Senior Associate, Development

centerforemploymentopportunities; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) is seeking a Senior Associate, Development in San Diego. This hybrid role involves co-leading complex funding opportunities, supporting strategic planning, and mentoring Development staff to grow foundation, corporate, government, and donor support.

The team aligns fundraising with organizational impact and works with executive leadership to advance nationwide and regional funding initiatives.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience in development/fundraising with 1–2 years grant writing.
• Experience managing cross-functional projects across geographically dispersed teams.
• Proven track record partnering with executives on high-stakes funding opportunities.
• Experience delivering presentations to program officers and individual donors.
• Strong storytelling to translate workforce development data into compelling cases for support.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• Rigorous attention to grant guidelines, budgets, and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Drafts, assembles, and submits responses to foundation, corporate, and government RFPs, concept papers, and LOIs.
• Coordinates the assembly and submission of grant reports for funders and donors.
• Researches prospective funders and develops strategy memos to support funding priorities.
• Coordinates site visits with funders and drafts briefing memos and follow-up communications.
• Partners with Program, Investment, Finance, and Grants teams across departments.

Skills

Grant writing

Cross-functional leadership

Proposal management

Storytelling

Stakeholder collaboration

Project management

Data storytelling

Tools

Google Workspace

Salesforce CRM

Job description

Senior Associate, Development

San Diego, CA

Hybrid

Anticipated deadline to submit application: November 16. Position may close early if application limit is met.

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:

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 m