Director of Development

Mission of the role:

We seek a strategic and dynamic leader to drive fundraising, strengthen donor partnerships, and ensure long-term sustainability. The ideal candidate has experience in resource mobilization, donor relationship-building, and strategic planning, with a commitment to equity and ethical fundraising. They will collaborate across teams and with external partners to align funding efforts with impact goals, fostering innovation and long-term growth.

This role will be a critical member of the Expansion Team. This team is responsible for finding new partnerships across the Global South as well as GSL’s gender work. They work closely with other non-profit organizations, funders, and community members to determine opportunities for us to partner with others to advance our mission of driving educational improvement across the Global South through a focus on school leadership.

In this role, you will

We are looking for a skilled relationship builder with fundraising expertise to join our team as a Director of Development. In this role, you will:

1. Lead Fundraising & Resource Mobilization: Develop and execute comprehensive fundraising campaigns across multiple channels, actively managing relationships with grants, individual donors, and corporate partners. You will also write compelling grant proposals and fundraising materials while continuously prospecting new funding opportunities.
2. Build and Manage Donor Relationships: Lead donor cultivation efforts by organizing meetings with major donors, creating personalized stewardship plans, and maintaining regular communication to ensure strong retention. You will develop new revenue streams by attending industry events, building relationships with foundations and corporate partners, and implementing systems to track and strengthen these relationships over time.
3. Integrate GSL Strategy and Fundraising: Translate organizational priorities into compelling funding proposals and presentations, adapting communication styles and messaging for different donor audiences. You will represent the organization at public events, deliver persuasive presentations, and communicate effectively in English with Spanish-speaking stakeholders when needed.
4. Demonstrate Cultural & Ethical Competencies: Champion equity and inclusion in all fundraising initiatives while ensuring transparent and ethical fundraising practices. You will incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into donor engagement strategies and maintain clear communication about the use of funds.
5. Lead & Collaborate Across Teams: Coordinate with cross-functional teams to align fundraising efforts with programmatic goals, managing multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously. You will collaborate closely with program staff to develop funding proposals, work effectively with remote team members across time zones, and partner with research institutions and implementing partners to demonstrate impact and ensure sustainability.
6. Work Nimbly and Flexibly: Play a key supporting role in the Expansion Team and broader organization, contributing to a range of strategic and operational projects. While budget development and resource allocation will be a key focus, you will also provide general and targeted support as needed—ranging from project coordination to developing key materials that advance GSL’s growth efforts. Your ability to adapt, collaborate across teams, and manage multiple priorities will be essential in ensuring the success and sustainability of expansion initiatives.

Candidate Qualifications

Required Qualifications

(we will use these in our screening process; if you do not meet each of these, you will be denied)

• At least 10 years of experience in leadership positions within organizations that rely on fundraising, whether in the social, public, or private sector.
• Proven success in leading development projects, including strong grant writing and proposal development skills as well as the ability to diversify funding sources and build a sustainable revenue model.
• Experience in partnership development, including experience in major donor cultivation, stewardship, and retention.
• Demonstrates a generalist mindset with the ability to adapt quickly, learn new skills, and willingly contribute to tasks outside of primary responsibilities as organizational needs arise.
• Fluency in English.
• Proficiency in Spanish (B2 or above).
• Living in the Global South (Africa, Asia, Latin America).

Preferred Qualifications

(these will not be used for screening purposes; if you feel you have some but not all of these, you are still encouraged to apply)

• Strong analytical skills to assess funding trends and donor priorities
• Experience developing and implementing fundraising strategies that align with organizational goals and promote long-term sustainability
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas to different audiences
• Experience leading fundraising teams or working cross-functionally with program and finance teams
• Project management experience, with a proven ability to manage multiple deadlines while maintaining high-quality standards
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in fundraising practices
• Understanding of the Global South development sector

The Life of a Director of Development at GSL

What your day looks like

• Work hours and structure: This is not a 9–5 job. Because GSL team and partners are working across multiple time zones, you may have either early morning (as early as 5 am) or late evening (as late as 11 pm) calls. This is a full-time role and you should expect to work about 40 hours per week, with some weeks being heavier or lighter. You should be available each day from 11 am – 2 pm UTC, for teamwide and cross-time-zone internal meetings.
• Schedule flexibility: We are a fully remote organization and apart from meetings, you can organize your work in a way that suits you best, with lots of flexibility in when and where you work. Please note that in this role you will be working with many external stakeholders and across teams at GSL, so you will need flexibility in your schedule to accommodate these meetings.
• Working style: You will work with your manager to determine priorities each week, but we trust you to manage your projects and time independently.
• Dynamic environment: Your days will be varied and engaging, including collaborating with colleagues and partners around the world, taking part in diverse projects, and balancing virtual meetings with focused, independent work.
• Travel: You’ll travel internationally for conferences, donor meetings, partner meetings, and team meetings. Travel will vary, but please expect this to be frequent.

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What is rewarding about the role

• You will work alongside a kind, compassionate, and hardworking team.
• Your voice will matter — you will have opportunities to lead and take part in decisions.
• You will be supporting school leaders around the world and helping them to better support students and their instruction.
• You will be contributing to building knowledge around key issues for education, such as foundational literacy and numeracy, and early childhood education, improving conditions for students who are most marginalized.

What is challenging about the role

• This is not a 9–5 job. You may have early morning (as early as 5 am for those in the western hemisphere) or late evening (as late as 11 pm for those in the eastern hemisphere) calls.
• It can be lonely working in a remote space across many time zones.
• The work is fast-paced and requires juggling many projects at the same time.

Work Location and Remuneration

The candidate can be based in any country, with a strong preference for candidates based in the Global South (Africa, Asia, and Latin America). The candidate must have work authorization in their place of residence, as GSL is not able to sponsor employment visas. The candidate must have the ability to travel internationally as well as within the country. Salary and title are commensurate with experience and competitive with the non-profit education sector in the country in which candidates are based, for example, in Mexico, MXN 875,076 to MXN 1,084,730; in Kenya, KES 4,620,628 to KES 5,727,653; or in Malaysia, MYR 170,679 to MYR 211,571.

Commitment to Diversity

GSL is an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all employees – across nationalities, races, ethnicity, religions, economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, disabilities, languages, ages, genders, and prior experiences. In our hiring, we seek those with an inclusive mindset and who notice and correct inequities when they arise.