Director of Development; Foundations

*** This is an On-site position located in beautiful San Diego ***

The Director of Development, Foundations leads Workshops for Warriors’ (WFW) fundraising pillar focused on regional and national foundations—cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors whose philanthropy powers WFW’s mission to rebuild America’s advanced manufacturing workforce through veterans and transitioning service members. This role manages all foundation giving strategies, including research, qualification, cultivation, grant applications, and reporting.

• Lead the “Foundations” fundraising pillar as part of WFW’s comprehensive revenue strategy.
• Develop and execute annual and multi-year giving plans for regional and national foundations.
• Identify funding opportunities that align with Workshops for Warriors’ mission and programs.
• Collaborate with leadership and program staff to identify funding needs and align them with grant opportunities.
• Personally manage a portfolio of 75–100 high-capacity foundation relationships.
• Lead solicitations for gifts of $5,000–$1,000,000+, ensuring alignment with campaign priorities and mission outcomes.
• Write grant applications and impact reports.
• Using Salesforce, track submission deadlines, reporting requirements, and renewal cycles.
• Implement disciplined moves management practices in Salesforce to ensure consistent contact, next steps, and measurable progress toward solicitations.
• Work closely with the Development Operations team to ensure accurate tracking, forecasting, and reporting of foundation contributions.
• Coordinate with Corporate, Individual, and Government giving leads to identify cross-sector funding opportunities.

• Bachelor's Degree or any combination of education and experience which would provide an equivalent level of experience.
• A minimum of 5 years of progressive fundraising with a clear emphasis on foundation relations and grant strategy. Veteran focused preferred.
• Proven track record of securing foundation grants, with a history of winning competitive awards.
• Experience managing a multi-million dollar fundraising pipeline or portfolio.
• Experience with Salesforce.
• Strong grant writing expertise, including prospective research, LOIs, full proposals, narrative writing, budget development, post‑award reporting, and compliance tracking.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong working ability of Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Very people oriented, supports a positive working environment.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Fostering Positive Relationships—Communication, teamwork and trust are the three hallmarks of good relationships with co‑workers and students.
• Exceeds Expectations—Sees every task or situation as an opportunity to go above and beyond.
• Accountable—Taking personal responsibility for their work, owns mistakes and does not blame others or make excuses.
• Mission Driven—Work and decision‑making are focused on what is best for the organization, not ego‑driven.
• Tenacious—Employee demonstrates determination, persistence, and grit. Doesn’t give up!

• Position Details: Full‑time salaried (exempt) position (40+ hours/week).
• Pay: Base pay only, no incentive compensation. Annual range $ – $.
• Benefits and Perks: Medical (50% employer contribution), dental & vision (100% employer contribution), 401(k) program with employer match, 8 paid holidays, flexible work hours (position dependent), paid time off. The company reserves the right to amend or terminate benefits at any time.
• Dress code: Business casual or relaxed business casual. Confirm with hiring manager at hire time.
• Supervisory: No supervisory responsibilities.
• Physical Requirements: Regularly required to talk or hear; stand, sit, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; push, move, lift 10‑30 lbs. Repetitive computer use expected.
• Work Environment: Office/administration building in an urban industrial neighborhood. Other areas mixed use such as classrooms, welding and machining. Additional…