Managing Director of Institutional Giving

What We Do

At Leading Educators (LE), we know that excellent teaching is the most important driver of student success. The moment a student steps foot in the classroom, their ability to learn depends on how prepared their teacher is to convey complex content knowledge as engaging, student-centered lessons that help students learn deeply and apply their thinking to the real world.

That’s a big lift, and teachers often do this alone. As a national nonprofit, we partner with school systems to overcome persistent instructional challenges, foster intentional collaboration and adult learning by design, and ignite new possibilities through systemic solutions at the intersection of teaching, talent, and technology.

We work shoulder-to-shoulder with educators at every level of the education system to strengthen their instructional and leadership practices, bring a vision for excellent instruction to life with consistency, and ultimately ensure that every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Through direct support, strategic advising, innovation pilots, and best-in-class research, we help educators shape a future where every student can thrive. Learn more about our work at leadingeducators.org.

Internal and External Candidate Application Deadline: Sunday, April 12th 5pm CST

Position

The Managing Director of Institutional Giving is a transformational leadership opportunity for a seasoned fundraising strategist ready to shape the future of Leading Educators' philanthropic impact. In this role, you'll own the vision, strategy, and execution of a multi-million dollar institutional fundraising portfolio, driving both national systems-level initiatives and place-based community investments that directly fuel student outcomes and organizational growth.

You'll lead a high-performing team of Institutional Giving Directors while personally stewarding the organization's most strategic funder relationships—including executive-level partnerships with our President, CEO, and Senior Vice President of Development. This is a role that demands both strategic thinking and disciplined execution: you'll set institutional fundraising priorities, drive revenue performance, and build the systems and culture that enable your team to consistently deliver excellence in funder engagement, proposal development, and relationship management.

Operating at the intersection of strategy, revenue ownership, and organizational alignment, you'll navigate complex institutional landscapes, translate compelling programmatic narratives into fundable opportunities, and ensure that Leading Educators' most ambitious goals are resourced by partners who share our vision. This role requires a leader who can balance big-picture strategy with hands-on accountability, inspire and develop talent, and drive cross-functional collaboration across Development, Programs, Finance, and Executive Leadership.

Do you have expertise in…

• Leading institutional fundraising strategy and managing large, diversified portfolios across multiple regions and funder types (private foundations, corporations, public funders)?
• Building and coaching high-performing development teams, with a track record of setting clear expectations, providing meaningful feedback, and driving accountability for results?
• Securing substantial, multi-year institutional investments and demonstrating consistent revenue growth in mission-driven environments?
• Translating complex programmatic work into compelling funding narratives and high-quality proposals that resonate with institutional funders?

Do you enjoy…

• Working at the strategic level while maintaining hands-on accountability for outcomes and direct funder relationships?
• Building systems, processes, and workflows that strengthen team effectiveness and organizational capacity?
• Partnering cross-functionally with program, finance, and executive leaders to align fundraising with broader organizational priorities?
• Mentoring and developing emerging leaders, fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement?

If you've answered affirmatively to these questions and meet the following prerequisites, we urge you to seize this opportunity. This role calls for the following:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in institutional fundraising or development within mission-driven organizations
• Demonstrated success leading institutional fundraising strategy and managing high-performing teams
• Strong track record of securing large, multi-year institutional investments from private, corporate, and/or public funders
• Experience managing complex portfolios across regions or place-based contexts
• Exceptional communication skills, including advanced proposal and grant writing expertise
• Strong ability to translate complex programmatic work into clear, compelling funding strategies and narratives
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with program, finance, and executive leadership
• High level of strategic thinking, organization, and execution in fast-paced environments
• Demonstrated commitment to improving outcomes for students and supporting the mission of Leading Educators

Travel Requirements

• This is a remote position requires moderate travel
• National travel for org retreats, programming, job related travel, or professional development 
• Outside of the above mentioned travel, this person will work from a home office that must be located anywhere within the U.S. 

Questions? We’re here to help.

If you have questions about this role or about our hiring process at any point, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at talent@leadingeducators.org. This inbox is monitored regularly, and we aim to respond within two business days. To ensure your question receives a thoughtful and timely response, we kindly ask that you refrain from emailing individual staff members or members of our HR team directly. The best way to connect with us is always through talent@leadingeducators.org.

Why Work at Leading Educators? 

Imagine being part of an organization where your ideas and perspectives are highly valued. At Leading Educators, we believe in fostering individual strengths, encouraging personal growth, and embracing innovative ideas. If you thrive in a remote working environment, with the added excitement of travel, we're the perfect fit for you. By joining us, you become part of a powerful community of peers nationwide. Regardless of your location, you possess the power to make a significant impact on both students and teachers who rely on us daily. Join Leading Educators and play an integral part in shaping the future of education. 

Learn About Our Mission & Values:

Mission: Leading Educators partners with school systems to sustain the teaching, leadership, and conditions for every student to succeed in school and in life.

Values:

• Build on strengths: We affirm and begin with the unique and collective talents, experiences, and wisdom of ourselves and others.
• Continuously learn: We develop ourselves and others. We apply new learning and deepened self-awareness to our relationships and practices.
• Prioritize people: We build trust and reflect on the impact of different perspectives and experiences.
• Champion success for all: We re-imagine structures, habits, and mindsets to ensure every learner has access to evidence-based learning opportunities.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hiring

We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools throughout our hiring process, from the moment a candidate applies through the offer stage, to support administrative tasks and the initial review of candidate materials. These tools help us organize, analyze, and surface relevant information efficiently, but they do not make hiring decisions. All candidate materials—including applications, resumes, assessments, and interview feedback—are reviewed and evaluated by people. All hiring decisions, including interview selection, advancement, and offers of employment, are made by humans. We use AI solely as a support tool to assist with early-stage reviews and process efficiency. We do not use AI in ways that discriminate based on protected characteristics, nor do we use ZIP codes or similar data to target or exclude protected groups. Our hiring practices are designed to be fair, consistent, and aligned with equal employment opportunity standards.

Compensation: 

• If hired for this position, the base salary range is $156,808 to $217,686 per year. Most new hires enter the range at a specific point based on their qualifications and the role level. For this position, the standard starting salary is $184,480, which is based on meeting the minimum requirement of 8 years of relevant experience.
• If you have more than 8 years of directly relevant experience, your starting salary may be adjusted higher within the range, up to a maximum starting salary of $196,339. This approach ensures that candidates with additional experience beyond the minimum are recognized in the initial salary offer.

Benefits: 

100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees. Additional premium costs are covered 60% by Leading Educators for partners and dependents on medical, dental, and vision plans. 4% matching 401k plan, Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare and commuter expenses, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Benefits are valued at or above $9,000 for employees.

Time Off: 

• First three years of employment, full time staff accrue 22 days a year. 
• Five additional days are accrued after the third and sixth year of employment.
• Leading Educators also offer 16 additional paid days off for various holidays, including three floating holidays staff may use at their discretion.

Equal Opportunity Employment 

Leading Educators is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

Apply: https://leadingeducators.org/careers/opportunities

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