Senior Director of Development

Human Rights Foundation; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package (health

Paid time off

Job summary

Human Rights Foundation is seeking a Sr. Director of Development to lead HRF’s fundraising program and revenue strategy at a pivotal growth moment.

You will manage a 5–7 person team, own the development budget, and drive annual revenue targets while representing HRF at major events including the Oslo Freedom Forum. You will cultivate high-capacity donors, refine segmentation and portfolio strategy, and partner with the President, CSO, Marketing, and Finance to align fundraising with

Qualifications

• 15+ years of nonprofit development experience with management responsibility.
• Proven track record with individuals, family offices and foundations.
• Experience building and leading a development team and improving performance.
• Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills at senior donor levels.
• Strong strategic thinking to translate vision into an operational plan.
• Deep commitment to HRF’s mission and global human rights landscape.
• Experience with planned giving or multi-year pledge strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 5–7 development professionals and own performance.
• Set annual revenue goals, own the development budget, and report progress to leadership and board.
• Hire, onboard, and develop team members; foster a high-performance culture.
• Own fundraising strategy across individual giving, institutional partnerships, and planned giving.
• Improve donor segmentation, pipeline management, and portfolio strategy.
• Report fundraising performance to the President and board with pipeline reviews.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Finance, Operations, and executive leadership; represent HRF at events.

Skills

Team leadership

Relationship-building

Strategic thinking

Fundraising strategy

Donor engagement

Budget management

Communication

Board liaison

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. HRF brings together activists, artists, writers, and thinkers to defend civil liberties and challenge authoritarian governments around the world. HRF’s programs — including the Oslo Freedom Forum, Tyranny Tracker, Financial Freedom, and Bitcoin Development — reach donors, advocates, and audiences across more than 100 countries.

The Opportunity

HRF is seeking a Sr. Director of Development to lead the organization’s fundraising program at a pivotal moment in its growth. Reporting directly to Celine Assaf Boustani, President, the Sr. Director of Development will serve as the senior-most development officer at HRF — accountable for creating the development plan & strategy, setting and hitting annual revenue goals, owning the development budget, planning major development events, playing a major role in planning and executing the Oslo Freedom Forum, and leading a team of 5-7 development professionals to hit those goals.

The Sr. Director of Development will grow a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects and represent HRF at events. They will set and execute strategy, own outcomes, and manage the infrastructure that makes HRF’s fundraising program sustainable long-term.

The Director will also work closely with the Chief Strategy Officer to inform priorities. This role interfaces regularly with Marketing and Communications, Finance, and Operations, and serves as the development team’s representative to senior leadership. The right candidate brings a genuine belief in human freedom, a proven track record of closing major gifts, and the leadership presence to represent HRF at the highest levels of donor engagement.

What You’ll Own

Team Leadership and Budget Ownership

• Leading a team of 5-7 development professionals, with full accountability for individual and team performance
• Setting annual revenue goals (for the organization and each revenue generating staff position), owning the development budget, and reporting to Celine and the board on progress against targets
• Hiring, onboarding, and developing team members; building a high-performance development culture with clear expectations and growth paths
• Working in close partnership on team operations, pipeline accountability, and reporting; retaining and building the pipeline of mid-level donors is a key priority

Fundraising Strategy and Revenue Accountability

• Setting and owning HRF’s annual and multi-year fundraising plan and revenue targets in partnership with the President
• Managing the development budget, including tracking spend against plan and making resourcing recommendations
• Identifying opportunities to grow revenue across individual giving, institutional partnerships, and planned giving
• Improving processes around donor segmentation, pipeline management, and portfolio strategy across the full development team
• Reporting on fundraising performance to the President and the board, including quarterly pipeline reviews, revenue forecasts, and year-end results

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Working closely with the President to align fundraising priorities with HRF’s organizational strategy and programmatic direction
• Working closely with the Chief Strategy Officer on organizational priorities and donor-facing strategy
• Partnering with Marketing and Communications on donor-facing content, appeals, and the annual report
• Working with Finance on revenue forecasting, gift accounting, and budget reconciliation
• Coordinating with Operations on systems, logistics, and cross-departmental workflows that support the development function
• Manage and mentor the Major Gift Officer and Senior Advisor who each manage portfolios for C-Suite leaders and support institutional relationships with foundations and individuals to improve processes and amplify the fundraising impact
• Grow a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, directly soliciting and working with leadership to close six and seven figure gifts.
• Represent HRF at events and identifying and qualifying new prospects through board referrals, events, and proactive prospecting

Board and Executive Engagement

• Manage HRF’s board development program, including tracking board giving and referrals
• Prepare C-suite and board members for donor meetings, including briefings, talking points, and follow-up
• Represent HRF at donor events, including the Oslo Freedom Forum, and serving as a senior organizational ambassador to the philanthropic community

What We’re Looking For

Required

• 15+ years of nonprofit development experience, with management experience
• Demonstrated track record of working with individuals, family offices and foundations
• Experience managing and developing a development team, with a record of strengthening individual and team performance
• Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills; able to represent HRF with credibility and warmth at the highest levels of donor engagement
• Strong strategic thinking; able to set and execute a long-term fundraising vision and translate it into an operational plan
• Deep commitment to HRF’s mission and a genuine understanding of the global human rights landscape
• Experience with planned giving, endowment campaigns, or multi-year pledge strategies

Highly Valued

• Experience fundraising for international human rights, civil liberties, or freedom-focused organizations
• Proficiency with Salesforce or comparable CRM

Reporting Structure

This role reports directly to Celine Assaf Boustani, President. The Director of Development will manage a team of 5-7 development professionals.

Compensation

Salary range: $180,000- $200,000, commensurate with experience. HRF offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision coverage, generous paid time off, and the opportunity to contribute to one of the world’s leading human rights organizations.

All HRF positions are U.S.-based. Applicants must have current authorization to work in the United States.

HRF is committed to providing a professional work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. HRF provides equal employment opportunities and prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The Cover Letter must be uploaded in PDF format.

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What differentiates us from other human rights organizations is our singular focus on authoritarian regimes.

We consider our mission essential given that today more than 5.7 billion people live under tyranny. That’s 72% of the world’s population in 94 countries from Cuba to Russia to Saudi Arabia to North Korea.

Join us in helping save lives and stand up to tyranny.