Vice President of Development

The Good Food Institute; United States; Remote; USD 169,247 - 177,710; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Working from home

Paid employee medical coverage

401(k) plan with employer match

14 paid holidays

Opportunity for advancement

Job summary

A leading food sustainability organization is seeking a Vice President of Development. This role involves developing a strategic plan and overseeing a team to manage major gifts and donor relationships in a remote work environment. The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of development leadership experience and a proven ability to cultivate strong donor relationships. The position offers a competitive salary and an inclusive work culture.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years in development leadership, with 5 years in a top fundraising role.
• Successful track record in managing a multifaceted development program.
• Ability to inspire donors and deepen engagement.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic plan for a diversified development program.
• Oversee the Development team across multiple initiatives.
• Manage complex donor relationships and provide strategic guidance.

Skills

Development leadership experience

Major gift securing

Team management

Relationship cultivation

Communication skills

Coaching-oriented management

Job description

Join to apply for the Vice President of Development role at The Good Food Institute

The Good Food Institute provided pay range. This range is provided by The Good Food Institute. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$169,247.00/yr - $177,710.00/yr

The role

The Vice President of Development will be responsible for:

• Developing the strategic plan and key initiatives for building and maintaining a growing, diversified, and sustainable development program to power a $40-50+ million annual global network.
• Overseeing the Development team across three sub teams: philanthropy (major and principal gifts), donor services (including annual fund and mid-tier giving), and institutional giving (grant-making foundations). This includes setting priorities for the expansion of planned giving and other capabilities critical to supporting GFI’s growth.
• Setting department strategy, vision, and culture; directly managing the Senior Global Director of Development, Director of U.S. Philanthropy, Senior Executive Assistant (Development), Associate Vice President of Development, and Senior Director of Foundation Relations; fostering mentorship and professional development opportunities within the department; and ensuring excellent execution of signature deliverables such as the Year in Review, donor reports, and proposals.
• Partnering with the Founder and President, CEO, and global affiliate leaders to cultivate and steward transformational gifts. Navigating and leading on high-stakes donor relationships and feedback with discretion, providing strategic guidance to GFI’s senior leadership on how to respond to shifting donor priorities.
• Overseeing implementation of a collaborative operating model for global affiliate fundraising that fosters trust-based engagement with development counterparts at GFI’s affiliates, providing thought partnership and support on regional fundraising efforts that align with GFI’s global development framework.
• Fostering an inclusive and people-centered culture, ensuring team members feel empowered, heard, and supported.
• Being an engaged and active member of the GFI U.S. Leadership Team and the Global Leadership Team, contributing to organizational planning, cross-functional collaboration, and culture building.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Who we’re looking for

An ideal candidate for the Vice President of Development position will have experience that reflects the following:

• A minimum of 10 years of previous development leadership experience, including at least five years in a top fundraising position, with a successful track record in securing major gifts, managing a team, and setting philanthropic strategy.
• Demonstrated success in overseeing and advancing a multifaceted development program, with a proven ability to work independently and effectively under the pressure of constant deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with a diverse range of donors and stakeholders, inspiring new supporters to invest in our mission and deepening engagement with existing funders.
• Experience leading and motivating a team, preferably in a remote-work environment, with a strong preference for experience collaborating with fundraising colleagues based in multiple countries toward shared global goals.
• A leadership style marked by a focus on resilience, optimism grounded in reality, and strong written and verbal communication that inspires without overlooking complexity.
• A coaching-oriented management approach that empowers teams and offers guidance and clarity.
• A commitment to fostering a work environment that is respectful, supportive, fair, and welcoming to all.
• Strong support for GFI’s philosophy and mission; demonstrated interest in plant-based & other alternative proteins, public health, environmentalism, climate change, animal protection, or hunger relief.
• A commitment to GFI’s values: believe change is possible, do the most good we can, share knowledge freely, act on evidence, and invite everyone to the table.

GFI wants the best people and is committed to a fair hiring process. We use a third-party anonymizing tool to redact personal information from submitted applications — including name, location, contact details, and several other factors — to increase fairness in our process. We also prioritize an inclusive work environment absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team. People of every race, color, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability are encouraged to apply.

If you are passionate about GFI’s mission, think you have what it takes to be successful in this position, and meet many of the job requirements even if you don’t check all the boxes, please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The fine print

• Terms of employment: Full-time, exempt
• Reports to: Jessica Almy, Interim CEO
• Direct reports: Clare Bland, Senior Global Director of Development; Leah MacRaild, Director of U.S. Philanthropy; Lena Hamelin, Senior Executive Assistant, Development; Rachel Colombana, Associate Vice President of Development; Sally Chapman, Senior Director of Foundation Relations.
• Location: Remote; United States
• Travel: Approximately 3–5 trips per year, including attendance at organizational retreats and donor or partner-facing travel. Reasonable accommodations or exemptions from retreat travel considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Benefits: Working from home; paid employee base medical coverage; dental, vision, and other medical insurance options; a 401(k) plan with employer match; 14 paid holidays; personal, sick, and vacation time; paid family/parental and medical leave; lifestyle spending account; opportunity for advancement; and a respectful and collaborative culture.
• This is a U.S.-based position: In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work for any employer in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. At this time, GFI's policy is not to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas.
• Salary: $169,247.78-$177,710.25 (depending on experience and qualifications)

Anticipated start date: October 20, 2025