Institutional Relations Manager

ucar; United States; Hybrid; USD 83,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

UCAR is seeking a Manager of Institutional Relations to lead corporate and foundation fundraising on behalf of UCAR. Reporting to the Executive Director of Friends of the National Center, you will cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors while managing a portfolio of institutional funders across UCAR and NSF NCAR.

The role requires at least 5 years of fundraising experience, a Bachelor's degree (Master's preferred), and the ability to navigate complex academic and non-profit environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required (Master's degree preferred).
• 5 years of relevant program experience.
• Experience fundraising from corporate/foundation entities in complex environments.

Responsibilities

• Front-line fundraising and portfolio management for ~75 prospects/donors.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate and foundation donors.
• Coordinate strategic solicitations for six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Record relationship activity in Salesforce and ensure data quality.
• Collaborate with internal teams to align fundraising with science goals.

Skills

Fundraising

Relationship building

Portfolio management

CRM (Salesforce)

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Position Type

Term - 6 months or more (Fixed Term)

Visa Sponsored Job

No

Relocation Assistance Eligible

No

Hiring Range

83,299.00 USD - 110,000.00 *Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role.

Application Closes at 12:00am MST on: 2026-08-24

About the Role

UCAR is excited to announce the job opening for the Manager of Institutional Relations. Reporting to the Executive Director of Friends of the National Center, this position will lead corporate and foundation fundraising efforts on behalf of UCAR. This role identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards foundation and corporate funding to secure significant philanthropic support advancing UCAR's mission, while managing a portfolio of institutional donors and prospects in close collaboration with leaders across UCAR and NSF NCAR.

Position details

• Term: 2 years, with potential for extension.
• Schedule: Hybrid - 3 days/week in the Boulder office or traveling to meetings throughout the Front Range.
• Travel: Domestic travel up to 10% of time.
• Events: Availability for networking events and in-person meetings (mornings, evenings, and weekends) approximately 2-3 times per month.

Job Description

Background checks are conducted for candidates selected for hire. Learn more.

Work Location Expectations

This position is open to candidates seeking in-person or hybrid (combination of 3 days in-person and 2 days of remote), opportunities. UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

What You Will Do

Here is a brief summary of what one would expect to be generally responsible for in this role.

Key Responsibilities

Front-Line Fundraising & Portfolio Management

• Relationship Cultivation : Initiate, build, and steward highly productive, long-term relationships with foundation program officers, foundation and corporate executives, and institutional decision-makers - designing systems to ensure donors receive exceptional reporting and impact metrics that lay the groundwork for renewed support.
• Portfolio Growth : Actively manage a portfolio of ~75 active corporate and foundation prospects/donors, systematically moving them through the qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship pipeline.
• Strategic Solicitations : Coordinate customized solicitation strategies to secure six- and seven-figure gifts. Manage the growth of the corporate event sponsorship program, bringing in unrestricted gifts through event sponsorships.
• Prospect Research & CRM Management : Conduct prospect research to identify new or existing relationships that align with organizational funding priorities, and consistently record and track relationship development ("Moves") and institutional prospect profiles in the Salesforce database, ensuring organizational transparency and future-proofing these relationships.

Internal Collaboration

• Strategic Matchmaking : Understand UCAR and NSF NCAR's organizational capabilities and emerging initiatives well enough to connect them with aligned funders - or identifying a foundation's strategic goals and working internally to surface the strongest project to move forward. Serve as the central liaison between corporations/foundations and internal technical teams, ensuring fundraising strategies align with scientific integrity and organizational capacity.

Proposal Strategy & Stewardship

• Concept Development : Support the strategic framing of pitches and letters of inquiry (LOIs), determining how a project should be positioned to win corporate or foundation support.

Preferred Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree required (Master's degree preferred);
• 5 years of relevant program experience;
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Minimum of 5 years of successful fundraising experience, with a proven track record of securing significant gifts from corporate and foundation entities.
• Experience navigating complex non-profit, academic, scientific, or highly matrixed research environments.
• Demonstrated ability to "open doors," navigate institutional hierarchies, and build authentic rapport with external decision-makers.
• Exceptional verbal presentation skills, including the ability to translate complex Earth system science, computational modeling, and educational concepts into accessible, compelling value propositions for diverse foundation audiences.
• Exceptional emotional intelligence and a proven ability to work productively with subject matter experts, administrative leads, and development staff.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, set priorities, and manage competing tasks and deadlines with strong attention to detail and flexibility in the face of change.
• Skill in identifying specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals and opportunities.
• Advanced skills in word processing, spreadsheets, and prese