Director of Development

The OrganizationsMerit America is a national nonprofit helping low-wage working adults transition into family-sustaining tech careers. By pairing flexible, part-time online training with dedicated coaching and employer placement (including partners like JPMorgan Chase and Infosys), Merit America has driven over $1 billion in projected wage gains since 2018. Meritus College is a nonprofit online college founded in 2025 to fix a broken higher-education system where most low-income students fail to graduate. Designed for working adults, it offers flexible, asynchronous associate degrees and stackable credentials paired with personalized coaching to deliver immediate career mobility. About the RoleMeritus College doesn't have a century of alumni wealth to call on. What it has is a bold, evidence-backed model, a founding team with credibility in both higher ed and philanthropy, and an open field for building a modern fundraising function that looks more like an early-stage nonprofit startup than a traditional university advancement office. We're looking for a Director of Development to join this founding team and help build that function. This is a hybrid role: part traditional higher-ed philanthropy (institutional funders and individual donors who care about post-secondary access and attainment), part startup-style fundraising (moving fast, building processes as you go, wearing multiple hats, working with founders, and engaging funders in the mission first - not the endowment). This role reports to the Managing Director of Development and works closely with Merit America's broader Development Team and Meritus College's academic and operating leadership. What You'll Be DoingThe primary responsibilities of the Director of Development will include, but are not limited to, the following:Build and Advance the Pipeline (50%)Identify, research, and cultivate new funding relationships across foundations, corporate partners, and individual donors who care about higher-ed innovation and economic mobility, bearing in mind that Meritus College does not have an alumni base to draw from.Lead proposal development with support from Merit America’s Development team, adapting fundraising narratives as Meritus College's model, outcomes, and proof points evolve.Bring an entrepreneurial lens to prospecting: apply the kind of hustle, creativity, and resourcefulness common in early-stage startup fundraising to a philanthropic context.Track and analyze pipeline health, funder trends, and outcomes to continuously sharpen strategy.Manage Donor and Prospect Relationships (30%)Lead a small portfolio of existing warm prospects and new 6- and 7-figure funding relationships, managing the full cycle from first outreach through solicitation, close, and stewardship – with a goal of advancing $10M in deals to proposal stage (or later) in your first year, with support from the broader Development Team.Write clear, engaging correspondence that connects Meritus College's data and mission to what funders care about.Represent Meritus College in funder meetings and presentations, including opportunities to bring in founders/academic leadership for key relationships.Ensure funders are stewarded and renewed thoughtfully to build long-term trust in a startup college reimagining higher education from the inside out.Build the Function (20%)Partner with Meritus College's academic, data, and operations teams to gather the proof points and impact data funders will want to see.In collaboration with Meritus College leadership, build the advancement function - bringing your expertise and perspectives on how a startup-minded fundraising function should look different from a traditional university advancement office. What Makes a Successful CandidateWe recognize that people from underrepresented backgrounds are often less likely to apply unless they meet every qualification. Don't let that be the reason you miss out — we encourage you to apply if you demonstrate many, not all, of the following: Must HavesExperience Building New Programs in Higher EducationExperience as the fundraising lead, or the close partner to the fundraising lead, on something a college or university was building for the first time: a new degree program, school, campus, institute, accredited entity, or a nonprofit incubated inside an institution.Working knowledge of accreditation, credit portability and transfer, academic model design, and the diligence institutional funders run on a new or newly accredited program.Track record of raising money or building partnerships, or of supporting the person or team who did. Familiar with what it takes to build a case for support while the proof points are still accumulating. Entrepreneurial & Startup MindsetBias for action: willing to prospect cold, draft the first version of a proposal template, and figure it out rather than wait for a fully formed process, while working quickly and collaboratively with the development team, college team, and executive leadership. You are self-directed and make good calls with incomplete information.Genuine comfort with ambiguity: this is a new college inside a growing organization, so strategy, goals, and the pitch itself will shift as we learn. A target funder list may need rebuilding after a new data point comes in. We need someone who finds that energizing.Track record of leveraging resources including AI to speed up and make more efficient tasks like research, drafting, and prospecting so a small team can punch above its weight.Communication & StorytellingExcellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate data and mission into a persuasive case for support.Comfort with pitching a new institution with credibility and honesty about what's proven and what's still being built.Confidence shaping an ambiguous narrative with prospective funders, including thinking with agility and creativity in conversations.Mission AlignmentGenuine belief in expanding access to higher education for working adults and non-traditional students, and enthusiasm for a model that looks different from a traditional four-year college.Alignment with Merit America's values: Think Big, Deliver Results, Win & Lose Together, Learn Constantly, Care Deeply, Enjoy the Ride. Nice to HaveDirect experience at a startup, scaling nonprofit, or other fast-moving, resource-constrained organization — comfortable operating without established playbooks, and energized by building rather than maintaining.Existing relationships with foundations or funders focused on postsecondary attainment, workforce development, or economic mobility.Experience with Salesforce or a comparable CRM.Comfort using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) to speed up research, drafting, and prospecting.Other Logistics This position is full-time: 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)Travel: Occasional travel required (up to 25% of time)Location: RemoteSalary: $148,000 along with the potential to earn an incentive bonus of up to $20,000 We take care of our employees by providing the following perks and benefits (please note that some of the benefits do not apply to temporary employees): Medical, Dental and Vision insurance (100% Paid Employee Only Coverage)Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings AccountDependent care Flexible Spending AccountHealth Reimbursement Account fully funded by MeritEducation & personal development reimbursementCatalog of courses for professional learning and developmentShort and long-term disabilityUnlimited vacation (after a 90-day introductory period)Paid Parental Leave and Adoption benefits (after 1 year of employment)11 federally recognized holidays2 week holiday office closure in December/January401(k) retirement plan with automatic Merit contributionWellness Benefits/Wellness ResourcesDiscount perks at work programPhone/technology stipendHome office setup stipendAffinity groups and community building via virtual, in-person, and/or regional meetups*Eligibility for some benefits may vary based on employment status, full-time or part-time. Eligibility will be outlined during the hiring process. Equal Opportunity StatementBuilding an inclusive, high-performing team that is diverse across lines of personal identity is integral to our success and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.This means we do not discriminate against any job applicant or employee because of their race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment.We actively strive and evolve to develop and maintain workspaces that are fully inclusive. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.