Work Fully Remote! Development Director – Consultant Opportunity at RET International: Apply by 18 May 2025
Closing Date: 18 May 2025
Purpose
The Development Director role at RET International presents an exciting opportunity to contribute to the organization’s mission by managing a diverse portfolio of major donors across the U.S. and internationally. This role involves cultivating relationships with individuals, trusts, and corporations, soliciting major gifts, and ensuring long-term donor stewardship.
Additionally, the Development Director will play a key role in establishing a grassroots fundraising strategy, including giving campaigns and the creation of a general fund or endowment, to secure RET’s financial stability in the years ahead.
This is a one-year contract, with the potential for renewal based on performance.
Reports To
The Development Director will report to the VP of Business Development.
Location
This position is fully remote, with a preferred base in the United States. The role requires coordination with RET’s HQ in Geneva and regional offices in Panama and Turkey. Occasional travel to these offices or donor meetings may be required.
Please note: Candidates must have the legal right to work in the U.S., possess a valid passport, maintain a flexible schedule, and be physically able to travel.
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising and Portfolio Management:
- Manage Major Donors: Oversee both U.S. and international major donor portfolios, including current and prospective supporters.
- Cultivate Relationships: Build and nurture relationships with individuals, trusts, and corporations to secure major gifts, ensuring recurring donations through effective stewardship.
- Design Fundraising Strategies: In collaboration with the Global Communications Officer and the Partnerships and Support Services Officer, develop and implement a grassroots fundraising strategy in the U.S. and Canada, aligned with RET’s goals.
- Meet Fundraising Targets: Achieve annual fundraising KPIs, which include raising both restricted and unrestricted funds, securing meetings, making asks, and tracking gift closure rates.
- Major Gift Solicitation: Secure significant gifts from high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), philanthropists, corporations, and foundations, focusing on RET’s strategic priorities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Middle East.
- Develop Communications Products: Coordinate with the Global Communications Officer to create external communications for fundraising and resource mobilization campaigns.
- CRM Management: Use a CRM system to track and report on activities, supporting campaign data, team reporting, and senior leadership decision-making.
Management and Capacity Building:
- Build Staff Capacity: Provide guidance and training to HQ, regional, and country-level staff to enhance their resource mobilization and fundraising capabilities.
- Donor Stewardship: Ensure excellent stewardship of both major and grassroots donors, keeping them informed of RET’s progress and ensuring their contributions have maximum impact.
- Campaign Reporting: Regularly report on progress toward fundraising goals, providing updates on campaigns, major gift leads, and concrete steps for success.
- Collaboration with Country Teams: Coordinate with country-level communications officers and focal points to align fundraising strategies with regional goals.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Coordinate with Finance and Senior Management: Ensure that donor gifts are processed in line with donor wishes and adhere to financial regulations, including tax guidelines relevant to the donor’s location.
- Identify Funding Priorities: Collaborate with senior management to identify RET’s funding priorities and match them with potential donors or fundraising campaigns.
- Secure Transformational Gifts: Work closely with leadership to secure major transformational gifts for the organization.
Qualifications and Experience
Required:
- Experience: 7-10 years in resource mobilization and fundraising for major international non-profits, including hands-on experience securing major gifts (USD 500K and above).
- Fundraising Strategy: Proven ability to design and implement successful fundraising strategies at the international level, including grassroots campaigns.
- Humanitarian Sector Knowledge: Deep understanding of the humanitarian sector, the triple nexus approach, Sustainable Development Goals, and current geopolitical trends.
- Fundraising Campaigns: Demonstrated experience in creating and managing grassroots donation campaigns and building donor databases.
- CRM Expertise: Proficiency in tracking and managing leads and gifts using CRM platforms, as well as implementing best practices in fundraising and donor relations.
- Multicultural Work Environment: Self-motivated, collaborative, and experienced in working across time zones in multicultural, multilingual settings.
- Fluency in English: Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
Desirable:
- Humanitarian/Development Experience: Prior experience in the humanitarian or development sector, especially in roles requiring coordination with governments and multilateral agencies.
- Project Management: Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
- Language Skills: Fluency in Arabic, French, and/or Spanish is a plus.
- Cross-Cultural Experience: Previous work with teams across multiple countries and time zones is highly desirable.
Note: RET International can only consider candidates who are legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for an employment visa.
How to Apply
To apply, please visit the following link:
This is an exceptional opportunity to join a mission-driven organization and play a key role in expanding RET International’s fundraising capacity. The Development Director will be instrumental in building lasting relationships, securing transformative gifts, and contributing to RET’s long-term financial sustainability. If you have the experience, passion, and commitment to humanitarian work, we encourage you to apply.
