.
• Experience in education or related field preferred.

Computer/Software Skills

• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM preferred.
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency in MS Office products.

Other Skills, Abilities and Requirements

• Proven ability to prospect, secure, and steward high-level donor/funder relationships…