Lead Manager, Development and Engagement

Urban Initiatives; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 47,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement plan options

Paid time off and additional leave

Job summary

Urban Initiatives in Chicago seeks a Lead Manager, Development and Engagement to own relationships with the Associate and Student Boards and to support fundraising events. This role blends in-person relationship building with virtual coordination to activate volunteers and donors.

You will lead onboarding, communications, and cross-team collaboration to align engagement activities with fundraising goals, CRM tracking, and program growth, while working a hybrid schedule with about 50% on-site in

Qualifications

• Experience building and maintaining professional networks or social communities.
• Excellence in event staffing, coordination, and guest experience.
• Ability to lead meetings, motivate volunteer cohorts, and communicate organizational mission clearly.
• Team player with strong follow-through and accountability.
• Commitment to Chicago youth and healing-centered work.
• Nice to have experience with CRM or donor management software.

Responsibilities

• Associate and Student Board Engagement: be the primary in-person presence for boards; drive attendance and engagement.
• Fundraising Event Support: assist in planning and executing events; support gala silent auction management.
• Volunteer Engagement: manage volunteer communications and onboarding, and maintain a volunteer pipeline.
• Communications: capture stories and manage social media presence and content creation.

Skills

Relationship skills

Event planning

Facilitation

Teamwork

Growth mindset

Mission-driven

Volunteer management

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Lead Manager, Development and Engagement

Founded in 2003, Urban Initiatives is a nonprofit organization that runs youth development programs in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Urban Initiatives’ mission is to use the power of sport and play to empower Chicago’s youth to achieve academic success, develop social-emotional skills, and build social capital. Currently, Urban Initiatives serves an estimated 85 schools throughout the City of Chicago.

Lead Manager, Development and Engagement

About the Role

The Lead Manager, Development and Engagement provides a consistent, in-person layer of relationship ownership for our Associate Board, volunteer community and support the fundraising events. This role is designed to support fundraising efforts and strengthen Associate Board, Student Board, and volunteer engagement and activation.

Our Culture

Our healing-centered approach to youth development helps young people reach their full potential and puts YOU right in the middle of making an impact that will shape generations of Chicago youth. We are coaches by trade, and we bring this expertise into our work environment. You can expect us to deliver ample learning opportunities, growth mindsets, a culture of feedback and transparency, and fun as a core value.

Are you ready to put passion into action to build a stronger Chicago?

• Reports to: Lead Director of Development and Engagement
• Location: Hybrid; estimated 50% on‑site work in Chicago, IL
• Typical Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 9am-5pm (Occasional evening and weekends required)

Core Responsibilities

Associate and Student Board Engagement (40% of role):

• Relationship Manager: Serve as the primary in‑person presence for the high school Student Board and young professional Associate Board; build and maintain authentic relationships to drive attendance and engagement.
• Develop Leadership: Support and activate the Associate Board executive leadership and sub‑committee chairs to distribute responsibility and build internal leadership pipelines.
• Onboarding: Manage member onboarding on a rolling basis through the year
• Communication: Send communication to the Associate Board and Student Board on a consistent cadence and offer engagement touch points throughout the year.
• Strategic Alignment: Coordinate with the Lead Director of Development and Engagement to ensure all engagement activities align with broad visibility, fundraising, CRM tracking, and revenue goals.

Fundraising Event Support (25% of role):

• Supports the preparation and execution of Urban Initiatives’ fundraising events. Apart from the day‑of event, most fundraising event support can be done virtually and are heavier in December‑February and June‑August.
• Oversees silent auction for annual fundraising gala

Volunteer Engagement (25% of role):

• Volunteer Communication Lead: Responsible for clearing volunteers to volunteer with youth and sending pre‑ and post‑ event follow up. This is done virtually.
• Volunteer Facilitator: In‑person volunteer facilitation at program events.. This individual is responsible for managing external relationships, not program implementation at these outings.
• Volunteer Pipeline: Serve as a bridge between general volunteers and the Development/Programs teams to ensure a strong volunteer experience and retention. This will be done virtually through pre and post‑volunteer event meetings with the Lead Director, Development and Engagement.

Communications (10% of role):

• Capture storytelling content such as quotes, photos, testimonials at programmatic and board events
• Manage UI’s social media presence: Create and schedule content to be shared on UI’s Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Engage
• Support with blog and newsletter publications

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience You Possess

• Interpersonal & Relationship Skills: The ideal candidate enjoys demonstrated experience building and maintaining professional networks or social communities.
• Event & Logistics Skills: Demonstrated excellence in event staffing, coordination, and managing the "flow" and guest experience of in‑person gatherings.
• Instructional & Facilitation Skills: Ability to lead meetings, motivate volunteer cohorts, and clearly communicate organizational mission and needs.
• Teamwork & Accountability: A team player who can work independently while maintaining high levels of follow‑through and peer accountability.
• Flexibility & Growth Mindset: The ideal candidate views engagement challenges as opportunities to innovate and is comfortable navigating the evolving needs of a three‑year growth plan.
• Commitment to Mission: A passion for supporting Chicago youth and a competency in social‑emotional learning and healing‑centered work.
• Fun as a Core Value: The ideal candidate brings enthusiasm, creativity, and a sense of joy to the Associate Board social culture, making involvement rewarding for all members.
• Nice to Have: Experience with CRM or donor management software, background in community organizing or hospitality, previous involvement with an Associate Board or young professionals' group.

Compensation Package:

• Competitive base salary of $55,000
• Health, dental, and vision insurance options
• Retirement Plan Options
• Paid Time Off and Additional Leave Options