Development Specialist

ISHE; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement match

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

Remote-friendly environment

Home office stipend

Professional development fund

Mental health benefits

Yearly staff retreats

Job summary

Murmuration is seeking a Development Specialist to grow our contributed-revenue pipeline. You will own grant writing and reporting, craft compelling proposals, and deliver timely funder communications.

You’ll partner with the Growth and Communications teams to keep the pipeline organized and the donor narrative strong. Reporting to the VP of Growth, you will develop a multi-year fundraising plan and help map and steward our funder network using AI-assisted tools.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in development, fundraising, or investor relations; 4–5 preferred.
• Strong grant-writing and proposal-development skills with fund-raising materials.

Responsibilities

• Research, draft, and edit grant proposals and donor materials; track submissions.
• Create timely grant reports and donor communications; package impact stories and data.

Skills

Grant writing

Proposal development

Donor communications

Strong writing

Organization

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Who We Are

At Murmuration, we believe that America’s promise is shaped and reshaped by the best ideas and ideals of its communities and the dreams of the people who believe in a better life for themselves, their families, and each other.

We help organizations build power in their communities in four key ways: we organize a network of values-aligned partners; we provide deep, data-driven insights into people, places, and perspectives; we develop tools that make organizing and engagement easy and more effective; and we offer services that strengthen our partners’ capacity to build power and lead change in their communities.

We envision an America where every community has what it needs to help people lead healthy, free, and dignified lives. We work to redesign the systems and structures we all depend on — how we learn, live, govern, and solve problems — so that they are just, equitable, resilient, and rooted in shared responsibility. By strengthening the ties that hold communities together, we aim for civic life defined by collective action and care, with effective leadership that truly represents everyone.

We are a collaborative, curious, and creative team of organizers, scientists, teachers, technologists, campaign veterans, and more who share the unwavering belief that we can use our gifts in service of transforming America — together. We’ve built our team guided by the belief that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And so we support each other relentlessly — rallying together to face challenges the same way we celebrate each other’s wins.

About the Position

The Development Specialist will support and help grow Murmuration's contributed-revenue pipeline with primary ownership of grant writing and grant reporting. Reporting to the VP of Growth, the person in this role will be self-sufficient, proactive, motivated, and detail-oriented, with strong writing skills and a genuine interest in fundraising and impact storytelling. As a member of the Growth Team, the Development Specialist will draft compelling proposals, deliver accurate and timely reports to current funders, and help keep the development pipeline organized and moving as Murmuration diversifies its funding base. This role partners closely with the Communications and Marketing Team on donor-facing materials, while owning the substance of fundraising writing and reporting.

Job Level: P3

What You’ll Do

• Research, draft, and edit compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, one-pagers, and other fundraising materials, and track and document all submissions;
• Develop accurate, on-time grant reports and other donor communications for current funders, and regularly collect and package relevant impact stories and data;
• Support the development pipeline by researching prospects and funders, preparing briefing materials for meetings, and coordinating follow-ups to steward relationships;
• Partner with the VP of Growth to develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive annual and multi-year fundraising plan that drives revenue growth and long-term financial sustainability;
• Help improve the team's development processes, pipeline tracking, metrics, and reporting, including keeping Funding Partner records current in Salesforce;
• Collaborate with the Communications and Marketing team on brand-aligned, donor-facing materials such as one-pagers and pitch decks; and
• Assist with planning and executing special events and projects, as needed.

Location and Compensation

The Development Specialist is a full-time, salaried position with a comprehensive benefits package (detail below), open to candidates anywhere in the United States.

The starting salary for this position is $111,275. We set compensation using market data and apply it consistently across the organization to ensure fairness and transparency for everyone in similar roles.

Our Culture of Care

We work hard to create a culture of care to ensure that our staff are best equipped to lead happy, healthy, and balanced lives. To that end, we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes:

• Health, vision, and dental insurance with 100% of premiums covered for you and qualifying family members;
• Retirement benefits with a 5% employer match;
• A flexible unlimited PTO plan;
• Generous paid parental leave;
• Pre-tax commuter benefits;
• A company laptop;
• A flexible remote work environment;
• A home office setup stipend for all new employees;
• Monthly reimbursement for remote work expenses;
• A yearly professional development fund;
• Mental health and wellness benefits through Calm and Better Help;
• Yearly in-person staff retreats; and
• A welcoming culture that celebrates diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
  

An Equal-Opportunity Employer with a Commitment to Diversity

Murmuration is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and as an organization committed to diversity and the perspective of all voices, we consider applicants equally of race, gender, color, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, political affiliation and national origin. We reasonably accommodate staff members and/or applicants with disabilities, provided they are otherwise able to perform the essential functions of the job.

Note: Murmuration is two organizations working together to pursue our mission of amplifying the power of civic engagement: Murmuration Research Institute, a 501(c)(3) that conducts research to identify, design, and create the data, tools, and insights that build healthier and more equitable communities; and Murmuration, Inc., a 501(c)(4) that supports organizations working across the country on the nation’s most challenging issues with access to data, tools, and research that build healthier and more equitable communities.

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in development, fundraising, or investor relations, with 4-5 years preferred;
• Strong skills in grant writing and proposal development with experience producing winning fundraising materials;
• Experience developing and delivering grant reports and donor communications;
• A forward-leaning, enthusiastic approach to agentic AI and LLM-powered tools, including readiness to adopt AI-assisted proposal and RFP platforms and to use these tools to help map and organize our funder and partner network;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey complex ideas in a compelling, digestible way;
• Experience proofreading and copyediting;
• High degree of organization, a knack for being detail-oriented, and an ability to manage multiple priorities effectively;
• Self-motivation and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively; and
• An interest in civic engagement, democratic participation, community organizing, etc.
  

Nice to Haves

• A background in journalism, creative writing, PR, copywriting, and/or storytelling;
• An eye for design and an understanding of how to bring copy to life visually;
• Experience with Salesforce or a comparable CRM; and/or
• Experience in event planning, public programming, and/or brand activation initiatives.