Director of Development and Communications

Indian Law Resource Center; Helena (MT); Hybrid; USD 99,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Federal holidays

Job summary

Indian Law Resource Center seeks a full-time Director of Development and Communications to advance Indigenous rights across the Americas by securing financial support and sharing impact with funders, policymakers, the public, and partners. The role reports to the Executive Director and supervises the Grants and Communications Officer, collaborating with staff to craft compelling narratives.

The position oversees fundraising and communications operations, leveraging recent success to attract more

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred.
• Minimum of five years in fundraising, communications, or marketing.
• Ability to communicate complex topics to diverse audiences.
• Experience with Indigenous communities or organizations is desired.
• Knowledge of federal Indian law, Indigenous rights, and related areas valued.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive annual fundraising plan.
• Research funding opportunities with foundations, Indian nations, corporations, and major donors.
• Supervise the Grants and Communications Officer on grant lifecycle and reporting.
• Cultivate relationships with individual and institutional donors.
• Create multichannel fundraising campaigns including digital and social media.
• Plan and manage at least two in-person fundraising events per year.
• Oversee CRM database management.
• Collaborate with Finance to produce revenue and expense projections.
• Provide data-driven fundraising insights to the Executive Director.
• Develop and implement the Center's communications plan across website, media, and materials.
• Coordinate with external consultants and partners on communications and campaigns.

Skills

Fundraising experience

Communication to diverse audiences

Project management

Indigenous community collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Job description

The Center seeks a full-time Director of Development and Communications to help us advance Indigenous rights across North, Central, and South America by securing financial support for our work and sharing our impact with funders, policymakers, the public, and new partners. Our Director of Development and Communications will work closely with our Executive Director, supervise our Grants and Communications Officer, and collaborate with all of our staff to create compelling narratives about the Center's groundbreaking work and to manage the Center's fundraising efforts.

The Director of Development and Communications will manage fundraising and communications operations and activities. The Director will leverage the Center's recent fundraising success to secure additional financial support for all the Center's work and projects. The Director will manage our public writing and public presentation, including our website, social media, media outreach, and visual identity. The position will report directly to the Executive Director and will ideally be based at our headquarters in Helena, Montana. Remote work will be considered.

The position will require an action-oriented strategist, motivated self-starter, effective supervisor and engaging collaborator who will lead the Center through the implementation of a robust fundraising strategy, as well as grow and integrate our communications work into our program and fundraising practices. The ideal candidate will be able to frame complex content for diverse audiences and will have experience working with Indigenous communities and nonprofit organizations. This position requires an exceptional writer and a creative thinker able to work effectively with the Center's leadership, board members, staff, and partners.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

DEVELOPMENT

• Evolve, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive annual fundraising plan to meet the Center's financial needs and support our growth.
• Work with the Grants and Communications Officer to research funding opportunities, including with foundations, Indian nations, corporations, and major individual donors.
• Supervise the Grants and Communications Officer in their work on grant lifecycle management, from collaborating with project directors to write and submit letters of inquiry, proposals, and applications for grants, through tracking grant progress and completing reports.
• Identify, cultivate, and steward relationships with individual and institutional donors through regular meetings and strategic outreach.
• Create and execute multichannel fundraising campaigns, including through digital, email, and social media outreach.
• Plan and project-manage with Center staff to present at least two (2) in-person fundraising/outreach events per year.
• Oversee the Grants and Communications Officer in their management of the organization's CRM database.
• Supervise our Grants and Communications Officer and manage other staff on an assignment and project basis.
• Collaborate with the Finance team to prepare regular revenue and expense projections for staff and the Board of Directors.
• Provide data-driven development insights and strategic fundraising advice to the Executive Director.

COMMUNICATIONS

• Develop and implement the Center's communications plan, including strategies for the Center's website, digital communications, social media platforms, printed materials, and media relations, as well as internal communications systems.
• Oversee the writing, design, distribution, and budgeting of all publications and materials, including reports, brochures, position papers, and presentations. Create fundraising materials highlighting the Center's activities and impact.
• Ensure the Center's website and content is up to date, engaging and useful, and track impact and reach.
• Coordinate with external consultants, including internationally, on website, resource, and media production and press relations, managing contracts and vendor agreements as needed.
• Collaborate with partner organizations and their communications team to promote events, build awareness, and run joint campaigns.
• Manage press releases, coordinate media interviews, and cultivate relationships with journalists and media outlets.
• Support staff and Board in preparing for external speaking opportunities, including through creation of talking points and interview preparation.
• Together with the Grants and Communications Officer, facilitate the creation, scheduling, and day-to-day management of the Center's social media accounts.
• Leverage communication assets as strategic tools to increase foundation and donor support for our mission.

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, and SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree required, Master's preferred. An academic focus in journalism, communications, marketing, or related fields preferred. Native Studies and liberal arts degrees welcome.
• Track record of success and advancement, including a minimum of five years of experience in a full-time fundraising, communications, or marketing position.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex topics to diverse audiences.
• Experience with Indian or Indigenous communities or organizations is strongly desired.
• Knowledge about some of our substantive areas of work, including federal Indian law, Indigenous rights, Indigenous women's rights, human rights, environmental protection, environmental justice, climate justice, and social justice, highly valued.
• Demonstrated project management and organizational skills.

The salary range begins at $110,000 and depends on location, the applicant's experience and skills, and other factors. The Center provides generous benefits, including health insurance and retirement. All employees receive 280 hours of paid time off, as well as most federal holidays. The position is open immediately. Deadline to apply is September 7, 2026.