Director of Development and External Engagement

Sacbar; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

New American Leaders is seeking a Director of Development & External Engagement to drive fundraising strategy and external relationships. Remote, full-time role reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, overseeing development and communications across 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities.

The role emphasizes major donor fundraising, strategic partnerships, and leading a communications function to advance brand and donor goals. Strong leadership and immigrant-issues commitment are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years fundraising experience.
• Experience managing a team.
• Experience managing and tracking budgets.
• Ability to translate program impact into donor materials.
• Strong written and verbal communicator.
• Inclusive, collaborative leadership style.
• Commitment to inclusive democracy and immigrant communities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute external engagement strategy with CAO and CEO.
• Cultivate partnerships with foundations, coalitions, and influencers.
• Oversee communications to support fundraising and brand goals.
• Lead major donor fundraising and institutional giving.
• Supervise Communications Specialist and editorial calendar.
• Prepare for donor meetings, events, and media interactions.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Team leadership

Budget management

Storytelling/writing

Relationship building

Strategic partnerships

Tools

Moves-management software

Job description

Title: Director of Development and External Engagement

Reports To: Chief Advancement Officer

Position Location: Remote

Position Type: Full-time, exempt

Compensation: $95,000-$120,000

About NAL/AF:

New American Leaders (NAL) and New American Leaders Action Fund (NALAF) are working in tandem to build an inclusive democracy by preparing first and second-generation immigrants and refugees to run for office, win their campaigns, and lead in elected office. We are the only organizations preparing New Americans to enter the political process and govern with accountability and authenticity. As a result, more New Americans will run for office, engage their communities, turn out new voters, and ultimately serve as values-aligned leaders in office who can advance just and equitable policies.

About the Role:

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), the Director of Development & External Engagement is a senior partner in growing and stewarding the financial and reputational resources that fuel NAL/AF's mission. This person will help lead the advancement function across NAL/AF — driving institutional and major donor fundraising, cultivating strategic partnerships, elevating alumni elected officials as spokespeople, and overseeing a communications function that advances fundraising, partnership, and brand goals across our 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities.

As deputy to the CAO, this person will step in on advancement strategy and external-facing leadership as needed. The scope and structure of this position — including team size and supervisory responsibilities may evolve with NAL/AF's growth.

This role suits a senior development-and-communications generalist who thrives at the intersection of writing, fundraising, and external relationship-building, and who is energized by helping build a growing function rather than stepping into a fully fixed one.

What You Will Do

External Engagement & Strategic Partnerships (40%)

• In partnership with CAO, develop a strategy for external engagement and strategic partnerships.
• Cultivate partnerships with aligned organizations, coalitions, and influencers to advance shared goals and NAL/AF's reach.
• Identify opportunities for enhancing brand recognition.
• Identify and prepare credible spokespeople across the NAL/AF network — alumni elected officials, program participants, executive leaders — as visible validators of impact.
• Build relationships with media and other external audiences. Help ensure that we are positioning ourselves in the right spaces, platforms, events, coalitions, and people to align with our advancement goals.
• Partner with the CAO and CEO to prepare for external-facing events, board and funder meetings, interviews, and site visits.
• Help ensure these opportunities are maximized.

Development (35%)

• Partner with the CAO on institutional and major-donor strategy
• Plan and execute cultivation events — funder tables, small convenings, site visits, briefings — managing logistics, run-of-show, and follow-up.
• Support cultivation meetings, site visits, and stewardship moments.
• Help maintain the moves-management system across both entities through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Partner with the CAO on the development calendar and revenue forecasting.
• Work with the team to translate programmatic impact and policy wins into case statements, one-pagers, periodic donor email updates, impact reports.

Communications & Brand (25%)

• Supervise the Communications Specialist, setting priorities and editorial calendar so external presence reinforces national positioning, donor pipeline, and partnership goals.
• Personally write op-eds, statements, donor/partner proposals, board and funder briefings, talking points, and rapid-response content.
• Refine and protect NAL/AF's brand voice and identity; recommend ways to strengthen brand presence with donors and partners.
• Prepare staff and leadership for media interactions, donor meetings, and external events.

To be successful in this position you will have a combination of the following experience and qualities:

• 5+ years fundraising experience
• Experience managing a team.
• Experience managing and tracking budgets.
• Program conception, planning, and execution: You have experience and a track record of conceiving strategy and overseeing implementation for a team, function, program, or project. You have taken a concept from idea to execution with success.
• Development fundamentals expert: Track record preparing foundation proposals and reports, stewarding major donors, and managing a moves-management pipeline or a demonstrated ability to learn the distinction quickly.
• Strong written and verbal communicator: Proven ability to turn complex ideas into exciting narratives.
• Relationship builder: Skilled at cultivating funders, peer organizations, coalitions, and/or influencers, with sound judgment.
• Ownership mentality: Sets a vision, drives it forward independently, anticipates problems, and course-corrects as needed.
• Inclusive, collaborative leader: Actively seeks staff input while still owning final decisions; keeps development, programs, and communications in sync.
• Coach and mentor: Gives actionable feedback and takes the time to develop others — staff, alumni, or executive leadership prepping for a pitch.
• Mission-aligned: Cultural awareness and sensitivity to immigrant communities, with genuine commitment to inclusive democracy.