Vice President Of Application Development Jobs in California

START DATE:
Summer 2026
REPORTS TO:
Chief Executive Officer
SUPERVISES:
Development Team, comprised of 4 team members at the Director and Manager levels
WORK TYPE:
The Partnership team works in a hybrid capacity. This position is based in Los Angeles and is a combination of working remotely, in our Downtown LA office, and at Partnership schools. This is a full-time, year-round position.
ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP FOR LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS
Launched in 2007, the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools' mission is to transform schools to revolutionize school systems, empowering all students with a high-quality education. The Partnership is a non-profit, in-district partner to LA Unified, not a charter network. As an independent nonprofit organization, the Partnership serves 13,550 students across 20 LA Unified schools in Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles, and Watts. The Partnership works within the LA Unified School District context, which includes honoring all collective bargaining agreements for its teachers and school staff. To learn more about the Partnership, our mission, and how we approach our goals, please visit our website.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is looking for a strategic, collaborative, and proactive new Vice President of Development. The new Vice President (VP) has an exciting opportunity to help build the Partnership's next phase of transformative growth and impact, and have a real and lasting impact on our communities. The VP of Development will drive the Partnership's philanthropic revenue strategy, which is responsible for delivering an ambitious five-year income plan that secures increasing levels of support. The VP will provide strategy and leadership for the Partnership's development programs, spanning annual, major, and planned giving; corporate and foundation gifts and grants; stewardship programs; donor marketing; and other development-related activities. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), this leader will engage with the Board of Directors and the Fundraising Committee to increase the Partnership's relationships with new and existing prospects and constituencies.
Internally, the VP of Development will strengthen development systems and structures and foster a culture of philanthropy across the organization. The VP will manage a staff of four development professionals spanning major gifts and institutional giving, and will coach the team to drive relationship-based fundraising and deepen and diversify the Partnership's base of major donors and institutional funders.
The VP of Development will have a direct and positive impact on the 2025-2030 strategic plan through developing an organization-wide culture of philanthropy, major and principal donor strategy, and timely execution at one of the nation's largest in-district transformation organizations.
The Partnership is committed to continuously building an anti-racist culture that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in classrooms and in our home office. The VP of Development will be someone who is committed to implementing these values in creative ways when executing day-to-day tasks and responsibilities, as well as through org-wide leadership and external influence.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
Position responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Fundraising Strategy & Culture

• Design and execute a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with organizational vision and strategic plan, including annual targets and gift table plans
• Personally manage and grow a portfolio of top prospects and donors, including individuals, foundations, and corporations, with a focus on high-net-worth individuals and multi-year transformational gifts
• Oversee development of compelling cases for support, tailored donor communications, and stewardship strategies to strengthen relationships and secure flexible, unrestricted funding
• Expand and refine prospect pipeline, integrating historical context and new identification strategies to diversify and grow the donor base
• Serve as a trusted advisor and collaborative thought partner to the CEO and Board of Directors, and share responsibility with these team players on fundraising strategy execution
• Regularly brief the CEO and Executive Team on revenue performance, emerging opportunities, and fundraising risks
• Serve as a dynamic external face for the Partnership, representing the organization at major events, donor meetings, and public forums to increase visibility and inspire investment
• In collaboration with the organization's communications team, elevate the voices and stories of students, families, and school communities in donor-facing communications
• Build and embed a collaborative, organization-wide fundraising culture, engaging board members, executive leadership, and program teams as active fundraising partners

Internal Capacity-Building & Systems Management

• Equip internal stakeholders with tools, training, and messaging to confidently support donor cultivation and stewardship efforts
• Champion the Partnership's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all team and external fundraising activities
• Strengthen internal systems and processes for prospect management, donor tracking, stewardship, and revenue reporting to ensure accountability and data-driven decision-making
• Oversee the use and optimization of CRM tools (e.g., Raiser's Edge) to support robust pipeline development and "pipeline health" dashboards to monitor progress, identify gaps, and proactively adjust cultivation strategies
• Ensure operational excellence and sustainability in all fundraising activities, positioning the organization for long-term financial resilience

