Sr. Director, Strategic Partnerships & Development chez Heartland Alliance International

Job Description

Job Title:          Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships & Development

Location:          Chicago, IL U.S.

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Job Type:          Regular, Full-Time

Classification:  Exempt

Department:      Fundraising / Business Development

Reports To:        Co-Executive Directors

About Heartland Alliance International: Heartland Alliance International (HAI) implements programming on a broad range of human rights issues globally, as well as the Chicago-based Marjorie Kovler Center, which serves individuals from more than 60 countries. HAI has significant expertise in the fields of trauma-informed mental health care and access to justice for survivors of human rights abuses. It is also an industry leader in access to high quality and stigma-free health care. Across all its programs, HAI promotes progressive, innovative approaches to human rights protections and gender equality.

Summary: The Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development will lead and execute a comprehensive fundraising and strategic partnership strategy that supports both our domestic and international programs. This role requires a seasoned fundraising professional with a proven track record of securing diverse funding opportunities via private and institutional donors including individuals, foundations, corporations, domestic and international government agencies, and multilateral organizations, among others. The ideal candidate will have strong ties to the philanthropic community, experience working in multicultural environments, and preferably, direct experience fundraising for programs in Chicago as well as countries in the LAC region, especially Colombia.

This is a hands-on leadership role that combines strategic vision with tactical execution. The Senior Director will be expected to write compelling proposals, collaborate on budgets, develop donor communications, and open doors to new funding opportunities. In 2026, HAI’s goal is to raise $10M+ annually to support programming.

Key Responsibilities:

Fundraising Strategy and Execution

• Research funding sources and trends to position HAI ahead of major shifts in the foreign aid and philanthropic landscape.
• Develop and implement a strategic fundraising plan to grow unrestricted and program-specific revenue to support a $10M+ revenue target.
• Leverage existing relationships to secure high-level meetings and funding opportunities.
• Expand and diversify HAI’s current donor base and explore potential additional revenue streams, including major gifts and corporate giving.
• Within 6 months of hiring, secure or advance at least $1M USD in new or renewed funding opportunities (including at least $500k for international work) through a combination of grant submissions, donor engagement, and partnerships.
• Build a robust donor pipeline and calendar that projects at least $3M in realistic new funding opportunities over the first 12 months.

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship

• Identify and cultivate relationships with new donors, with a focus on supporting both domestic and international human rights work.
• Manage and grow a diverse portfolio of private and institutional donors.
• Lead the development of grant proposals, concept notes, and donor reports in collaboration with program and finance teams.
• Establish an annual donor engagement cadence and campaign calendar to drive consistent and strategic fundraising efforts.

Proposal Development and Budgeting

• Lead the end-to-end proposal development process, including writing, editing, and coordinating inputs from technical and finance teams with strict adherence to deadlines.
• Work closely with finance to develop accurate and compelling budgets for proposals.
• Ensure final proposals meet all compliance standards and solicitation requirements.
• Ensure proposals are aligned with donor priorities and HAI’s mission.

Strategic Partnerships

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships across key revenue streams and peer organizations.
• Represent HAI in key philanthropic and policy networks, particularly those focused on Chicago, Latin America, and Colombia.
• Collaborate with internal teams to align fundraising efforts with programmatic priorities and organizational strategy.

Campaigns, Events and Communications

• Evaluate and lead donor engagement strategies, including possible fundraising events.
• Manage and implement donor campaigns, including year-end giving and targeted appeals.
• Oversee donor communications and marketing materials in collaboration with communications staff.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This role will supervise the Associate Director, Business Development, located in Chicago and work closely with the International Program Manager, Communications Coordinator, and external grant-writing and fundraising consultants. As fundraising capacity grows, the Senior Director will be responsible for building and leading a development team.

Education and Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in fundraising, business development, or strategic partnerships, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated success in securing six-figure gifts from private and institutional donors.
• Familiarity with philanthropic landscapes in the U.S. (particularly Chicago) and the LAC region (particularly Colombia).
• Commitment to human rights, social justice, and inclusive leadership.
• Existing network of philanthropic contacts relevant to HAI’s mission.
• Fluency in Spanish is a strong asset.
• Experience with CRM systems (e.g., Virtuous).

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities (K/S/A):

• Ability to work independently in a start-up environment.
• Ability to work across multicultural teams and international contexts.

• Strong writing and editing skills, with experience drafting proposals.

• Problem-solver, communicates strategies efficiently, and negotiates effectively.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365.

Work Arrangement: This role is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement based in Chicago, Illinois.

Work Environment: HAI has a dynamic and collaborative work environment. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Regularly required to communicate effectively, including talking and hearing.
• Frequently required to sit, use hands to handle or feel, and reach with hands and arms.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement:

Heartland Alliance International makes all hiring and employment decisions, and operates all programs, services, and functions without regard to race, receipt of an order of protection, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, amnesty, physical or mental disability, protected veterans status, genetic information, sexual orientation, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief, use of FMLA, VESSA, military, and family military rights, ex-offender status (depending on the offense and position to be filled), unfavorable military discharge, membership in an organization whose primary purpose is the protection of civil rights or improvement of living conditions and human relations, height, weight, or HIV infection, in accord with the organization's AIDS Policy Statement of September 1987.