The posting
Position Title: Director, Development Operations
Location: U.S. Hybrid (Arlington,VA); or U.S. Remote (proximity to Washington, DC area preferred).
Department: Development
Reports to: Vice President, Development
POSITION SUMMARY
The Director of Development Operations leads the operations and operating strategy for the Development team. This role is a strategic leadership position responsible for building an integrated, scalable revenue operation for Winrock. Reporting to the Vice President of Development, this role is key to ensuring senior fundraising leadership’s ability to build strategic donor and partner relationships, grow and diversify revenue, lead major solicitations and negotiations, engage key stakeholders and set fundraising strategy. The Director oversees Winrock’s competitive and non-competitive proposal operations ensuring Winrock has the systems, processes, capacity, and quality standards needed to translate qualified pipeline opportunities into competitive submissions and new awards.
The Director of Development Operations owns the operational systems, processes, data, forecasting, and execution disciplines that make sustained fundraising performance possible across Winrock’s diverse funding streams. Critical functions include leadership for annual planning, pipeline management and forecasting; oversight of competitive proposal and capture operations; philanthropy and individual fundraising operations; development of standard operating procedures and performance standards; support for training and capability building.
This position manages day-to-day operations of the development function, supervises development operations across Winrock’s diverse funder portfolios, and oversees broader fundraising operations as the organization scales.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
Development Systems, Data & Analytics (35%)
- Oversee the systems, data and technology that ensures that Winrock’s Development Team focuses the right people on the right funders at the right time with the right engagement strategy
- Oversee Salesforce CRM technology stack, administration, and data governance across the Development team and in collaboration with other teams like Information Technology, Private Sector Engagement and Programs, including fundraising software platforms (such as Network for Good and DAFpay), prospect research software (such as Donor Search), and integrations, in partnership with IT and when applicable other functional areas
- Oversee the utilization and maintenance of event platform and event data as well as event analytics to inform stewardship and cultivation strategies
- Set data quality standards and oversee management of gift and donor data
- Establish and maintain knowledge management systems and document/proposal repositories like knowledge library, bid calendars, cases for support, core fundraising materials and language and resource allocation across the pipeline
Fundraising Operations & Business Processes (35%)
- Oversee all the standard operating procedures for the Development Team regarding fundraising, business development, and stewardship for competitive grants and philanthropy from US government, Official Development Assistance, Major Donors, Corporations and Foundations.
- Design and maintain fundraising and business development workflows, systems, and Standard Operating Procedures including competitive RFP process from pre-positioning through award negotiation to implementation handoff and including philanthropic and individual giving processes such as major gift cultivation, corporate and foundation relations, gift processing and acknowledgements, donor privacy and prospect research and donor intelligence.
- Lead continuous process improvement across both the competitive RFP proposal lifecycle and fundraising moves management and portfolio management.
- Lead team project management and workflow coordination across development operations.
- Manage pipeline and revenue forecasting across all revenue streams (government, bilateral/multi-lateral, foundation, corporate, and individual giving) including the development and maintenance of pipeline reporting, KPI dashboards, regular and ongoing general revenue updates, and the board- and executive-level reporting on fundraising performance.
- Oversee development budgeting, procurement, and financial reconciliation in partnership with Finance.
- Coordinate cross-functional collaboration between Development, Programs, Finance, Awards Management, and Compliance.
- Supervise and mentor development operations staff; lead change management, system adoption, and training initiatives, and foster a culture of continuous learning and excellence.
- Oversee prospect research and qualification, including wealth screening including portfolio analytics and relationship mapping to inform portfolio assignments and pipeline strategy.
- Oversee the execution of gift processing.
Shared Proposal & Capture Services (including Competitive RFPs) (30%)
This role oversees the shared services of staff and consultants who provide surge capacity for capture and proposal development for USG, ODA, and Philanthropy. For philanthropy opportunities, this role also oversees the staff – and may from time-to-time directly provide – grant production, editing, stewardship reporting support, and proposal coordination.
- Manage the team of full-time staff and consultants supporting fundraising data and technology as well as proposal management.
- Provide SDA approval on behalf of the Development team for all Go/No-Go and Bid/No-Bid decisions.
- Approve the resourcing plans for pursuit and proposal delivery by overseeing proposal managers, proposal coordinators, writers/editors, and graphics and production support and managing consultant network.
- Support Director of USG Portfolio and Director of Philanthropy Portfolio in capture activities, including partner identification and vetting, and qualification of high-level individual and institutional funders.
- Oversee the development of cost-competitive budgets, budget narratives, and financial projections aligned with technical approaches.
- Lead team reviews and ensure proposal quality, responsiveness, and compliance.
- Support the negotiation of contract terms, conditions, and modifications with donors; review and interpret solicitation requirements, translating them into actionable pursuit strategies.
- Support award start-up planning and implementation, team briefings, and maintain institutional knowledge of donor requirements, regulations, and emerging priorities.
POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Bachelor's degree in a relevant field required; advanced degree in business or non-profit administration (or another relevant field) preferred.
Experience: Minimum of 10 years of Development Operations experience with at least 6 years with demonstrated success in managing and leading high-performing Development Operations teams whose activities support:
- individual giving (major giving, annual giving, gift processing, stewardship, events);
- institutional philanthropy (corporate and foundation grants);
- business development functions, including resource management and quality oversight for RFP-driven contracting.
Skills & Competencies:
Development Operations & Revenue Forecasting
- Proven track record of managing a Development / Fundraising Operations function and team.
- Strategic thinker with strong analytical and research skills.
Proposal Operations & Resource Management
- Experience establishing and continuously improving proposal-management systems, processes, tools, templates, and quality standards that enable teams to execute consistently and efficiently.
- Experience managing department-level and opportunity-specific budgets and external services. Demonstrated ability to manage proposal workloads and surge capacity, including determining staffing needs and effectively deploying employees, consultants, and other technical resources across multiple concurrent opportunities.
- Strong project, time, and priority management in a fast-paced environment.
Cross-Functional Leadership and Collaboration
- Strong experience partnering with technical, finance, awards management, and senior leadership teams to resolve proposal risks and ensure technically responsive, financially sound, and compliant submissions.
Communication and Influence
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present complex information in clear, compelling narratives.
- Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to engage diverse internal and external (as needed) stakeholders.
- High level of professionalism, creativity, and diplomatic interpersonal skills.
Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office is required, including Copilot, required. Experience with CRM platform required. Salesforce strongly preferred.
Language: English proficiency required
Travel: Up to 15% domestic and occasional international travel for team meetings and organizational events
Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible but no later than November 18, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
The salary range for this position is $155,000 - 170,000 annually, commensurate with experience, skills, and internal equity. Winrock offers competitive pay and an excellent benefits package.
No phone calls, please. Candidates selected to move forward will be contacted by email.
Winrock is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by law.
At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation.
