Development Director

Organization Profile:

NESsT is an international non-profit organization with offices in Latin America and Europe and a global leadership team based in the U.S. NESsT's major goal is to transform lives by investing in social enterprises that provide dignified employment for communities facing isolation, discrimination, lack of job skills and poor education while sustaining the planet. We believe that locally based social enterprises are uniquely qualified to transform these communities. These enterprises are on the ground, have the trust of the communities, and have created businesses aligned with their best interests.

We accomplish our mission by managing an impact incubator to accelerate early-stage social enterprises and by managing impact funds to invest in enterprises that are profitable and looking to scale their operations to have a stronger and more sustainable social impact. The accelerator is financed by donations and grants; the impact funds are financed by investment capital.

Founded in 1997, we are a leading early-stage impact investor in emerging markets, where we have financed 309 enterprises that have improved the lives of more than 3,3 million vulnerable individuals.

Find out more about NESsT: www.nesst.org.

Position Overview:

NESsT is seeking a Development Director to lead the organization’s development strategy and oversee its day-to-day fundraising activities including working with the CEO to set annual goals, identifying and cultivating leads and prospects, preparing grant concept papers and proposals, overseeing development reports and updates, organizing fundraising events and campaigns, and generating and analyzing fundraising metrics.

This position is for a motivated individual interested in supporting the growth of a long-standing entrepreneurship and impact investing organization.

The Director will provide strategic leadership in advancing NESsT’s fundraising and investor relations strategy, ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission to grow high-impact social enterprises in emerging markets. This role will oversee the creation of compelling fundraising and due diligence materials that communicate NESsT’s impact, investment thesis, and financial performance to a broad range of stakeholders.

A key partner to the CEO and senior leadership team, the Director will play a central role in investor and donor outreach—cultivating and managing relationships with development finance institutions, banks, corporations, family offices, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals (HWNIs). Post-commitment, they will lead stewardship efforts by delivering timely, mission-aligned communication and reporting highlighting NESsT’s measurable social and environmental outcomes.

The Director will work closely with the Chief Financial Officer to monitor campaign progress, evaluate return on investment, and ensure alignment with NESsT’s strategic goals and budget. They will also collaborate with internal teams to implement innovative sales and marketing strategies that expand funding opportunities. Additionally, the Director may work with board members, contribute to governance-level engagement, and support recruitment and onboarding of new hires as the development team grows.

Managing multiple fundraising initiatives simultaneously—including events, donor engagement campaigns, and direct outreach—the Director will ensure projects are delivered on time and within scope. Leveraging strong communication and problem-solving skills, they will coordinate cross-functional efforts and resolve challenges that arise across campaigns, events, and meetings.

This position reports directly to the CEO and collaborates closely with the development and finance teams. Approximately 10% travel is expected, primarily within the U.S. and occasionally to Europe.

Team Overview:

The Director will lead/manage the Development team, which consists of a full-time Development Associate plus part-time interns and consultants. The Director will work closely with the CEO, in cultivating major prospects and managing major donors and investors. They will collaborate with Country Directors in Poland, Romania, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru in managing donor and investor outreach efforts at the local level. They will also work closely with the Acceleration and Impact Director to ensure that all fundraising activities reflect NESsT’s program strategy and include the most updated and relevant impact and program information.

Position Responsibilities:

• Design development strategy: Work with the management team to identify funding needed, preferred funding targets, and approaches

• Manage development team: Oversee associates and interns and coordinate fundraising efforts across the organization, with the CEO and Country Directors

• Fundraising:

o Conduct research, prospecting, and application to multiple investor/donor sources.

o Manage a portfolio of donors/investors from prospecting to cultivation, closing, and renewal.

o Set annual development goals in coordination with C-level staff.

o Support the CEOs and the Country Directors in their fundraising outreach.

o Work closely with the Acceleration Impact Director on strategy and KPIs for proposals and reports.

o Work closely with the Board of Directors to expand NESsT’s major donor and investor networks, including High Networth Individuals.

• Proposal writing and Reporting: Lead and oversee, in collaboration with the organization’s communications team, the development of NESsT materials, including pitches and proposals.

• Communicate and train: Train and mentor development staff and communicate fundraising goals and progress throughout the organization. Document best practices and systems in a way that can build the organization’s long-term development capacity.

• Systems: Maintain online fundraising systems to keep accurate information on NESsT’s donors and investors (amounts, reports, etc.) and efficiently manage donor/investor relationships.

Qualifications:

Development/Fundraising: Proven success in business development, corporate development or fundraising for a large organization (mid-size or large nonprofit). Experience running capital campaigns and successful fundraising from multiple channels. Experience in an international NGO is required
Project Leadership: Experience in planning, leading, and managing business development projects, including coordinating with peers to achieve desired outcomes and tracking and reporting on progress to senior managers/board of directors.

• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Takes initiative and actively seeks to deepen current donor relationships and to forge new ones.

• Communications: Skilled in creating robust, compelling written and oral communications for fundraising. Ability to convey complex ideas through brief, simple materials. Experience and credibility when presenting materials to external audiences.

• Influencing: Gets others to accept ideas using convincing arguments, creates a win-win situation and responds appropriately to key stakeholders.

• Collaboration: Effective at working with others to reach common goals and objectives.

• Relationship Building: Skilled at establishing and cultivating strong relationships with peers, across different levels of the organization and externally.

Other Position Requirements:

• 10 years of relevant experience in international NGO fundraising

• Background and interest in social entrepreneurship, impact investing, and the nonprofit sector

• Applicable undergraduate college degree; MBA, CFA, CAIA a plus.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Excellent verbal and written skills in English.

• Ability to effectively work under pressure, manage multiple tasks simultaneously and produce high-quality work within tight time constraints.

• Ability to be flexible, resourceful, and innovative in a small, dynamic, non-profit environment.

• Familiarity and comfort with Microsoft Apps and Tools, Salesforce, Grantseeker or any other fundraising tools, among others.

• Good verbal and written skills in Spanish would be a plus.

NESsT offers a competitive salary with benefits in the non-profit sector. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of a meaningful global organization that is changing the world by investing in emerging-market businesses that offer employment, sustainable income, and an improved quality of life for people who face the greatest barriers to work.

Location: Preferably on the East Coast of the US.

Schedule: 9- 6 with one hour lunch break or 9 – 6

Start Date: June 2025

To apply, you'll need:

• • A cover letter in English explaining why you're the right fit for this role.

• • Your resume

• Deadline for applications: April 30th

NESsT is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.