Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships

The Worker Rights Consortium is hiring a Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships. This person will lead the WRC’s fundraising operations to maintain and grow our budget, currently over $2.5 million annually, including working with foundations, individual donors, current and potential university affiliates, and other funding sources.

We seek talented, creative, and energetic candidates who have either a strong record of achievement as a fundraiser or a similarly strong record of achievement in other areas of public interest work, such as communications, advocacy, or organizing. Our ideal candidate is passionate about the fundraising that makes our work possible.

Worker Rights Consortium

The WRC is dedicated to ending sweatshop conditions and protecting the rights of workers in factories around the world that produce clothing and other consumer products. We conduct independent, in-depth investigations; issue public reports on factories producing for major brands; and help end labor abuses and protect workplace rights. We also advocate for systemic reforms in global manufacturing supply chains to address the economic dynamics underlying abusive conditions and open the door to broader positive change.

More than 150 universities and colleges in North America have affiliated to the WRC. The WRC aids these institutions in ensuring that the clothing that bears their names and logos is made under decent working conditions.

The WRC is based in Washington, DC, and has 26 staff located in the US and in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. We work closely with unions and civil society organizations in more than two dozen apparel-producing countries.

Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships

This person will lead the WRC’s overall fundraising operation, at the level of both strategy and implementation.

Areas of responsibility include:

• Maintaining existing relationships with foundation funders;
• Securing new institutional funders;
• Monitoring progress on grant work through regular communication with program staff; 
• Leading outreach to secure new university affiliates and engagement with existing university affiliates;
• Maintaining and expanding the WRC’s individual donor program;
• Supporting the WRC’s external communications strategy, including through the development of promotional materials;
• Working with partner organizations to pursue joint funding opportunities and to coordinate work on related projects;
• Maintaining records related to foundations, grants, and individual donors;
• Managing budget allocations, tracking spending, and conducting financial reporting across multiple grants;
• Contributing to financial planning and oversight; and
• Participating in the development of broader organizational strategy.

The WRC office is located in Washington, DC, but all staff members are currently working remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There is a strong preference for candidates who will be able to work from the DC office once our team returns to the office.

This position will report to the Executive Director.

Qualifications

Candidates must have:

• A minimum five years of relevant experience in fundraising for nonprofit organizations and/or progressive causes or campaigns or a combination of fundraising work and other relevant work experience, such as communications, advocacy, or organizing work;
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, including the ability to write grant proposals, as well as promotional and explanatory material geared to specific constituencies, and the ability to represent the organization in funder meetings and other venues;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to maintain working relationships with people from diverse backgrounds;
• Excellent organizational and project management skills and rigorous attention to detail;
• Ability to maintain high standards of ethics, integrity, and professionalism;
• Energy, enthusiasm, and a strong work ethic; and
• A commitment to workers’ rights.

The following are desirable but not required:

• Proven track record cultivating, soliciting, and maintaining relationships with various donor constituencies;
• Experience with organizational financial management; and
• Experience with labor rights work, domestically or internationally.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $80,000–$115,000, depending on relevant experience. The WRC provides an excellent benefits package, including 100% employer-paid family health insurance, including dental and vision care, with an additional flexible spending plan with employer contribution; 401(k) retirement plan with employer contribution; and five weeks paid vacation. This position is covered by a union contract.

Equal Opportunity

The WRC is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, religious creed, medical/physical/mental condition, veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. People of color, women, veterans, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The WRC is currently finalizing a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work plan; we are happy to share additional information upon request.

To Apply

Please send the following to recruitment@workersrights.org with “Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships” in the subject line:

• A cover letter;
• A résumé or CV;
• Two writing samples, preferably pieces from a work setting, preferably including excerpts from one grant proposal or an individual donor cultivation letter. These samples should be written by the applicant with limited editing; and
• Three references. (If you wish to be notified prior to any references being contacted, please so indicate.)

Applications that do not include all of the required materials will not be reviewed.

The position will be open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning on October 20.

An earlier version of this posting indicated that candidates should respond to question prompts rather than submitting a cover letter. Both applications with cover letters and those with responses to these question prompts will be reviewed.