Development Director

Salary: $116,487.32 - $141,487.32

Location: Chicago, IL or remote in the U.S.

Intended start date: May 18, 2026

Start of application review: April 1, 2026. We often close jobs early to be able to review the large number of applications.

Type: Full time

Travel: 30-40%, dependent on need and public health considerations

In the US, local election departments are under-resourced and under-supported. When local election departments are not supported, they fail voters—particularly those who need their help the most. There’s good news: election departments, with research-based support, can and will improve election quality. 

The Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) is a nonpartisan nonprofit that catalyzes excellent election administration across the United States. We do this by supporting election departments, field building, and conducting research to provide actionable insights.

The Development Director is a new role at CTCL. You’ll build on our successful fundraising history by establishing new systems and building relationships to support our mission into the future. You will contribute to the development and implementation of a collaborative fundraising strategy. The Development Director will report directly to the Chief Strategy Officer, and work closely with the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer, and other members of the Leadership Team.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to a multi-organizational fundraising strategy. Collaborate with partners to inform the overall strategy. Execute CTCL-specific initiatives, and forecast contributed revenue. Serve as a representative for CTCL and its programmatic partners when relevant.

• Manage a portfolio of donors and foundations. Manage relationships, and solicit gifts directly. Write grant proposals. Track and lead meetings both virtual and in-person meetings with donors and foundation staff, including travel to conferences, retreats, and events.

• Support other individuals’ fundraising efforts as needed. Conduct background research and prepare memos to equip others for donor meetings. Help others apply for relevant grants. Grow CTCL’s prospects pipeline.

• Manage internal systems. Establish and maintain a donor management system. Oversee grant calendar, and coordinate with Communications department and legal counsel to facilitate timely input and review of related materials. Maintain data integrity.

• Serve as a member of CTCL’s leadership team. Surface and consider cross-departmental questions, challenges, and feedback; act as a thought partner to inform responses. Demonstrate organizational values and champion organizational decisions with staff, partners, and other external audiences.

Qualifications

To be successful in this role, you will excel in all of these must-have areas:

• Nonprofit Development Leadership - You have successfully executed fundraising strategies, solicited major gifts ($100k+), and managed grants from various sources. You’re comfortable working in CRMs and grant portals. You understand 501(c)(3) regulations, and you ensure compliance.

• Impactful Communication - You speak and write in clear, compelling, and nonpartisan ways, and you tailor your messaging to your specific audience. You’ve built long-term relationships with donors. You are skilled at soliciting donations in meetings and writing grant proposals. You use discretion to protect sensitive information.

• Mission-Driven Initiative - You prioritize your individual work to serve a broader mission. You make timely decisions with the information available to you. You know when to say no, to protect focus and capacity for mission-critical priorities.

• Project Management - You have translated high-level goals into clear project plans. You've coordinated internal and external stakeholders to make steady progress through multiple phases of work.

• Commitment to CTCL’s Mission and Values - You believe in democracy and care about excellent election administration. Your work is shaped by determination, inclusion, curiosity, collaboration, and reflection.

This position must be performed within the United States. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire. The Company does not sponsor or assume sponsorship of employment visas.

Experience with people management, familiarity with the democracy landscape, CFRE certification, and CRM/systems management are all pluses, but they are not required for this role.

Application Process

• Click “Apply” below to upload your resume and answer some initial questions. You will only be considered if you submit through CTCL’s careers site. This should take approximately 30 minutes.

• We’ll email a status update to every applicant within two weeks of applying. Please check your spam folder if you don’t see an email from us. If you are selected to move forward in our process, we’ll invite you to a phone interview to better understand your qualifications.

• If you are selected to move forward, we’ll invite you to complete a job simulation, followed by a video interview. You’ll demonstrate your qualifications, tell us more about how you’ve applied them previously, and learn more about this role and our team. The simulation is designed to take no more than 2 hours. The video interview will take about 1 hour.

• If you are selected as one of the finalists, we’ll conduct a reference check to determine if you are the best fit for the position.

Employees and job applicants are protected from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. These protections apply to all employment decisions, including recruitment, hiring, performance evaluations, promotions, training, and career development. Additionally, CTCL provides to employees and applicants reasonable accommodations for disabilities; for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.