About JFF

Jobs for the Future (JFF) works to transform the U.S. education and workforce systems so that everyone can achieve equitable economic progress. We believe millions of people are unfairly shut out of high-quality jobs and the chance to build a better life. Our mission is to bring together leaders and innovators across education, workforce, and employment around a shared North Star: By 10 years from now, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will be working in quality jobs.

To achieve this, we develop solutions, scale proven practices, and shape policy and action—while investing in innovation. With a team of more than 300 people working remotely and from offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we work at national, state, and local levels. We partner closely with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to remove barriers and expand what’s possible.

We’re growing and increasing our impact. JFF has a $105 million operating budget and is supported by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.

DEIBW at JFF

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are central to JFF’s North Star and mission. We hire and develop diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experience, and we are committed to ensuring these differences are respected and included. We aim to create a culture that supports employees’ overall care, well-being, and success through flexible schedules, manageable workloads, professional growth, and fair opportunities for career advancement. Learn more about how DEIBW is put into practice at JFF.

We aim to invest in—and learn from—people who reflect the communities we serve, especially individuals who have been excluded from the workforce, whether directly or indirectly. Because this is critical to our work and to our staff’s engagement, we work to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. JFF is a fair-chance employer. In line with our North Star, we strongly encourage applications from people whose highest completed education is less than a four-year degree, people of color, and people with records.

About the Position

In the past three to four years, JFF has seen exceptional growth in revenue, programming, and efforts to secure funding. As a result, the Development team is expanding in both size and scope. This supports that growth and also addresses the need for more flexible resources to strengthen organizational capacity and accelerate innovation. JFF is currently updating its fundraising strategy and processes to build a stronger, more diverse donor base. The team has launched an enterprise-wide approach to fundraising and will foster a culture of philanthropy across the organization, guided by best practices. An important part of this work is creating several new roles, including the newly created position of Director, Prospect Management.

We are seeking to hire a Director, Prospect Management to join our central Development team and report to the Senior Director of Development Strategy & Operations. This role is an opportunity to build a brand-new strategic prospect management program that supports JFF’s fundraising goals and mission. The position will increase funding capacity by overseeing and supporting staff who identify and research prospects for major gifts from corporations, foundations, and individuals; analyzing opportunities for revenue growth; using data visualization to track and report progress; and building the CRM infrastructure, including pipeline development. The Director will collaborate with other Development team colleagues and partners to help JFF business units develop strategies using a OneJFF approach to maximize support for prospects and funders.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, consultative partner with strong fundraising expertise. They should think in systems and have a service-oriented mindset, along with excellent communication skills. This is an exciting role for someone who enjoys building new processes from the ground up—this will be JFF’s first prospect management program at this scale. JFF’s current annual revenue from corporate and foundation funders exceeds $60 million, and this role will focus on continuing to expand that work by analyzing the national corporate and foundation landscape. Our Individual Giving program is new and currently brings in under $100,000 annually; this role will be essential in building an initial pipeline from scratch in partnership with the Senior Director, Individual Giving, with attention to both HNWI prospects and opportunities to grow annual giving. This role will lead and execute JFF’s fundraising vision and also shape how this new work evolves and succeeds.

What You’ll Do

• Build and implement a strategic Prospect & Pipeline development program at JFF

• Lead JFF’s prospect development program, including establishing a new prospect management process

• Drive prospect management through donor research, proactive prospecting, pipeline tracking and reporting, and by creating and managing briefing materials for funder meetings

• Partner with other Development team colleagues and identify additional fundraising leads to assign and manage portfolios using best practices

• Create portfolio management guidelines and perform ongoing analysis to ensure prospects are qualified, cultivated, solicited, and stewarded according to Development team priorities

• Research current and prospective corporate and foundation donors as well as individuals to support the JFF North Star Campaign and other initiatives, and explore alternative funding opportunities

• Oversee, support, and operationalize prospect management work across JFF

• Supervise the Senior Prospect Manager to maximize the impact of prospect research for JFF

• Identify opportunities to stay up to date on shifts in the philanthropic landscape to inform Development strategy and support business unit growth and professional development in fundraising and prospect management

• Develop a strategy to engage high-net-worth individuals to support enterprise capacity funds

