Development Director

Partners in Justice International; Batu Pahat; On-site; MYR 300,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading non-profit organization in Malaysia is seeking an experienced Development Director to spearhead fundraising strategies and strengthen partnerships. This role is essential for sustaining and growing the organization’s programs, with an annual revenue target of approximately $530,000. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in fundraising, exceptional writing skills, and a commitment to social justice and equity. This position offers a consulting contract with a flexible hourly rate based on experience.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Diverse and inclusive work environment

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years in fundraising or business development.
• At least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated success securing six-figure gifts and grants.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a multi-year fundraising strategy.
• Lead proposal development and manage donor relationships.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to integrate fundraising into strategy.

Skills

Fundraising strategy development

Strong writing and communication skills

CRM and donor database experience

Collaborative leadership

Analytical skills

Education

Minimum B.A. or B.S. degree

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

Who We Are

Founded in 2020 by international crimes litigators with over 35 years of combined experience, Partners in Justice International (PJI) is a woman‑led and woman‑founded organisation that envisions a world in which victims and survivors of grave crimes have access to justice wherever they live.

To make this vision a reality, PJI strengthens local justice processes for victims and survivors of grave crimes such as crimes against humanity, war crimes, conflict‑related sexual violence, and genocide. We accomplish this by sharing the legal strategies and techniques used at the international level with local justice actors — serious crime prosecutors, victim representatives, and investigators — who are working in post‑conflict and post‑dictatorship jurisdictions. We provide our partners with the sustained technical and practical support they need to attain justice through strategic litigation in their domestic courts, while also building collaborative networks of on‑the‑ground practitioners capable of investigating, building, and litigating cases long after PJI is gone.

To ensure maximum impact, PJI prioritises work in jurisdictions that are under‑served by the international community, where there are few comparable organisations working, and where there is a pathway to justice for victims and survivors.

PJI’s work is grounded in our values. We only work where our support is specifically requested by the local justice actors and/or victims. We ground our technical support in respect for our colleagues, and we stay the course for the long term, accompanying our peers through all steps of the justice process. As we do so, the skills are shared, and ultimately PJI is no longer needed.

If this mission speaks to you, we invite you to consider applying to join our team!

What We Need

Building on strong momentum, PJI seeks a Development Director who will develop, lead, and implement a comprehensive fundraising and institutional partnership strategy to sustain and grow PJI’s programmes. This is both a strategic and hands‑on role, and requires an experienced development professional who can diversify and expand PJI’s funding from all available sources including foundations, individuals, aligned corporations, government agencies, and intergovernmental organisations.

In year one, the Development Director will work to sustain and surpass PJI’s average revenue of $530,000/year. This currently includes: the management and renewal of approximately $430,000 of existing contract and foundation funds, and the cultivation and renewal of approximately $100,000/year from individual donors.

This is a newly created position and we look forward to working with the new Development Director to assess current capacity, determine robust but reasonable goals, and refine expectations.

Working closely with PJI’s Co‑Executive Directors and the PJI Board Development Committee, the Development Director will initially be responsible for all fundraising activities; as the organization expands its revenue base, the role may have the opportunity to shape and grow a development team.

We are looking for someone who shares PJI’s values of kindness, equity, respect, and integrity; is deeply committed to helping victims and survivors access justice close to home; seeks to challenge power imbalances in philanthropy; and is creative, thoughtful, and principled. We seek a partner to join together with us, to be part of our vibrant, committed team.

Fundraising Strategy

• Develop and implement a multi‑year fundraising strategy aligned with PJI’s mission and priorities.
• Research funding sources and trends to position PJI within a shifting foreign aid and philanthropic landscape.
• Conduct donor and prospect research to identify donor capacity and inclination to give or continue giving. Develop individualized strategies for the top donors to deepen the relationship and giving level.
• Build and maintain a donor pipeline and fundraising calendar, with a focus on both unrestricted and program‑specific support.
• Expand and diversify PJI’s current donor base and explore additional revenue streams, including major gifts, foundations, and European institutional donors.

Proposal Development

• Lead the end‑to‑end proposal development process, including writing, editing, soliciting and integrating inputs from program and finance teams.
• Collaborate with finance to develop accurate, compliant, and compelling budgets.
• Ensure proposals meet donor requirements, deadlines, and compliance standards.
• Align all submissions with donor priorities and PJI’s mission.
• In collaboration with finance and Co‑Executive Directors, maintain grant‑tracking data and complete compelling and timely reports.

Strategic Partnerships

• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with philanthropic, individual, multilateral, governmental, intergovernmental and aligned corporate partners.
• Position PJI as a trusted partner through donor engagement, acknowledgments, convenings, and thought leadership.
• Support Co‑Executive Directors in representing PJI with funders, networks, and coalitions.

Campaigns, Events, and Communications

• Design and lead donor engagement strategies, including possible fundraising events.
• Manage and implement donor campaigns, including year‑end giving and targeted appeals.
• Oversee donor communications and marketing materials, including through social media.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Work with program staff to translate field experience into compelling fundraising narratives and cases for support.
• Partner with the Operations & Finance Director on donor data and CRM management.
• Provide regular fundraising updates, forecasts, and strategies to the Board of Directors, as requested by the Co‑Executive Directors.
• Contribute to organizational strategy discussions, ensuring fundraising is integrated into program planning, budgeting, and growth.
• Work with the Co‑Directors and staff to create multi‑year funding plans that dovetail with and support organizational growth plans.

Your Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum of 7 years in fundraising, business development, or strategic partnerships, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Minimum B.A. or B.S. degree (may substitute for an additional five years of experience).
• Demonstrated success securing six‑figure gifts and grants.
• Strong understanding of the philanthropic landscape in the U.S., as well as major international donor institutions (e.g., European Union, UK government, United Nations, and others).
• Strong understanding of and involvement in cutting‑edge developments in philanthropy which seek to foster systemic change, including but not limited to feminist funders, trust‑based philanthropy, and philanthropy seeking to shift power dynamics.
• Exceptional writing and communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling proposals, reports, and donor materials.
• Proven ability to work effectively with senior leadership, program staff, and boards in a cross‑cultural, international context.
• Commitment to human rights, rule of law, and social justice, with a collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
• Experience with CRM systems and donor databases; strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Excellent computer skills in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Ability to work independently and with strong multi‑tasking, goal‑setting, workload prioritization, and attention to accuracy and detail.
• Positive and creative attitude, and comfort with embracing challenges, persisting in the face of setbacks, learning from constructive feedback, and being inspired by the success of others.
• Ability to attend meetings between 11:00 and 17:00 UK time (GMT/BST). Flexibility to attend planned meetings outside of these hours when convenient for the majority of the team.

Contract Terms

This is a consulting contract for a duration of approximately 12 months, with the possibility of extension or conversion to salary.

Hourly rate with anticipated annual total of EUR 62,752 ‑ 108,544 or USD 72,900 ‑ 127,200, based on level of experience, location, and hours worked.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Partners in Justice International, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and multicultural work environment, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.