Vice-President of Development and Partnership

As a leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, Challenger Center provides more than 250,000 students annually with experiential education programs that engage students in hands-on learning opportunities. These programs, delivered in Challenger Learning Centers and classrooms, strengthen knowledge in STEM subjects and inspire students to pursue careers in these important fields. Challenger Center was created by the Challenger families to honor the crew of shuttle flight STS-51-L.

Vice President, Development and Partnerships 

You have high expectations for yourself and your career. So does Challenger Center. Imagine what we will achieve together. You've worked hard to get where you are today. You want your next step to be the right one. And now you're ready to use your unique skills, talents, and personality to achieve great things.

As the Vice President, Development and Partnerships, you will lead the Challenger Center’s efforts to identify, cultivate, and steward donors and strategic partners. You will solicit contributions from government entities, corporations, foundations, and individuals including grant proposals. You will serve as front-line customer service for our donors. You will be expected to represent Challenger Center educational strategy and programs, in partnership with Challenger Learning Center, the STEM education community, federal and state government leaders, the business community, and foundations and other grant making organizations. This includes active participation in national and regional education forums of significance to Challenger Center. 

You will be a member of the Senior Leadership team reporting to the President and CEO and play a critical role in ensuring that the organization stays on path to meet its strategic goals.

To be successful, you should have:

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience.
• Experience/background in STEM education community and fundraising.
• Experience securing and stewarding large donations from corporate, foundation, individual and government sources. 
• Experience applying/managing large, complex grants; federal grant experience preferred.
• Meticulous and highly organized.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, and shift priorities and resources as needed.  
• Excellent writing/editing and verbal communication skills. 
• Ability to evaluate, negotiate and oversee work with external vendors and partners. 
• Ability to effectively represent and speak on behalf of Challenger Center. 
• Commitment to collaborate with all staff across all teams.  
• Strong computer skills especially in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, donor databases (e.g., Salesforce, Bloomerang, Raisers Edge, etc.).

Your key responsibilities as the Vice President, Development and Partnerships will include:

• Lead the Development and Partnerships team, conduct prospect research; draft proposals, solicitations, and reports; and act as front-line customer service for our donors.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders in partnership development, monitor grant spending, program delivery, and donor/partnership stewardship.
• Serve as the representative for our donors and partners to continually recommend opportunities to improve organization efficiency and effectiveness. 
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the sustainability of Challenger Center and Challenger Learning Centers, while finding ways to increase our reach.

 Additional responsibility will include, but are not limited to:

Planning & Strategy

• Lead the Development & Partnerships department to achieve/exceed fundraising goals.
• Develop business and sales strategies for Challenger Center products.
• Monitor fundraising trends, adjusting strategies to align with the current environment.
• Collaborate with leadership and the board to shape and execute organizational strategy.
• Implement marketing strategies to boost brand awareness and donor engagement.

Leadership

• Serve as a member of the Senior Leadership team to help ensure vision is at the forefront of all programs and organization stays on path to meet goals.
• Oversee department projects, budgets, and annual plans, ensuring timely execution and alignment with strategic goals.
• Identify roadblocks, adjust plans, and keep stakeholders informed.

Fundraising & Partnerships

• Identify and cultivate individual and institutional donors and partnership opportunities.
• Manage donor relationships and oversee creation of grants, proposals, and other solicitation materials.
• Represent Challenger Center at events and support Board of Directors with updates and staff leadership.

Administration

• Manage external vendors, stay informed on industry trends, and support team activities and office needs.

Benefits:

We value our employees’ time and efforts. Our commitment to your success is enhanced by our competitive compensation of $130k - $140K annually depending on experience,  and extensive benefits package for all full-time employees. Plus, we work to maintain the best possible environment for our employees, where people can learn and grow with the company. We strive to provide a collaborative, creative environment where each person feels encouraged to contribute to our processes, decisions, planning, and culture.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.