Senior Associate, Development

Center For Employment Opportunities, Inc.; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 63,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) seeks a Senior Associate, Development to co-lead high-stakes fundraising efforts, including government grants and major gifts, while guiding strategy and mentor staff across dispersed teams. The role partners with leadership to align fundraising with impact and oversees donor cultivation at regional or national scales.

You will collaborate with senior leaders to craft proposals, manage complex portfolios in Salesforce, and deliver compelling funder

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience in fundraising, with 1–2 years in grant writing and revenue generation.
• Experience managing cross-functional projects across dispersed teams.
• Proven ability to partner with senior leaders on high-stakes funding opportunities.
• Strong written and verbal storytelling to articulate impact and funding needs.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• Attention to grant guidelines, budgets, and reporting requirements.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and Salesforce CRM preferred.

Responsibilities

• Draft and submit foundation, corporate, and government proposals and LOIs.
• Prepare tailored grant reports for institutional funders and donors.
• Research funders, develop strategy memos, and support program funding priorities.
• Coordinate site visits and follow-up communications with funders.
• Collaborate with Program, Investment, Finance, and Grants teams to ensure timely deliverables.
• Track cultivation, solicitations, and donor milestones in Salesforce.
• Lead regional or national revenue opportunities and mentor Development staff.
• Prepare strategic memos, decks, and presentations for prospective funders.
• Support training and coaching for Development Associates.

Skills

Grant writing

Fundraising strategy

Project coordination

Stakeholder engagement

Proposal development

Storytelling

Budgeting & reporting

Team mentorship

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Salesforce CRM

Google Workspace

Job description

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Senior Associate, Development

Charlotte, NC

Hybrid

Anticipated deadline to submit application: November 16. Position may close early if application limit is met. Apply promptly for full consideration.

The Senior Associate, Development builds upon these core fundraising functions by co-leading high-stakes, complex revenue opportunities (e.g., competitive government grants, national institutional funding, and mid-level/major giving campaigns), partnering closely with leadership on supporting strategic planning, and providing training, peer mentorship, and workflow guidance to Development Associates.

The Fund Development team plays a critical role in executing CEO’s fund development strategy by researching, developing, and implementing efforts to grow foundation, corporate, government, and individual support across the organization. Members of this team collaborate closely with Investment, Program, and Executive leadership to align fundraising with organizational impact and strategic outreach goals.

Location / Scope: Regional or National (scope assignment is determined by departmental leadership based on organizational priorities and portfolio distribution)

Scope Distinctions: Regional vs. National

Actual placement and focus area are designated by the department upon hire or portfolio realignment based on organizational priorities and portfolio distribution.

Regional Scope: Focuses on place-based institutional philanthropy, local government funding, site-based funder visits, and close partnership with local/regional Program and Investment Directors across designated site locations.

National Scope: Focuses on nationwide institutional foundations, multi-site/federal opportunities, enterprise-wide initiatives, and close collaboration with Senior Directors and Executive Leadership on high-level organizational cultivation.

As part of our mission, we strongly encourage individuals who have lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system to apply for this role.

Who We Are

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people recently released from incarceration. Across the United States, 8,000-9,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 30,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996.

Who You Are

• You have 3+ years of professional experience in one of the areas noted above, with at least 1–2 years of direct grant writing and revenue generation experience demonstrating a proven track record of securing funds.
• You have prior experience managing complex cross-functional projects across geographically dispersed teams required.
• You have a demonstrated track record partnering with executive leaders, board members, or senior program directors on high-stakes funding opportunities.
• You have proven experience delivering presentations, pitches, or strategic briefings to institutional program officers and individual donors.
• You have foundational project leadership, cross-team facilitation, and staff/peer mentorship skills across geographically dispersed teams.
• You have outstanding written and verbal storytelling skills with the ability to articulate complex workforce development and criminal legal system data into compelling cases for support.
• You have demonstrated the ability to manage multiple concurrent proposal deadlines and competing priorities in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• You have rigorous attention to detail regarding grant guidelines, compliance budgets, and qualitative/quantitative reporting.
• You have proficiency with Google Workspace, and Salesforce CRM/donor management platforms preferred.
• You have an ability to shift priorities swiftly to match organizational needs.
• You have a commitment to social and racial justice.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Key responsibilities of the Senior Associate, Development include but are not limited to:

• Drafts, assembles, and submits compelling responses to foundation, corporate, and government requests for proposals (RFPs), concept papers, and letters of inquiry (LOIs).
• Coordinates the assembly and submission of impactful, data-driven, and tailored grant reports for designated institutional funders and individual donors.
• Researches prospective institutional and individual funders aligned with CEO’s mission; develops strategy memos and provides analytical support for emerging program models or funding priorities.
• Coordinates site visits (in-person across CEO locations or virtual) with current and prospective funders; drafts strategic briefing memos, meeting requests, and follow-up correspondence.
• Partners closely with Program, Investment, Finance, and Grants management teams to ensure on-time submission of deliverables by adhering to rigorous project timelines and grant compliance guidelines.
• Tracks all cultivation, solicitations, deliverables, and relationship milestones for assigned regional or national portfolios in Salesforce.
• Strategic Planning & Executive Engagement:
• Regional Focus: Partners with the Regional Development Manager and local site leadership to design and execute regional revenue and funder cultivation strategies.
• National Focus: Collaborates with the Senior Manager, Senior Director, and Executive Leadership to research, shape, and execute national funding strategies; actively participates in regular Executive Leadership fundraising meetings, presenting research and cultivation recommendations.
• Serves as the project lead on high-stakes, multi-stakeholder revenue opportunities, including federal/public grants, national multi-year gifts, and targeted donor campaigns.
• Prepares high-level strategy memos, tailored concept decks, and custom presentations for prospective grantmakers and key institutional stakeholders.
• Provides guidance, peer coaching, and onboarding support to Development Associates; co-leads skill-building and training sessions with Development Managers to strengthen overall team capacity.
• Leads portfolio review meetings and revenue pipeline calls; ensures data integrity across Salesforce records, meeting agendas, and timely donor stewardship/acknowledgments.
• Other related duties as assigned

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $62,500-$75,000. Consistent with CEO's compensation philosophy, we place candidates within a given salary range based on comparable tenure in title, relevant knowledge, skills, and experience. The midpoint of the range generally reflects the market rate for a fully proficient employee in this role, with placement toward the top of CEO's posted range reserved for candidates with more extensive and comparable experience. In keeping with CEO's compensation philosophy, final offers also account for internal parity and geographic location.

We recognize that salary is a part of the overall compensation package and also provide a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental coverage, as well as professional development opportunities to our staff.

We also offer paid parental leave, participation in a retirement plan, sick and vacation leave, paid holidays and more. We are a workplace that promotes continual learning and teamwork, offering lunch and learns, team outings, holiday gatherings and more for our staff.

More About Us

Center for Employment Opportunities believes that everyone deserves the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their communities. People who are justice involved are highly encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels. CEO is committed to the CROWN Act, and creating an open space where our employees can present as their true authentic selves.

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, gender, gender identity, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, caregiver status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact.