About JFF

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: By 2033, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 300 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.

We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.

DEIBW at JFF

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF’s North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and equitable career advancement opportunities. Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF.

We seek to invest in and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply.

About the Position

JFF has experienced a period of unprecedented growth in revenue, programming, and funding pursuit over the last 3-4 years. As such, the Development Team is expanding, both in number and function, to align with this growth and meet significant needs for more flexible resources to support organizational capacity and innovation. One of the main elements that will drive the success of JFF’s overall fundraising efforts is the introduction of several new positions including the Senior Manager, Development Communications & Stewardship.

Reporting to the Director, Development Communications & Stewardship, this role serves as a critical partner and point of coordination for development communications and stewardship, collaborating with colleagues on the Development Team as well as Business Unit staff. This new position presents an exciting opportunity for an experienced, creative, and highly organized individual, with a passion for and understanding of the impact of donor relations to sustain and grow JFF’s base of support. As a new role at JFF, the Senior Manager will have the chance to help build a best-in-class development communications and stewardship function at JFF to support our critical mission and goals. The ideal candidate for this role is a strong project manager who is customer service- and detail- oriented, with the ability to oversee multiple deliverables, be a strategic and consultative partner, and adapt to evolving priorities.

What You'll Do

Advance JFF’s fundraising goals by contributing to the stewardship and donor communications strategy

• Project manage, review, edit, and provide feedback on all reporting commitments associated with JFF’s funding (approximately 200+ reports per year)

• Oversee donor stewardship communications including acknowledgments, thank you notes, congratulatory, and condolence messages

• Collaborate with colleagues across Development and Marketing & Communications to design and implement a suite of development communications materials for Development colleagues and Business Units

• Manage donor recognition opportunities in the annual report and on the website as well as coming up with innovative ways to share their stories of impact

• Support the Director of Development Communications & Stewardship with conceptualizing and executing benefits levels across JFF

• Manage and implement tools to enhance the experience of our funders/donors such as Loopio (for content management) and ThankView (for digital acknowledgement)

Oversee and manage key administrative functions, including key fundraising components

• Enter, update and maintain relevant donor information and ensure that all donor stewardship activity is entered into the database

• Strategically utilize knowledge management and project management tools such as Salesforce, Asana, and other similar tools

Who You Are

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work.

• You bring experience designing, writing, editing, and collaborating with staff on donor communications in non-profits and/or social impact organizations. (New hires at the Senior Manager level at JFF typically bring 5-10 years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions)

• You have experience developing and executing development communications and stewardship initiatives for corporations, foundations, and high net worth individuals

• You are someone who likes to think outside of the box and is excited to develop a new area of development work for JFF

• You have experience building relationships across teams including but not limited to program staff, marketing and communication staff and development staff within a matrixed organization and place a premium on service-orientation and excellent communication; you build positive relationships with internal leaders and external stakeholders based on trust and building mutual understanding

• You have strong time management skills and can effectively execute across multiple workstreams and priorities

• You have experience using CRM tools (Salesforce) and see the value in maximizing the use of these tools

• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work

• You are energized by stewarding JFF’s DEIBW values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing the differences and celebrating the diversity that everyone brings to JFF

• You have leveraged professional development and other learning opportunities to stay current with advances in fundraising and development

• You value building positive and collaborative relationships with others, including people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own

What We Offer

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.

The hiring range for this role is $80,000 - $100,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Senior Manager salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.

To Apply

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Issac Mason, Director, Development Communications & Stewardship, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position.

We are accepting applications through February 6, 2025 at 5:00 pm ET. Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of February 17, 2025.

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org.

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.