Back to jobs
New

Senior Vice President, Development

United States

What We Do

At Leading Educators (LE), we know that excellent teaching is the most important driver of student success. The moment a student steps foot in the classroom, their opportunity to learn depends on how prepared their teacher is to translate complex content knowledge, standards, and their knowledge of that student into lessons that help them learn deeply and apply their thinking to the real world.

That’s a big lift, and it often happens alone. As a national nonprofit, we partner with school systems to overcome persistent instructional challenges, foster intentional collaboration and adult learning by design, and ignite new possibilities through systemic solutions at the intersection of teaching, talent, and technology.

We work shoulder-to-shoulder with educators at every level of the education system to strengthen their instructional and leadership practices, bring a vision for excellent instruction to life with consistency, and ensure every student reaches their full potential.

Through direct support, strategic advising, innovation pilots, and best-in-class research, we help educators work toward a future where every student is ready to thrive. Learn more about our work at leadingeducators.org.

Internal Candidate Application Deadline: June 11, 2025.

External candidate Application Deadline: June 12, 2025.

Position

Are you a dynamic, mission-driven fundraising leader who thrives on building transformational partnerships and securing game-changing investments? Are you passionate about expanding access to quality education and the role philanthropy plays in shaping long-term change? If so, Leading Educators wants to hear from you.

As Senior Vice President, Development, you will spearhead the organization’s national and regional fundraising strategies, working to expand our revenue base, deepen funder engagement, and drive financial sustainability. Reporting to the Chief Growth Officer, you will lead a team of five development professionals, cultivating a high-performing and results-driven culture that advances Leading Educators’ mission. Your work will be instrumental in securing the philanthropic investments that allow us to drive innovation in education and transform student outcomes nationwide.

Do you have expertise in…

  • Leading high-impact fundraising strategies that secure multi-million-dollar investments?
  • Building and stewarding relationships with major donors, foundations, and philanthropic partners?
  • Designing place-based philanthropy initiatives that drive regional investment in systemic change?
  • Scaling development programs and mentoring high-performing fundraising teams?
  • Leveraging data-driven insights to optimize donor engagement and revenue growth?

Do you enjoy…

  • Developing and executing a bold, multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with a growing organization’s priorities?
  • Personally engaging with major funders and high-net-worth individuals to secure transformational gifts?
  • Partnering with cross-functional teams to align philanthropy with programmatic expansion?
  • Managing and mentoring a talented team while fostering a culture of excellence and innovation?
  • Working remotely while collaborating nationally, with opportunities to travel and build relationships in person?

If you've answered affirmatively to these questions and meet the following prerequisites, we urge you to seize this opportunity. This role calls for the following:

  • 15+ years of leadership experience in fundraising, donor engagement, and philanthropic partnerships, preferably in the education or nonprofit sector.
  • Proven ability to secure multi-million-dollar gifts and institutional funding, with a track record of scaling development programs.
  • Deep expertise in major gifts fundraising and relationship management, with a focus on engaging high-net-worth donors and institutional funders.
  • Strong financial acumen, including experience with revenue forecasting, donor pipeline management, and multi-year fundraising planning.
  • Exceptional storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling donor narratives and proposals.
  • Experience leading and mentoring high-performing development teams, fostering collaboration and accountability.
  • Proficiency with CRM tools (Salesforce) and fundraising analytics to track performance and drive decision-making.

Travel Requirements

This is a remote position that requires up to 40% travel

  • National travel for org retreats, programming, job related travel, donor meetings or professional development 
  • Outside of the above mentioned travel, this person will work from a home office that must be located anywhere within the U.S. 

Why Work at Leading Educators? 

Imagine being part of an organization where your ideas and perspectives are highly valued. At Leading Educators, we believe in fostering individual strengths, encouraging personal growth, and embracing innovative ideas. If you thrive in a remote working environment, with the added excitement of travel, we're the perfect fit for you. By joining us, you become part of a powerful community of peers nationwide. Regardless of your location, you possess the power to make a significant impact on both students and teachers who rely on us daily. Join Leading Educators and become an integral part of driving progress in education. 

Learn About Our Mission & Values:

Mission: Leading Educators partners with school systems to sustain the teaching, leadership, and conditions for every student to succeed in school and in life.

Values:

  • Build on strengths: We affirm and begin with the unique and collective talents, experiences, and wisdom of ourselves and others.
  • Continuously learn: We develop ourselves and others. We apply new learning and deepened self-awareness to our relationships and practices.
  • Prioritize people: We build trust and reflect on the impact of different perspectives and experiences.
  • Champion success for all: We re-imagine structures, habits, and mindsets to ensure every learner has access to evidence-based learning opportunities.

Benefits

  • Compensation: 
    • The compensation range for this position is between $136,103, with a midpoint of $176,933, and a maximum of $217,764 annually. 
    • Candidates, whether newly hired or transitioning into the role, can generally expect a salary based on internal alignment.
  • Benefits:
    • 100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees. Additional premium costs are covered 60% by Leading Educators for partners and dependents on medical, dental, and vision plans. 4% matching 401k plan, Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare and commuter expenses, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Benefits are valued at or above $9,000 for employees.
  • Time Off: 
    • First three years of employment, full time staff accrue 22 days a year. 
    • Five additional days are accrued after the third and sixth year of employment.
    • Leading Educators also offer 16 additional paid days off for various holidays, including three floating holidays staff may use at their discretion.

Equal Opportunity Employment 

Leading Educators is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

Apply: https://leadingeducators.org/careers/opportunities

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Leading Educators Careers’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.