Senior Development Officer

POSITION TITLE: Senior Development Officer

LOCATION: Remote, USA (specific states listed below), Washington DC, or Geneva, Switzerland. Must possess valid work authorization.
SALARY RANGE: $75,000-$90,000 (12.5% increase applies in Switzerland)

DEADLINE: The priority application deadline is July 6, 2026. Applications submitted after that may not be reviewed

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) uses the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society. We work at the intersection of environmental protection and human rights, across sectors and borders, and in close collaboration with global partners and local communities to defend the right to a healthy planet.

The Senior Development Officer plays a critical role in advancing CIEL’s ambitious fundraising agenda by building new relationships with foundation and government funders, composing grant proposals and reports, and working with program and finance staff across the organization to advance fundraising strategy. 

The Senior Development Officer will draft and refine grant narrative content for a robust (primarily foundation-based) portfolio throughout the entire grant life-cycle, including prospecting, developing proposals, monitoring progress on grant awards, reporting, and renewals. The Senior Development Officer will craft high quality, accurate, and persuasive proposals and reports and ensure all proposal and reporting requirements are met.

This position will work closely with Leadership and Program staff to develop and sharpen strategies and clearly and compellingly convey CIEL’s work and impact for both general operating and project grants. The successful Senior Development Officer will contribute to the growth and retention of funding by collaborating with program staff to steward current funders while also identifying and cultivating new foundation prospects. They will maintain a funder portfolio, keeping many projects moving at once, and balancing numerous priorities and emerging opportunities while meeting firm deadlines. 

This position will require excellent writing ability, capacity to receive and integrate written and verbal feedback, strategic thinking, and deep commitment to CIEL’s mission, values, and goals.  This position is included in the CIEL staff unit of the Washington Baltimore News Guild union.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Grant Writing (60%)

• Develop and write compelling, substantive, outcomes-oriented, grant proposals and reports, collaborating across programs to develop project narratives, objectives, and deliverables that are aligned with CIEL’s mission, strategic priorities, and capabilities. 
• Coordinate with the finance department to meet grant budgeting and reporting deadlines.
• Collaborate with relevant staff to align donor interest with grant deliverables, distill relevant material for proposals and reports, coordinate the drafting processes and review loops, and deliver high-quality, timely final products to foundation and government funders.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant internal and external deadlines and standards. 

Portfolio Management (35%)

• Maintain a portfolio of institutional donors, working in collaboration with Leadership and program staff to grow these relationships and maximize funding potential. 
• Identify new prospects and create engagement strategies to cultivate foundations donors and secure additional support. 
• Ensure timely submission of proposal, renewal, and reporting requirements for current and potential grants (both project-based and general operating support)
• Contribute to and support processes and procedures that improve the efficiency of the development team and its interactions with the rest of the organization.
• Update records and information within CRM system. 
• Organize all grant files according to established protocols.

Administration (5%)

• Maintain timesheets and submit them on time.
• Meet periodically as requested, with supervisor and other team members.
• Participate in weekly staff and team meetings and other organizational activities, including an annual staff performance evaluation.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least 5 years of professional experience in an institutional development/fundraising role.
• Proven experience securing grants in mid to upper six-figure range and managing a portfolio of grants with competing deadlines.
• Strong grant writing skills including past experience with grants for projects and general operating support.
• Ability to understand and interpret grant budgets.
• Exceptional communication skills and attention to detail, including the ability to articulate complex subject matter clearly and compellingly both in writing and verbally.
• Ability to successfully work on multiple priorities concurrently, including having strong planning and organizational skills, and ability to work well under pressure.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with people of different backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles. 
• Sound judgment in handling confidential donor information.
• Ability to work both independently and in close coordination with a team.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with CRM maintenance and use, such as Blackbaud products.
• Experience in an organization with offices in multiple countries.
• Past experience in a remote work environment. 
• Comfort leading meetings to discuss complex strategies and impact with managers across teams.
• Experience with Google Suite (including Docs and Sheets) and Asana project management software.
• Project management experience.

A successful candidate will demonstrate the following competencies: 

• Action-Oriented: Makes things happen. Takes on new opportunities and tough goals with a sense of curiosity, proactivity, and constructiveness.
• Nimble Learning: Approaches unfamiliar tasks proactively and with an open mind. Can quickly adapt to new situations and to draw on past successes and failures to solve current problems.  
• Effective Communication: Understands the value of effective communication. Can deliver messages in a clear, compelling, and concise manner. Actively listens, checks for understanding, and adjusts content and style to meet the needs of different stakeholders.  
• Collaborates: Brings people together to leverage their skills, talents, and knowledge to achieve a common purpose. Creates synergy resulting in a combined effort with greater results than what can be achieved by individuals.  
• Resourcefulness: Is able to make the best of limited resources and find a way to get things done even when the odds are against them.  Can look beyond the obvious for viable approaches to accomplish the goal. 

Location note: This position is eligible to work from our Geneva, Switzerland office, Washington, DC office or remotely only in the following US states provided you have the ability to legally work in the US: Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Colombia, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington (State)

Working Hours: CIEL works with employees and partners all over the world; however, our main offices are located in US Eastern Time (Washington DC) and Central European Time (Geneva). Thus, all employees must have some core overlap hours for live meetings, which are generally 9am - 12pm ET / 3pm - 6pm CET. In terms of working hours, CIEL tries to support staff with life/work balance and working a 40-hour work week. However, there will be occasions when working more is required; in such cases, CIEL may provide compensatory time to use at a later date.

CIEL offers a strong benefits package. For US employees this includes employer-subsidized health, dental, and vision; paid vacation, sick, and parental leave; a 5% contribution of gross annual salary into a 403(b) retirement account; a relocation stipend; dedicated professional development funding; and paid sabbatical leave after 7 years. CIEL is a 501(c)3 nonprofit in the US, and full-time employees qualify for the US Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.  

Application instructions: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis; the first application review will take place on July 6, 2026. Desired start date: As soon as possible Please submit a resume, one-page cover letter that details your experience and reasons for pursuing this role; the below application questions will be asked. 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

• Please describe your experience with and approach to developing new relationships with foundation funders. 
• Describe a grant that you are proud of having secured and your role in having done so.

Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls, please. Note that CIEL does not sponsor visas, and you must have prior authorization to work in the United States or Switzerland in order to be considered for this position.

Anonymous Demographic Survey: Please complete this anonymous demographic survey as part of your application to CIEL. The survey will only be used to help us evaluate our efforts to recruit a diverse pool of candidates. Your answers will not in any way be linked to your application, and the answers to the survey will not be handled by anyone on the hiring committee for the role.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with CIEL’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, CIEL requires US candidates to be fully vaccinated/boosted against COVID-19 within the past 36 months in order to be hired for this position. ​​If you are not eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or vaccination is contraindicated by a licensed medical professional, you must provide documentation verifying this ineligibility or contraindication.

About CIEL: For 30 years, CIEL has used the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society. CIEL’s dynamic team of international attorneys and experts work together in a collaborative and supportive work environment to tackle some of the most interesting and challenging issues facing people and the planet. 

CIEL is actively committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and building an organization that is as diverse as the communities we serve around the world. We know that diversity and inclusion make us stronger, and we actively encourage qualified applicants with various backgrounds, identities, perspectives, and (dis)abilities to apply. If you need an accommodation or assistance with this application, please contact Human Resources at jobs[at]ciel.org.

Compensation(12.5% increase applies in Switzerland)