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, build, inspire, and support a high-performing Development Team that grows an increasingly larger and diverse base of support by increasing donors and prospects, ensuring effective management, and maximizing strategic donor engagements
• Mentor the Development Team members through individualized coaching, instilling a growth mindset, engaging in identity-based learning and management practices, and community-building, with an expectation of 25% or more of time dedicated to team and individual management
• Model effective cross-functional collaboration, project management, and alignment to organizational values and priorities
• Provide thought partnership and collaboration with the Executive Team, Board of Directors, and other team members

MAJOR OBJECTIVES
Within the first 12-18 months, the VP of Development will achieve the following major objectives:

• Build strong, collaborative, and trusting relationships through visible, confident, and capable leadership with the CEO, Executive Team, Board of Directors, school leadership, teachers, students, community partners, donors, volunteers, and external stakeholders.
• Plan, develop, and implement a strategic development plan that prioritizes the Partnership's funding needs and private support that will raise $10.5 million in philanthropic support by June 30, 2026, of which $7.4 million is highly committed.
• Strengthen internal and Board fundraising capacity by strengthening the Partnership's culture of philanthropy, supporting the Board's Fundraising Committee, improving systems for stewardship and donor tracking, and increasing donor pipeline and cultivation strategies.
• Roll out a fundraising-aligned communications strategy that centers equity, elevates the Partnership's narrative, and deepens connection to impact across donor and community audiences.
• Close the current gap to the year's goal with several funding wins while adopting a more ambitious approach to overall fundraising efforts.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible development leadership experience with a strong track record of securing multi-year funding and building diversified and unrestricted revenue streams
• Proven experience in raising and leading teams to secure significant major gifts at the six- and seven-figure level, including events and campaigns
• Proven ability to hire, manage, motivate, and retain a diverse team of professionals that strive to achieve and exceed annual goals in an open, transparent, and inclusive manner
• Deep expertise in cultivating high-level donor and foundation relationships, including grant writing and stewardship of major institutional funders
• Experience as a proactive, goal-oriented, and data-informed development leader with demonstrated success in building productive, long-term relationships with senior administrators, community leaders, boards, volunteers, and donors
• Excellent inspiring and persuasive interpersonal and communication skills with experience serving as an external ambassador to diverse audiences, including Board members and community partners
• Strong emotional intelligence and people-centered leadership skills, with the ability to foster a culture of care, model curiosity-driven problem-solving, and resolve conflicts with empathy
• Ability to cast a clear and mission-aligned strategy and vision, and bring others along through goal-setting, progress monitoring, and executing day-to-day work
• Strong skills in managing multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with CRM platforms (Raiser's Edge preferred)
• K-12 public education experience valued, but not required
• A deep belief in the power of our communities, the Partnership's mission, approach, and core values
• A commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment for all team members
• A willingness to learn, grow, and model the Partnership competencies: Anti-racism, root cause analysis, long-term thinking, teaming and collaboration, psychological safety, and learning and growth

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The Partnership's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion extends to our compensation practices. Our goal is to ensure that salaries are fair for all staff members who hold many intersectional identities, and we set salaries based on a robust compensation model grounded in consistency and transparency.
The starting salary for this position is $213,134. The exact salary for this position is set through the Partnership's compensation policy and is dependent on the candidate's relevant skills, experiences, and organizational tenure. In support of our vision for pay equity, candidate salaries are determined by a formula, and we do not negotiate.
The Partnership also offers a robust benefits package, including employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their dependents; a 403(b) retirement program with employee match and vesting; parental and sabbatical leaves; a professional development allowance; and generous paid time off.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Please prepare your resume and a cover letter tailored to this position. You will submit your documents and application via this link.
Research shows that women and individuals from systemically marginalized communities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all of the qualifications. While this job description outlines the major responsibilities and requirements to be successful in this role, the Partnership is committed to considering all applicants who are passionate about our mission and can see themselves excelling in this role - including those with diverse and non-traditional work experience.
For technical assistance or support for applying with a disability, please contact the Home Office Talent Team.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to - and actively pursues - diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. The Partnership prohibits discrimination based on race (including traits historically associated with race such as hairstyle), creed, color, religion, registered domestic partner status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship status, age, military and veteran status, medical condition, genetic information, political affiliation, pregnancy or childbirth, physical disability or mental disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance or regulation. The Partnership also prohibits discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of these characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.
This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, training, transfer, wages, benefits, termination, and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment.