Freelance International Relief Development Jobs (NOW HIRING)

This is a full-time, office-based position in the Washington, DC area, with approximately 50% travel and additional travel as required for the role.

Reports to: the Board of Relief International USA, working closely with the Relief International Network Leadership Team.

Salary range: US$170,000 to US$180,000 per annum plus performance bonus and benefits.

Contract: Permanent, full-time.

This role is classified as requiring enhanced pre-employment checks.

About Relief International

Relief International (RI) is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing. We work in 16 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience.

About the Opportunity

This senior leadership role manages the Relief International US entity. Reporting to the Board of Relief International USA, you will build and deliver the strategy that grows and diversifies our US donor base and oversee US grants.

Your first priority is to build a strong and varied pipeline of US income across philanthropy, institutional donors and the private sector, and to turn it into reliable, flexible funding. You will also oversee all US grants, hold legal and fiduciary responsibility for the US entity, and represent Relief International to US policymakers and partners.

As an experienced fundraising leader with a creative, entrepreneurial approach, you will open new doors with major donors, foundations, corporate partners and institutional funders, while also leading advocacy and policy engagement with US government stakeholders. You will work closely with the Executive Director for France and the United Kingdom, the Resource Development, Technical and Programme Implementation (PID) Directors, and the Boards, to ensure alignment across the Network.

Your Responsibilities

This role includes the following responsibilities:

• Provide day-to-day and strategic management of the US entity, including oversight of compliance with all relevant laws, data and RI Network policies in the US.
• Lead all fundraising in the US, across individual giving, foundations, corporate partners and institutional donors, and build the team, systems and data needed to sustain growth.
• Hold and grow a personal portfolio of major donor, foundation and corporate relationships, closing significant gifts and running fundraising events that meet agreed income goals.
• Build Relief International's standing with US institutional funders, shaping a competitive bid pipeline with Network technical and programme teams, and strengthening our position in consortia and partnerships.
• Report to the Board on income against target, the strength of the pipeline, donor retention and the return on what we invest in fundraising.
• Develop and lead RI US advocacy and policy engagement with US government stakeholders, including Congressional offices, multilateral institutions and advocacy coalitions.
• Work with the global Communications Team to hone RIs brand identity, secure media exposure and raise the organizational profile with the US audiences that matter most to fundraising and influence.
• Oversee all US grants awarded to the US entity, holding accountability for donor compliance across the whole portfolio, and monitor the performance of services provided by the network.
• Act as the main point of contact for US grant donors from award through to close-out.
• Hold legal, fiduciary and regulatory responsibility for the US entity, including 501(c)(3) obligations, IRS filings, state charitable registrations, the annual audit and applicable US government grant regulations, and serve as its senior officer, accountable to the Board.
• Lead, develop and retain the US team, upholding RIs safeguarding commitments and sustaining a positive, productive work environment free from harassment and bullying.

What You Bring

You will bring the following experience and skills.

• A minimum of 12 to 15 years of substantial proven experience in a senior leadership role within an international non-profit, humanitarian or development organization, with accountability for entity management, budget oversight and revenue growth. Experience should include at least five years at director level or above.
• A strong personal track record of securing significant income across US major gifts, foundations, corporate partnerships and institutional donors, with clear evidence of the scale of gifts closed.
• Experience of leading revenue diversification, including reducing dependence on a narrow institutional funding base and growing unrestricted income.
• Sound working knowledge of US non-profit governance and compliance, including 501(c)(3) obligations, and proven experience of overseeing US government grants, including their audit and reporting requirements.
• Demonstrated experience of advocacy and policy engagement with US government stakeholders, including Congressional offices and humanitarian coordination forums.
• Experience working effectively with a Board, including on strategy, risk and income performance, and of collaborating across a multi-entity or federated network structure.
• Excellent communications and representation skills, with the ability to act as a credible spokesperson at conferences, roundtables and high-level stakeholder engagements.
• Knowledge of donor requirements for safeguarding standards and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Demonstrated sensitivity to diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural difference and gender issues, and a strong commitment to RIs values.

At Relief International, we are committed to building a representative, inclusive and authentic workplace. We strongly encourage applications from candidates from minoritized backgrounds and those who bring lived experience of the contexts in which we work.

We are proud to be a global recruiter, hiring people from around the world. We offer competitive salaries and benefit packages for all staff, that are applied fairly and transparently.

Note you must have the existing right to work in the United States.

Relief International is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of any characteristic protected by federal, state or local law, and we provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities at every stage of recruitment.

If youre excited about this role, but your experience doesnt align with every criteria described, we encourage you to apply anyway, you could be exactly what we need!

How To Apply

To apply for this post, click on the Apply button in the job advert page.

• You will be asked to upload a CV and Cover Letter.
• The cover letter should be two pages, and explain why you are interested in this post with Relief International and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

Closing Date: August 27, 2026

We will review applications on a rolling basis and may withdraw the position from the jobs board before the closing date.

As a humanitarian organization, Relief International is committed to the safeguarding of all those we come into contact with through our work. We are committed to the core humanitarian principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. Relief International expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold the values and behaviors outlined in the Code of Conduct.

Recruitment to all roles in Relief International includes a criminal records declaration, references, and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checks.

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