Development Director

Educate! is seeking a strategic, dynamic, flexible, and systems-oriented Director of Development to lead and grow Educate!’s global development/fundraising function.

As Director of Development, you’ll report to the CEO and serve as a senior leader across the organization, overseeing a team of 9 . You’ll be responsible for managing a team across several countries, advancing our philanthropy strategy, leveling up our grants systems and storytelling, and cultivating a high‑performing team culture rooted in learning and accountability. You’ll serve alongside a peer leader who oversees the large contracting institutions (e.g. Gates, bilaterals).

We\’re looking for a stellar builder and manager—someone who enjoys coaching and mentoring people, and sees systems as a tool for scaling excellence, not bureaucracy. You know how to put structure in place without slowing down momentum, and you thrive in dynamic environments where the path forward isn’t always obvious. You’re excited to coach others, not afraid to jump into the work and solve hard problems, and evolve to respond to shifting external landscapes—from the AI revolution to shifting trends in global development and donor behavior.

We have a preference for candidates based in the UK or East Africa, but are open to remote employees in the US who can accommodate East Africa time zones. We are also open to discussing additional geographies for the right candidate.

What You’ll Do🌟 1. Steward and Scale Educate!\’s Development and Revenue Strategy

Oversee strategic foundation and high‑net‑worth revenue strategy, serving as vital partner to the CEO and coach and mentor to the Director of Philanthropy.

Manage a portfolio of funders and partners, building relationship management systems, best practices, and team capacity building the Philanthropy team.

Lead and grow Educate!’s grants function, including training and growing grant writing and reporting capacity for junior teammates and managers on the Philanthropy Team, while building and strengthening existing grants systems and processes that support growth.

Position Educate! for long‑term revenue growth by keeping a close pulse on emerging and/or shifting sector trends while adapting strategy and systems so Educate!’s development team remains dynamic.

2. Build and Improve Development Systems and Processes to Position for Growth

Identify key gaps and areas for improvement or growth within Educate!’s development team, and steward projects from ideation through implementation to improve systems and processes.

Design and implement scalable systems for grant writing, reporting, data practices, relationship management, and more.

Partner with teammates across the development team to strengthen team workflows, grant operations, and fundraising systems—leveraging tools like AI to increase efficiency and quality outputs.

3. Lead, Empower, and Grow Educate!’s High‑Performing Development Team

Serve as a coach and mentor for Educate!’s Philanthropy team, and as vital teammate to the US Managing Director, who oversees institutional (e.g. Gates Foundation) sales and delivery, and overall external team operations.

Oversee and manage overall team performance alongside Educate!’s US Managing Director, setting and guiding workflows, and overseeing overall team performance and growth.

Grow and strengthen Educate!’s high‑performing development team, identifying gaps and areas for growth, while developing and implementing key trainings and capacity building to continuously grow and level up the function (e.g., grant writing workshops, compliance trainings, etc.).

Lead strategy and management of key team workflows and coordination (e.g., team calls, organizing annual retreats, etc.).

Build and foster a fast‑paced, high‑performing culture of accountability, ownership, learning, and sharp execution.

4. Shape and Steward Educate!’s External Narrative

Develop and strengthen Educate!’s external narrative for support and investment, working closely with senior development team members to evolve the message in response to sector trends and insights.

Support the development of compelling, credible, and inspiring communication materials across the Philanthropy team.

Serve as vital teammate and thought partner to the CEO and coach and mentor to the Communications team on branding, messaging, and long‑term positioning of Educate!’s work and impact.

8+ years of work experience (including management and leadership experience).

Proven track record of leading and growing high‑performing teams within a fast‑paced and dynamic environment, with highest level of personal and professional integrity. Demonstrated experience managing dispersed teams and working across time zones preferred.

Experience building systems and processes for growth—from developing new workflows and infrastructure (e.g., grants, CRM, reporting) to coaching team members and fostering a culture of high performance.

Great communicator and storyteller, with the ability to distill complex ideas into compelling narratives across written and verbal formats.

Experience managing a portfolio of external partners and relationships preferred, and driving strategy and drafting high‑quality fundraising materials for diverse audiences (e.g., grant proposals, reports, etc.).

Strategic thinker with an ‘always learning’ mindset—comfortable navigating ambiguity, driving toward clarity, and evolving systems and approaches in dynamic environments.

A proactive self‑starter and extremely organized operator who isn’t afraid to jump in and/or steward projects from start to finish.

Passion for expanding economic opportunity and employment for young people — and belief in the potential of Africa’s youth.

Fits our Five Culture Tenets (see What is Educate! About? below); Learn more by looking at Educate!’s culture deck here.

Terms

Preference for candidates based in the UK or East Africa, but we’re open to remote employees in the US who can accommodate East Africa time zones. We are also open to discussing additional geographies for the right candidate.

Prior experience living and working in Africa is a plus. This role will require travel to East Africa.

#J-18808-Ljbffr