Director, Development (Market-based)

POSITION TITLE: Director, Development (NYC, Newark)

OFFICE: New York, NY

REPORTS TO: Vice President, Market-Based Development

OVERVIEW:

Per Scholas is seeking a proven, results-driven Director of Development to lead fundraising efforts for our NYC campus, possibly including opportunities in the broader NYC area. The Director will meet revenue goals by managing a high-value portfolio, advancing local, state, and federal government funding opportunities, collaborating with national channel teams on larger and multi-market investments, and coordinating local fundraising and growth strategies in partnership with campus and organizational leadership. This is a highly collaborative position, requiring close partnership and coordination with other teams, including fundraising channels, development operations, and program.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, entrepreneurial leader with a proven track record of securing at least $5M annually through corporate partnerships, foundation grants, individual donors, and government contracts.

WHAT YOU’LL DO: 

In this role, you will focus on four core priorities: (1) generating revenue from your direct portfolio, (2) advancing government funding opportunities, (3) collaborating with channel teams on larger or multi-market opportunities, and (4) coordinating local fundraising and growth efforts.

Revenue Generation & Portfolio Management

• Manage and grow a portfolio of partners with responsibility for generating new and renewed revenue to meet or exceed annual fundraising goals.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with corporate, philanthropic, and public sector partners to deepen engagement and expand investment in Per Scholas programs and market growth.
• Identify and pursue multi-year, multi-market funding opportunities to support long-term program sustainability and expansion.

Government Funding Development

• Partner with the Government Relations & Contracts team to identify, pursue, and support local, state, and federal funding opportunities that advance Per Scholas programs and expansion.
• Support the development of government funding proposals and contracts by coordinating with program, finance, and compliance teams to align opportunities with workforce training initiatives.
• Contribute regional insights and relationships to strengthen Per Scholas’ positioning for public funding opportunities.
• Coordinate local engagement with public sector partners in collaboration with the Government Relations & Contracts team

Strategic Partnership Collaboration

• Collaborate with national channel teams (i.e., Corporate, Foundation, Government, and Individual) to pursue larger or multi-market funding opportunities.
• Coordinate partner engagement and strategy across local and national teams to ensure alignment on cultivation, proposal development, and stewardship.
• Support the advancement of complex partnerships that require coordination across multiple markets or internal stakeholders.

Local Market Fundraising & Growth Coordination

• Coordinate local fundraising activity in partnership with campus leadership and national development teams to advance market-level engagement.
• Support national and regional leadership site visits and partner engagement opportunities within the market.
• Contribute to developing and executing local growth strategies aligned with Per Scholas’ broader expansion priorities.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Professional Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive revenue-generating experience in fundraising, business development, or corporate partnerships, with demonstrated success securing 6– and 7–figure gifts.
  
• Proven track record of building diverse, sustainable revenue portfolios that include philanthropy, corporate sales/earned revenue, sponsorships, and government grants.
• Experience developing or supporting competitive government proposals and managing public sector relationships is strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of the NYC philanthropic and corporate community.
• Exceptional relationship management and influencing skills, with ability to engage senior executives, funders, and high-net-worth individuals.
• Expertise in proposal writing, case-making, and pitching to both philanthropic and business audiences.
• Highly data-driven and results-oriented, with a history of meeting and exceeding revenue targets.
• Proficiency with Salesforce or other CRM tools; strong financial acumen to manage forecasts and revenue tracking.
• Willingness to travel 15–20%.
  
  

Personal Attributes

• Entrepreneurial and growth-minded, with a drive to expand diverse funding sources.
• Solutions-oriented leader who proactively brings forward recommendations.
• Collaborative and adaptive, with the ability to manage up, across, and beyond formal reporting lines.
  
• Skilled at balancing sales discipline with mission-driven fundraising.
  
• Passionate about advancing equity, workforce development, and Per Scholas’ mission.

#LI-Hybrid

For this role specifically, we are targeting a salary range of $115,000- $120,000, where the difference in salary is typically determined by several factors, including geography in which the selected candidate resides, and alignment with qualifications and experience.