Senior Director, Development
LOCATION
Strong preference for NYC or Bay Area/SF
SALARY
$130,000–$145,000
JOB TYPE
Full Time
WORKSPACE
Remote
BENEFITS
Health Coverage: Employer-funded medical, dental, and vision insurance (75% employer-paid)
Flexible Time Off: Unlimited PTO and sick leave, paid federal holidays, and six months of paid family leave
Retirement: 401(k) with 3% employer contribution after three months of employment
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews will continue until the position is filled. The interview process includes three virtual rounds (30–60 minutes each). No written exercise is planned; should anything change, you will be compensated for your time and made aware in advance. The ideal start date is March 2, 2026.
about vote mama
Vote Mama builds the political power of moms.
Vote Mama Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, is the leading source of research and analysis on the political participation of moms. We are normalizing moms running for office and building a political system that is truly family-friendly.
Vote Mama Lobby, a 501(c)(4) organization, advocates to break the structural barriers moms face running for and serving in elected office, and mobilizes fed-up mamas to build their political power, elect moms, and pass truly family-friendly legislation.
Vote Mama PAC is the first PAC in the country dedicated to supporting Democratic moms. Through endorsements and financial support, we elect moms up and down the ballot and across the country.
about the role
The Senior Director of Development joins Vote Mama at an exciting moment in the organization’s history. Since its inception six years ago, Vote Mama has grown revenue annually and built a strong base of early supporters. We recognize the need to diversify and expand our funding base to sustain and fuel future growth.
Vote Mama seeks a seasoned, strategic, mission-driven political fundraiser to build on a strong foundation laid by the existing Development team, and oversee a comprehensive fundraising strategy for Vote Mama PAC, Vote Mama Foundation (501(c)(3)), and Vote Mama Lobby (501(c)(4)). As part of their role, the Senior Development Director will be responsible for creating and executing a multi-million dollar political finance plan for revenue generation across entities, including personally managing a major donor portfolio, partnering with the COO to manage the institutional portfolio, and supporting staff to successfully lead their existing portfolios, including but not limited to individual donors, Mama Fund giving circles program, events, and digital and email fundraising.
The Senior Development Director reports to the Chief Operating Officer and works closely with the CEO, staff, and Vote Mama’s Board of Directors to meet the organization's fundraising goals. The Senior Director is also charged with managing the Individual Giving Director and the Development Operations Manager.
This role is responsible for designing and executing high-impact political fundraising strategies, including donor acquisition, cultivation and stewardship, and expanding revenue across multiple channels (individual, institutional, corporate, and mission-aligned donors), with a particular focus on HNW individual and political donors. We’re seeking someone who thrives in high-visibility, high-stakes environments, brings deep knowledge of the political fundraising landscape, has extensive experience as a finance director on federal or statewide campaigns, ideally has worked in a senior political fundraising role with a PAC, and is excited to lead the charge in diversifying and growing Vote Mama’s donor base.
required skills
8+ years of political fundraising experience on a campaign, including in supervisory roles, with at least 1 political cycle as a call time manager and 2+ cycles as a finance director.
Demonstrated experience creating and executing a multi-million dollar finance plan;
Robust experience managing staff, consultants and driving donor engagement at the state and national level;
Success building, maintaining and expanding a national network of major political donors across the country;
Diversified experience executing and prioritizing varied political fundraising strategies, including raising money through call time, events, and digital;
Excellent oral and written communication skills;
Demonstrated success in team leadership and management;
Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and on a variety of tasks simultaneously;
Strong applied computer skills, with a deep understanding of CRMs (Salesforce, NGP);
Thorough understanding of, respect for, and adherence to professional and financial ethics;
Ability to travel as needed for Vote Mama events.
bonus skills
Experience managing fundraising via a complex set of legal entities spanning 501(c)(4), hybrid PAC, and 501(c)(3) organizations;
Experience building donor portfolios for start-ups or a growing organization.
Experience managing fundraising events;
Experience in managing external stakeholders, advisors, or vendors;
Demonstrated ability working with remote employees, in a fully remote work environment;
Successful experience managing budgets.
core responsibilities
Development Strategy & Execution (25%)
Create and execute a long-term strategic fundraising plan and tracking system for Vote Mama PAC, Foundation, and Lobby, and achieve annual and multi-year fundraising goals for all three entities.
