Senior Manager, Development & External Partnerships

The Aspen Institute; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision benefits

Retirement benefits

Paid leave

Job summary

The Aspen Institute in Washington, DC, seeks a Senior Manager, Development & External Partnerships to drive fundraising for the Energy and Environment Program. This role partners with senior staff to cultivate strategic relationships and expand program impact.

You will manage the full fundraising cycle, secure resources through proposals and major gifts, and collaborate on external partnerships. Travel up to 25% may be required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of relevant fundraising experience.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities effectively.
• Strong verbal, writing, and editing skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute fundraising strategy in partnership with leadership.
• Build and advance a fundraising pipeline to meet revenue goals.
• Coordinate donor relationships and solicitations across teams.
• Lead proposals, sponsorships, and fundraising materials.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Donor engagement

Relationship management

Project management

Strategic communication

Job description

Senior Manager, Development & External Partnerships

ABOUT US
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM

The Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program (EEP) explores significant challenges with diverse thinkers and doers to make a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable society for all. We address critical energy, environmental, and climate change issues through non-partisan, non-ideological convening, with the specific intent of bringing together diverse stakeholders to improve the process and progress of policy-level dialogue. This enables EEP to sit at a critical intersection in the conversation and bring together diverse groups of expert stakeholders. In addition to energy and environmental policy, which the program has been addressing for several decades, EEP is now actively and purposefully engaging in climate change policy – mitigating the effects of climate change, adapting to the inevitable impacts of climate change, and the international cooperation needed to achieve these goals.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Senior Manager, Development & External Partnerships plays a key role in advancing the Aspen Institute Energy & Environment Program by driving fundraising efforts and cultivating strategic relationships that support the program’s priorities and long-term goals.

The Senior Manager is responsible for managing all stages of the fundraising cycle, including prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and ongoing funder engagement. The role also supports the development of external partnerships, helping secure the resources and relationships necessary to sustain and expand EEP’s programs and impact.

Working closely with the Senior Director & Chief of Staff, the Director of Programs & Impact, the Executive Director, and other EEP colleagues, the Senior Manager helps develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with EEP’s mission and strategic objectives.
The salary range for this position is $110,000 - $120,000. In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the Senior Manager is expected to work in-person with colleagues a minimum of 40% of the time while having the flexibility to work remotely for the balance. In-person consists of meaningful connections with colleagues in an office, traveling to a different office or location to meet fellow staff members, at an Aspen event, at a meeting outside the office or other opportunities to meet in person with teammates and colleagues.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Fundraising Strategy, Pipeline, and Reporting

• Develop and execute EEP’s fundraising strategy in partnership with the Executive Director, Director of Programs and Impact, and the Senior Director of Development & External Partnerships, translating program priorities and funding needs into clear goals, prospect strategies, and solicitation plans.
• Build and advance a fundraising pipeline sufficient to meet annual revenue goals, identifying new prospects, assessing opportunities, and moving relationships toward concrete funding commitments.
• Partner with the Associate, Development & Partnerships to maintain accurate pipeline information, track next steps and commitments, and use donor research and reporting to guide fundraising decisions.
• Regularly assess progress against fundraising goals and provide EEP leadership with revenue projections, updates on priority opportunities, and recommendations to address funding gaps.

Funding Opportunities and Fundraising Coordination

• Work with the Director of Programs & Impact and program staff to shape compelling funding opportunities that connect EEP’s work and intended impact with donor interests.
• Prepare and support EEP leadership for donor engagement, developing relationship strategies, meeting objectives, talking points, and recommended asks; ensure timely follow-through.
• Lead the development of proposals, sponsorship packages, and other fundraising materials, coordinating input from program staff and ensuring a clear case for support.
• Coordinate donor relationships and solicitation plans across EEP and with Institute development colleagues, aligning outreach, clarifying relationship ownership, and identifying opportunities for shared engagement.

Donor Engagement, Stewardship, and Strategic Partnerships

• Lead a portfolio of current and prospective donors and partners, managing cultivation, solicitation, renewal, and stewardship efforts with individuals, foundations, corporations, and other funders.
• Facilitate fundraising conversations and make direct asks, independently as well as alongside EEP leadership, securing support for program initiatives, public convenings, and broader program needs.
• Develop strategic partnerships that bring financial support, expertise, networks, and other resources to EEP while maintaining alignment with the program’s mission and priorities.
• Lead donor renewal and stewardship strategies, ensuring funders receive meaningful updates on progress and impact and identifying opportunities to deepen or expand their support.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

• Minimum 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Ability to successfully manage many projects simultaneously, master workflow details, and self-prioritize.
• Ability to manage time effectively.
• Ability to work autonomously.
• Strong work ethic with the ability to sometimes work long hours when necessary to complete tasks.
• Strong verbal, writing, and editing skills.
• Strong professional and diplomatic interpersonal skills.
• Strong external relations orientation.
• Willingness and ability to travel, as much as 25% certain times of the year.
• A “Yes, and” attitude.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Aspen Institute offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and prescription benefits, retirement benefits, and paid leave.
The Aspen Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all District and federal laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or protected veteran or disabled status and will not be discriminated against.
The Aspen Institute welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs, including the interview process. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about accessibility, please email [e-mail] or call 202-736-2127 in advance of your visit. Requests for ASL or CART services should be made at least two weeks in advance when possible. We will make every effort to fulfill requests, subject to availability.