The Luminos Fund, an international nonprofit bringing education opportunities to the world’s most vulnerable children, seeks a Director of Development to contribute to its rapid growth and expansion.

The Director of Development will play a central role in Luminos fundraising and donor stewardship. The successful candidate will be passionate about education for the most vulnerable children. Additionally, they will be a talented communicator, excellent writer, capable project leader, exceptionally detail oriented, and focused on delighting Luminos donors. They will bring a proven track record of seeking, cultivating, and honoring long-term funding relationships with smart, technical donors. The Director of Development will join an energetic and collaborative team at Luminos, reporting to the VP of Development & Communications.

This full-time position can be based anywhere in the GMT -5 to +3 time zones (e.g., Boston, London, Addis Ababa, etc.). It will involve a certain amount of international travel to challenging contexts in the developing world.

ABOUT THE LUMINOS FUND

The Luminos Fund (www.luminosfund.org) provides transformative education programs to thousands of out-of-school children, helping them to catch up to grade level, reintegrate into government schools, and prepare for lifelong learning. Working in partnership with community-based organizations, Luminos is scaling up its accelerated learning program to ensure all children have equal access to joyful, foundational learning, especially those shut out of education by crisis, poverty, or discrimination. To date, Luminos has helped over 218,541 children secure a second chance to learn. A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Luminos is working in Ethiopia, Ghana, Lebanon, Liberia, and The Gambia.

Luminos is supported by a range of funding partners, including Cartier Philanthropy, The LEGO Foundation, and UBS Optimus Foundation. Luminos has been recognized for its achievements globally, receiving the 2022 Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prize, the Library of Congress International Literacy Award, the Lipman Family Prize, the WISE Award, and the HundrED Global Innovation Award for the last six years.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Conduct proactive research on potential donors including their giving levels, areas of interest, and preferred geographies.
Identify high priority funding gaps, timelines, and approaches in collaboration with Luminos leadership.
Introduce Luminos to potential donors and spark their interest through persuasive stories, factual communications, enthusiasm, careful listening, and timely follow up.
Develop on-brand, informative, and beautiful PowerPoint presentations in coordination with the Development & Communications team.
Prepare, write, finalize, and submit complex funding applications on time and with top quality, managing any inputs from and/or reviews by Programs, Finance, or Luminos leadership.
Pivot easily from storytelling about the magic of Luminos classrooms to referencing the latest education sector research and data, depending on the audience’s interests.
Track deadlines and next steps with exacting precision. Manage competing priorities and tight deadlines.
Secure six- and seven-digit grants and catalytic major gifts from foundations and philanthropists in support of the Luminos education mission. As required, support on major funding opportunities with bilateral donors.
Develop and maintain long-term, trusting relationships with donors. Help them understand the incredible impact of their support for vulnerable children – and the depth of Luminos’ gratitude. Ensure all possible renewals.
Author and project-manage timely, informative, correct, and compelling grant reports.
Help host seamless donor trips, showcasing the impact of our education programs, in tight collaboration with Programs colleagues, senior leadership, and local partners.
As required, support the organization of special events and webinars that are informative and delightful.
Collaborate with and mentor Development colleagues, as well as other Luminos staff who support on fundraising.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field, plus a minimum of 8 years’ professional experience including in a senior role in nonprofit fundraising.
Demonstrated passion for international development reflected either in professional accomplishments or lived experience.
Professional experience in a high-growth environment or through a time of significant change.
Proven achievement managing ambitious fundraising strategies across multiple donor channels.
Track record of taking initiative, deepening current relationships, and unlocking new financial support – including with extremely smart, technical donors.
Experience planning, leading, and managing major fundraising projects and campaigns, including coordinating with colleagues and others to achieve desired outcomes, and tracking and reporting on progress to senior leadership and boards.
Demonstrated excellence in organizational, managerial, and communication skills.
Skilled in creating powerful, compelling written and oral communications for a wide range of donor audiences. Ability to convey complex ideas through brief, simple materials. Experience and credibility when presenting materials.
Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills. Intrinsic understanding that errors destroy donor trust.
Proven success collaborating with colleagues, including Development, Communications, Programs, and Finance. Skilled at establishing and cultivating strong relationships with peers across different levels of the organization and externally.
Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM platforms.
Fluency in written and spoken English.

Core Attributes

Belief and demonstrated passion for the mission, vision, and values of the Luminos Fund.
Impeccable integrity and can-do attitude. Readiness to collaborate with colleagues on time-sensitive proposals, reports, and other key deliverables.
Meticulous attention to details large and small.
Ability to juggle multiple assignments under deadline.
Natural curiosity and hunger for continuous learning.
Innate sense of responsibility for delivery of quality work, even in adverse circumstance.
Self-motivated with the ability to work independently in challenging international contexts, as required.
Natural affinity for technology.
Readiness to problem solve creatively on a myriad of fronts, often outside regular business hours.
Passion for amplifying global voices and advancing narratives with leaders from the Global South as the protagonists of social change.
Experience working with diverse constituents, teams, and colleagues.

The Luminos Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.