Work closely with the Leadership team (CEO, COO) and the Board of Directors on fundraising opportunities and priorities, with support from development team members.
Design and drive a comprehensive political fundraising strategy to fortify candidate support services and fuel increased candidate contributions.
Build upon funding strategies to drive continued impact in Vote Mama’s research and advocacy programs.
Establish and scale a fundraising model that is characterized by strategic, long-term, major-gifts-focused relationship development.
Develop and oversee an ongoing prospecting strategy to acquire new donors across entities and revenue streams, fueling Vote Mama’s growth.
Strategically increase the organization’s fundraising capacities, developing new, high-dollar, long-term donors through deep, meaningful cultivation efforts while maintaining alignment between Vote Mama’s fundraising strategy and organizational priorities.
Donor Management (50%)
Personally manage a portfolio of major individual donors and achieve annual fundraising targets;
Expand portfolio of HNW individual donors, with particular focus on high-impact national political donors;
In partnership with the CEO, cultivate and manage relationships with HNW individual donors, ensuring their continuous engagement;
Diversify institutional funding, cultivating and securing new funding prospects while supporting stewardship of existing major funders in partnership with leadership.
Oversee overall portfolio management and pipeline-building, ensuring strategic donor prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship across the development team;
Oversee the Development team in growing the Mama Fund's political giving circles program, executing political fundraising events, and other efforts to build support from grassroots and mid-level donor base and increase overall donor pipeline.
Provide strategic guidance on Vote Mama’s donor communications and materials, including email communications, case for support, proposals, reports, and other materials.
Development Operations (10%)
Oversee the infrastructure, systems, and processes supporting organizational fundraising, ensuring data integrity, efficiency, and alignment with organizational goals;
Guide key workflows and build operational excellence in key functions, such as gift processing and acknowledgments, event production, and supporting compliance reporting as needed;
Lead prospect development and portfolio-building efforts through strategic, systems-driven donor prospecting and moves management.
Team Management, Engagement & Development (15%)
Supervise the Development team (Individual Giving Director and Development Operations Manager), providing daily management and guidance to continue their growth in the organization;
Conduct performance reviews of direct reports, identifying areas for improvement, and offering constructive feedback and tailored development plans to ensure the ongoing success and advancement of individual skill sets;
Participate in and lead team and project meetings, all-staff meetings, and leadership meetings as needed;
Set a high standard for completing administrative tasks and attention to detail, such as organizing files, scheduling meetings, and maintaining documentation, particularly within the Salesforce CRM.
Follow organizational standards and ensure timely completion of administrative responsibilities, including managing expenses and timesheets.
Seek opportunities for professional growth through training, workshops, networking, and self-directed learning. Contribute to the team's success by continually improving your skills and staying informed about industry trends and best practices.
typical day
The Senior Director of Development joins Vote Mama at an exciting moment in the organization’s history. Since its inception six years ago, Vote Mama has grown revenue annually and built a strong base of early supporters. We recognize the need to diversify and expand our funding base to sustain and fuel future growth.
Vote Mama seeks a seasoned, strategic, mission-driven political fundraiser to build on a strong foundation laid by the existing Development team, and oversee a comprehensive fundraising strategy for Vote Mama PAC, Vote Mama Foundation (501(c)(3)), and Vote Mama Lobby (501(c)(4)). As part of their role, the Senior Development Director will be responsible for creating and executing a multi-million dollar political finance plan for revenue generation across entities, including personally managing a major donor portfolio, partnering with the COO to manage the institutional portfolio, and supporting staff to successfully lead their existing portfolios, including but not limited to individual donors, Mama Fund giving circles program, events, and digital and email fundraising.
The Senior Development Director reports to the Chief Operating Officer and works closely with the CEO, staff, and Vote Mama’s Board of Directors to meet the organization's fundraising goals. The Senior Director is also charged with managing the Individual Giving Director and the Development Operations Manager.
This role is responsible for designing and executing high-impact political fundraising strategies, including donor acquisition, cultivation and stewardship, and expanding revenue across multiple channels (individual, institutional, corporate, and mission-aligned donors), with a particular focus on HNW individual and political donors. We’re seeking someone who thrives in high-visibility, high-stakes environments, brings deep knowledge of the political fundraising landscape, has extensive experience as a finance director on federal or statewide campaigns, ideally has worked in a senior political fundraising role with a PAC, and is excited to lead the charge in diversifying and growing Vote Mama’s donor base.