• Lead capacity-building efforts for each business unit’s strategy by applying your prospect management expertise and JFF Development best practices

• Develop approaches for reporting and analyzing data to support continuous improvement in JFF’s prospect management

• Design and manage how prospect research tools are used, including—but not limited to—Salesforce, iWave, and/or LexisNexis, and produce reports that enable data-driven prospect management

• Develop and maintain reporting and analytical tools to track fundraising performance indicators

• Provide both quantitative and qualitative analysis of pipeline activity and movement to guide strategic planning and inform fundraising goals and metrics

• Create regular and as-needed reports based on Development team needs and other stakeholder requests to support data-driven decisions

• Conduct reporting and analytics to support engagement with a broader and more diverse donor and prospect pool

Who You Are

The qualifications in this job description are intended as guidance, and we do not expect candidates to have every experience and skill listed. Research shows that people from marginalized groups in professional settings may be more likely to self-select out of opportunities. If you believe you can meet the overall expectations of this role, we encourage you to apply so we can learn more about you and the strengths you would bring.

• You have experience in prospect research and pipeline management (at JFF, Director II hires typically bring 12+ years of professional experience across a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance work).

• You have a record of success leading prospect management functions, including writing, editing, and collaborating with staff on prospect research activities.

• Ideally, you have extensive experience conducting prospect research for corporate and foundation funders.

• You have experience designing and leading capacity-building efforts so staff can strengthen their prospect research skills, and you’ve helped develop and steward fundraising best practices with a team to support ongoing growth.

• You have experience designing and leading capacity-building efforts to establish a prospect research process within an organization, and you’ve helped embed and steward prospect research best practices to support continued team growth.

• You have strong experience writing, editing, and collaborating with staff on donor-related work, including—but not limited to—donor research, pipeline reporting, briefing development, and support for meetings with funders.

• You’re motivated by ambitious goals and comfortable being accountable for them.

• You have experience using CRMs, prospect research tools, and news/article research tools, and you understand the value of maximizing these tools to improve efficiency—preferably Salesforce, iWave, and/or LexisNexis.

• You have advanced analytical skills and can use statistics and data visualization to communicate insights and explain trends to different audiences.

• You have experience working across teams in a matrixed organization, value a service-oriented approach and clear communication highly, and build strong relationships with internal leaders and external stakeholders through trust and mutual understanding.

• You use professional development and learning opportunities to stay current in your field, deepen your expertise, and support your team’s learning.

• You have experience developing ambitious prospect management strategies and goals, ensuring alignment across multiple complex programs and initiatives, and you can communicate them effectively to external audiences.

• You bring high energy and a genuine commitment to JFF’s mission and North Star, and you can apply JFF’s core values in all aspects of your work.

• You are energized by supporting JFF’s DEIBW values and practices in your daily work, including embracing differences and celebrating each person’s diversity at JFF.

• You value building positive, collaborative relationships with others, including people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own.

• You are able and willing to travel up to 15%, including traveling to the Boston office up to three times per year for Development team and organizational retreats as needed, and traveling for funder meetings or other required events.

What We Offer

At JFF, we are driven by the belief that everyone should have equal opportunity to advance economically. We work hard to expand what’s possible, and in return we offer a rewarding work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program. We emphasize flexibility and choice as core values to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC. Employees may work on-site, in a hybrid model, or fully remotely. To support employee experience and productivity while working remotely, JFF provides an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. New employees also receive office equipment as needed.

The salary range for this role is $120,000–$140,000 per year, aligned with JFF’s Director II salary band and compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be based on relevant experience and market needs.

To Apply

As part of your application, please submit your resume and a thoughtful cover letter addressed to Paige Sciotto, Senior Director, Development Strategy and Operations. In your letter, explain how your skills and experience match the requirements for this position.

We will accept applications through Friday, January 12, 2024. Applications received by that date will be reviewed, and candidates will receive updates on their status during the week of January 16, 2024.

At JFF, we are also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including individuals with disabilities, can fully access and participate in our application and hiring process.

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific accessibility or accommodation needs to participate fully in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org. Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer visa sponsorship and are not open to F-1 student visa holders.