Associate Director / Director of Development

Constructive Dialogue Institute, Inc.; New York (NY); Remote; USD 132,000 - 147,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

401(k) Match

Health, Vision & Dental

Job summary

The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is hiring a resourceful Director of Development Operations to own our fundraising systems, relationships, and grant process, and support our Executive Director. Remote role based in the United States with full-time schedule.

You’ll lead grant proposals, reporting, and donor materials while partnering with Finance, Marketing, and program teams to ensure quality and impact.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in development or fundraising, including six- and seven-figure grants.
• Experience building fundraising operations and grant writing.
• Strong writing and communication to tailor messages for funders.
• Highly organized with attention to detail and deadlines.
• Experience managing or leading teams (Director level).

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and submission of grant proposals, reports, and donor materials.
• Translate CDI’s work into clear narratives for funders.
• Collaborate with Finance, Marketing & Communications, and program teams to gather content.
• Maintain high quality grant materials and efficient processes.
• Maintain a grants calendar and deadlines.
• Own the systems and infrastructure behind CDI’s fundraising work (HubSpot and funder records).
• Maintain core assets and collaborate with Marketing to develop materials.
• Process contributions and track grant requirements with Finance.
• Keep fundraising pipeline current and translate to revenue projections.
• Improve workflows and systems behind fundraising.
• Support the Executive Director’s funder relationships.
• Contribute to fundraising strategy and priorities.
• Conduct prospect landscape research for funding opportunities.
• Directly manage and steward funder relationships (depending on experience).
• Collaborate with Partnerships to grow development as a revenue engine.

Skills

Excellent writer

Excellent communicator

Organized

Deadline-driven

Strategic thinking

Job description

CDI is hiring a resourceful, detail-oriented Director of Development Operations to own our fundraising systems, relationships, and grant process, and support our Executive Director.

Description

Who We Are

The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a non-partisan, non-profit dedicated to equipping the next generation of Americans with the skills to communicate and collaborate across lines of difference. We work with U.S. colleges and universities by providing co-curricular programming for students, professional development for faculty and staff, and strategic guidance to leadership. Our goal is to foster constructive dialogue at every level of the institution and to create the conditions for lasting organizational change. CDI was co-founded by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the bestselling author of The Righteous Mind and The Anxious Generation.

The Role

CDI is looking for an Associate Director or Director of Development to run our fundraising operations. You’ll report directly to our Co-Founder and Executive Director, who will continue to serve as CDI’s primary fundraiser. Your role will be to enable her fundraising in two key ways: (1) by running an exceptionally organized fundraising operation behind the scenes, and (2) by being responsible for grant writing and reporting responsibilities. This role combines meaningful ownership—you’ll operate with significant autonomy—with the chance to work with an experienced fundraiser and deepen your own expertise.

We’re looking for a development generalist with two super strengths: (1) operational excellence and (2) exceptional writing and communication skills. You bring rigor and organization to everything you touch, and you can make complex ideas clear and compelling without flattening their nuance. You notice details, anticipate what’s coming, and are always looking for a smarter way to run the work.

We’re open to candidates with different levels of fundraising experience. At the Director level, you’d take on more relationship management and strategy from the start; at the Associate Director level, you’d have room to grow into those responsibilities over time. What matters most to us is that you take real pride in the quality of your work and believe deeply in CDI’s mission.

What You'll Do

Lead development and submission of compelling grant proposals, reports, and donor materials.

Translate CDI’s work and impact into clear, compelling narratives that resonate with funders while staying true to CDI’s voice and strategy.

Collaborate closely with Finance, Marketing & Communications, and program teams across CDI to gather the content needed for grant proposals and reports.

Maintain an exceptionally high bar for both the quality of all grant materials and the efficiency of the processes behind them.

Maintain a comprehensive grants calendar; proactively manage all deadlines for grants and other funder commitments.

Development Operations

Own the systems and infrastructure behind CDI’s fundraising work, from HubSpot and funder records to internal workflows and documentation.

Maintain and refine core assets, including reusable grant content, case studies, pitch decks, templates, and annual reports in collaboration with the Marketing & Communications team.

Partner closely with Finance to process new contributions, track grant requirements, and maintain funder and grant documentation.

Keep CDI’s fundraising pipeline current and actionable; partner with Finance to translate that pipeline into revenue projections.

Build and continuously improve the workflows, tools, and systems that keep CDI’s fundraising function running smoothly.

Proactively manage the preparation and follow-through around the Executive Director’s funder relationships, enabling her to focus on relationship building.

Support the Executive Director in shaping fundraising strategy and priorities.

Conduct prospect and landscape research to identify new funding opportunities and inform fundraising strategy.

Depending on experience, directly manage and steward a portfolio of funder relationships.

Collaborate with Partnerships to find ways to turn development into a growth engine, including leveraging funders as a source of leads and enabling our partners to fundraise in order to cover the cost of CDI programs.

Who You Are

5+ years of experience in development or fundraising, including experience writing successful grants in the six- and seven-figure range.

Passionate about development operations, with experience building systems and processes that keep fundraising work running exceptionally smoothly, particularly in smaller or growing organizations.

An excellent writer and communicator who can make complex ideas clear and compelling for different audiences.

Exceptionally organized and self-directed; you keep work moving, stay ahead of deadlines, and require minimal oversight.

Exceptionally detail-oriented, with a very high bar for quality and accuracy.

Strong judgment; you notice nuance, anticipate issues before they happen, and can assess what requires attention or escalation.

Passionate about constructive dialogue and aligned with CDI’s values.

For the Director role, we’ll also look for:

7+ years of progressively responsible experience in development or fundraising, including 2+ years in management or leadership roles.

Experience owning funder relationships through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

Experience building and executing fundraising strategies to achieve philanthropic revenue goals of $1 million or more.

What We Offer

A Mission-Driven Culture — our work culture genuinely reflects our mission, characterized by intellectual humility, continuous improvement, and open-mindedness

Unlimited PTO — recharge on your own schedule with unlimited paid time off, in addition to 13 company holidays

Health, Vision & Dental — health, vision, and dental plans through, with CDI contributing toward your premiums each month

401(k) Match — invest in your future with a 100% match on your contributions, up to 3% of your pay

Professional Development — a generous annual budget to invest in your growth: build new skills, deepen existing ones, and stay inspired in your work

Remote Work Support — up to $500 reimbursed for home office equipment and up to $50/month reimbursed for home internet or cell phone expenses

The Details

Compensation: Associate Director: $101,000–$113,000; Director: $132,000–$147,000

Reports to: Executive Director

Direct reports: None

Schedule: Full-time, flexible within U.S. time zones

Location: Remote, must be based in the U.S.

A note on AI: We know AI has become a useful writing assistant, and we’re comfortable with candidates using it that way. But when AI does too much of the writing, applications start to sound remarkably similar, making it hard for us to understand what you uniquely bring to the table. Please keep this in mind as you prepare your application.