Philanthropy Director

About Us
Heavy industry is the foundation of modern society. We need materials like cement, steel, and aluminum more than ever to rebuild our bridges and roads, construct wind and solar projects, and manufacture electric vehicles and heat pumps that will undergird our future. But industry needs a second revolution. For as much as industry made the middle class and ushered in a remarkable era of prosperity for many, it also threatens our climate, reinforces environmental racism, wastes valuable materials and energy, and leaves communities and workers behind. 

At Industrious Labs, our mission is to set into motion unstoppable policies, people power, and analysis to make a triple impact on climate, justice, and jobs, drastically reduce dangerous emissions, and make industry accountable to communities and workers.

About the Position

Industrious Labs exists to transform industry for climate, jobs and justice. Over our first five years in operation, we have grown from ~$1M to ~$10M in annual revenue, across a 501(c)(3) organization and aligned LLC, with 23 U.S.-based staff and a growing but nascent international portfolio. We seek a confident, experienced fundraising executive – you! – to create and implement an ambitious plan for our next stage of growth.

On our small team, there will be competing demands for your time and attention, and we have existing funders – both institutional and individual – whose relationships require active stewardship and cultivation. As a senior executive, you’ll need to determine how best to allocate your scarce time and organizational resources between maintaining existing relationships, cultivating and pitching new funders, research, strategy, asset generation, and more. You’ll join a team of entrepreneurial colleagues firmly committed to the “spirit of possibilities” – the idea that we can stretch ourselves to achieve incredible results. 

As a seasoned, confident philanthropy director, you will chart a course through the chaos of these collective possibilities, and navigate the organization toward growth and impact. Industrious Labs is fully remote. You’ll report to partner and CFO Nachy Kanfer. You’ll be supported by an executive coordinator (who supports a small number of senior leaders at the organization with administrative functions), a talented finance and operations team, and a cadre of passionate project leads with their own fundraising chops.

What You’ll Do

In 2026, Industrious Labs will create a new strategic plan to guide the organization’s trajectory over the next 3-5 years. When you join, you’ll jump right into the planning process midstream – listening carefully, learning quickly, but not hesitating to contribute your expertise and shape the final product.

You’ll also write your own workplan and make critical decisions about your own priorities. Our goal is to find someone who will shape the role for themselves. But we know we need to keep our existing funders excited; find and cultivate new funders, especially at the transformational level; develop, grow, and manage our pipeline; raise regranting dollars for our partners and allies; make needed investments in our own infrastructure and systems; and much more. You won’t have to do every task yourself – that’s why we have a team – but you’ll need to be in charge.

Who You Are

You’re a strategic relationship builder and storyteller with proven ability to raise funds from individual donors, family offices, and foundations, including multi-year commitments in the $5-20M range. You’re energized by our mission of climate, jobs and justice; you’re also passionate about helping successful early-stage organizations scale for impact. Ideally, you’ve already done that once or twice before. You’re well-connected in the world of philanthropy, across both climate and non-climate spaces, and can draw upon that network for the benefit of the organization. And you don’t hoard your relationships and access – you are an internal champion for CRM utilization, and you enable your colleagues to grow in their own fundraising leadership and prowess.

Core Qualifications

• At least 15 years of increasing responsibility in fundraising, with a proven track record in cultivating 7- and 8-figure philanthropic relationships on behalf of growing organizations.
• Deep familiarity with U.S.-based philanthropic networks, institutions, events, publications, and resources, especially those relating to climate, jobs and justice.
• Emotional intelligence and ability to lead across lines of difference – this could be demonstrated by experience leading multicultural teams, building alignment across divergent viewpoints, etc.
• Strong project management skills and ability to juggle multiple conflicting priorities.
• Experience with strategic planning at the organizational level and ability to contribute to strategic planning from the philanthropic / fundraising perspective.
• Ability and confidence to “manage up” and “manage across” in the organization by setting clear, ambitious goals and articulating what is necessary to achieve them.
• Strong vision for systems, processes, and documentation, including constituent relationship management (CRM) software.

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with international (non-U.S. based) philanthropic networks and ability to raise funds for international work.
• Access to UHNW (ultra-high net worth) individual relationships that represent new revenue opportunities for Industrious Labs.
• High levels of charisma and narrative skill – you love presenting at conferences and pitching our work to new audiences.
• Comfort in a matrixed work environment and skill with cross-functional collaboration.
• Scrappiness and resourcefulness, with a bias toward action and a “figure it out” mindset.
• Entrepreneurial spark – you’ve built things before, and you thrive in fast-moving, dynamic environments where you don’t have all the answers.
• You’ve got opinions, not an ego – you’re someone who can lead big, inspiring projects and still laugh at your own mistakes.

 

Industrious Labs Core Qualifications

These are shared across all roles at Industrious Labs:

• Deep alignment with our mission, values, and goals.
• Highly collaborative work style and service as a peer and thought partner.
• Commitment to learning, curiosity, and personal growth.
• Strong communication skills — able to break down complex issues into clear strategies and decisions.
• Excited by the unknown and eager to build.
• Proven leadership and commitment to equity, transparency, and team culture.
• Demonstrated experience working across lines of race, class, gender, and geography.
• Skill within a dynamic, fast-paced environment and moving between solo efforts and teamwork.
• Openness to giving and receiving compassionate, direct feedback.

Salary and Benefits

The salary for this position is $176,000. Industrious Labs has a policy not to negotiate on salaries. Rather than rely on negotiation, we offer transparent pay aligned with experience, responsibilities, and organizational values.

We offer competitive benefits, including 100% employer-paid health coverage (medical, dental and vision), a work-from-home stipend, up to 5% 401k employer match, 11 paid holidays, and unlimited vacation (with a minimum of 15 business days).

Our Commitment to Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Climate Justice

We believe diversity isn’t just a value — it’s essential to solving the climate crisis. If you’re excited by this job, even if your experience doesn’t match every bullet point, we hope you apply. We welcome candidates from a range of backgrounds and with skills that may be transferable. Industrious Labs is an equal-opportunity employer committed to equity in hiring, advancement, and workplace culture. If you need accommodations during the application process, contact Heather Beckford at heather@industriouslabs.org.  

How to Apply 

Please submit a resume and cover letter that answers the following:

1. What attracted you to this position?
2. What leadership roles have you held  in fundraising and/or philanthropy? Briefly describe the experience and your role in scaling organizational growth.

We will also ask you to please summarize your answers to these questions in the job application itself, in addition to addressing your points in the cover letter.

We'd really like to hear your original thoughts and ideas about the role to which you're applying and how your experience may contribute to being successful at Industrious Labs. We value this opportunity to gain an understanding of your independent perspective without the overlay of artificial input.

This position is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and a first review date of February 17, 2026. While this is an open rolling process, candidates who submit prior to this date are most likely to be in the first round of interviews for selection. The process typically includes a phone screen, panel interviews, and a thought exercise. We hope to fill this position by March or April 2026. Incumbents in this role  must be eligible to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.