Director of Business Development Job Description

Position Summary

The Director of Business Development at Innovation Works (IW) is a senior leader responsible for supporting and advancing the mission of IW’s Business Development Department. Under the leadership of the Chief Business Development Officer, this department drives IW’s fundraising, relationship management, strategic initiatives, and policy and advocacy work. The Director is charged with developing and sustaining revenue-generating partnerships with local, state, and national funders — including foundations, federal agencies, corporations, and community investment organizations — to ensure long-term organizational sustainability and growth.

This role manages the department’s day-to-day fundraising operations, supervises the Grant Writer and any future business development team members, and oversees a high-value portfolio of relationships and funding opportunities. The Director plays a key role in setting and executing strategic development plans, ensuring alignment with IW’s evolving programming, financial goals, and regional/national impact strategies.

Primary Responsibilities

Fundraising Management and Strategic Development

• Lead the design and execution of a comprehensive development strategy to achieve and exceed IW’s annual fundraising targets.
• Own the revenue pipeline and fundraising funnel, including identifying new prospects, managing cultivation strategies, writing and reviewing proposals, and closing funding agreements.
• Supervise the Grant Writer and guide strategic assignments of leads and opportunities, ensuring continuous development and cultivation of a robust funding pipeline.
• Work closely with IW program leads to understand programmatic needs and opportunities; collaborate with Accounting to align fundraising with financial forecasts and departmental needs.
• Direct efforts to secure and grow multi-sector partnerships with corporations, foundations, government entities, and investment organizations.
• Develop annual and multi-year departmental strategies that align with organizational goals.
• Support and advise the Chief Business Development Officer on organizational sustainability efforts, including strategic planning, diversification of funding sources, and donor engagement.
• Represent IW in national consortia and collaborative networks, strengthening visibility and attracting mission-aligned funding.

Grant Management and Team Leadership

• Provide executive oversight of the entire grant lifecycle — from pipeline and proposal development through compliance and reporting.
• Collaborate with the Grant Writer on high-impact grant strategies, language development, proposal review, and submission planning.
• Lead implementation of Salesforce CRM use and pipeline dashboards to monitor and report on grant status, relationship stages, and performance metrics.
• Ensure best practices in grant compliance, documentation, funder stewardship, and outcomes tracking.
• Develop and implement tools and systems, including:
  - Proposal development calendars and review protocols
  - Funder-specific compliance and reporting schedules
  - Grant budget utilization monitoring
  - Post-award grant stewardship processes
  - Templates and dashboards for streamlined grant development
• Coordinate with Accounting to ensure accurate allocations and timely reporting.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communications

• Direct outreach to key stakeholder groups — including corporate sponsors, legislators, and community partners — to build long-term institutional relationships.
• Lead legislative engagement strategy and execution, building relationships with local, state, and federal policymakers.
• Oversee DE&I data collection and funder reporting, ensuring IW communicates impact with transparency and rigor.
• Serve as a primary spokesperson at key stakeholder events, forums, and national conferences to elevate IW’s profile and develop strategic connections.

Additional Responsibilities

• Serve as IW’s relationship lead for rural economic development partnerships and strategic university collaborations.
• Ensure proper use and maintenance of CRM systems for donor and prospect tracking.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in business development, fundraising, and relationship management, preferably in entrepreneurial, nonprofit, or social innovation environments.
• Understanding of the venture capital and investment banking sectors is a big plus.
• Demonstrated success in securing significant public and private funding and managing multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Prior experience supervising grant writing professionals and leading cross-functional fundraising teams.
• Strong familiarity with federal and philanthropic funding environments and compliance frameworks.
• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM systems for tracking and pipeline management.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Key Attributes

• Visionary leadership with strategic thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset
• Exceptional writing, communication, and storytelling capabilities
• Strong financial acumen and ability to align fundraising with organizational priorities
• Proven ability to inspire, develop, and manage a high-performance team
• Commitment to equity, transparency, and accountability
• Deep understanding of the regional and national funding landscape
• Ability to build trust and manage relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Flexibility to travel and represent IW at regional and national engagements
• Established network in the philanthropic, corporate, or government sector is a strong plus

Innovation Works provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.