About the Organization

SkyTruth is a conservation technology nonprofit that inspires people to protect the planet by using satellite imagery, big data, and the latest technological innovations to reveal environmentally damaging actions and make their impacts visible and measurable. Since its founding in 2001, countless organizations around the world have used SkyTruth’s products to hold polluters accountable for harmful activities that would otherwise remain hidden from view.

Mission: Sharing the view from space to promote conservation for people and the planet.

Vision: Everyone around the world enjoys a healthy environment and sustainable livelihood because transparency is the norm: polluters know they will be seen and caught, industries have cleaned up their practices, and governments are vigorously enforcing environmental protection.

Our current core focus areas include:

• Cerulean. A global monitoring system for ocean oil pollution that uses satellite imagery to identify oil slicks, Cerulean also uses AIS ship broadcasts and offshore oil platform locations to identify potential sources.
• Offshore methane monitoring. We will provide data, analytics, and storytelling to support methane monitoring and enforcement at offshore facilities, and to use those measurements to understand human impacts on Earth’s climate.
• 30×30. Our 30×30 Status Tracker makes it easy for anyone who cares about the Earth’s biodiversity to see how the world is progressing toward protecting 30% of land and water by 2030, and to get involved in this ambitious global conservation initiative.
• Democratization of geospatial data. By making geospatial data accessible and actionable, we enable the environmental movement, journalists, and resource constrained groups to take action through our Alerts platform and other initiatives.
• For information about these and other programs, please visit our website.

About the Position

SkyTruth is in a thriving growth chapter, and needs the help of an energetic and experienced development professional to solidify this trajectory and build a flourishing and sustainable future for the organization. The current funding strategy relies heavily on contributed support from large foundation grants, though there is room for growth in the individual giving program.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and working closely with the executive leadership team, the Director of Development will be responsible for developing and administering SkyTruth’s fundraising strategy, including day-to-day management of the organization’s grants and individual donations. The Director of Development will also be responsible for grant writing, submission, and reporting; grant and donor tracking; and identifying and cultivating new grant and donor prospects. Success in the role will lead to building out the fundraising team and eventually include managing direct reports in a high performing team.

The Director of Development will synthesize and translate program goals into clear, easy to understand language aimed at engaging funding decision-makers, and continually improve organizational processes to better understand and steward new prospects. This is a great role for a collaborative and detail-oriented professional who is energized by promoting creative solutions to the climate crisis.

This role is 100% remote (US-based only).

Key Responsibilities

• Grant Management. Coordinate all grant applications. This will include managing grant timelines, multi-year funding, and reporting cycles, as well as year-round correspondence with funders to ensure an amicable relationship and contribute to continued funding.
• Grant Preparation. Assess application requirements for individual grants. Manage process, timeline, and assigning of duties to appropriate staff members. Ensure on time submission of each grant. Respond to potential funders’ requests for additional materials as needed.
• Grant Prospecting. Research and identify potential funding sources as a match for SkyTruth’s programs and goals. Work with leadership on initial contacts and introductions.

• Fundraising Correspondence. Draft copy for all fundraising materials, including solicitations, thank you letters, grant materials, and other correspondence as necessary.

• Individual Donor Management. SkyTruth’s small but dedicated donor base has potential for the right person to grow and cultivate. This position will be responsible for accurately recording donations, sending thank you letters, maintaining donor relationships, and collaborating with outside accountants to ensure proper recording of donation income.
• CRM Management. Maintain database for individual donors, grants, and other information with up-to-date information.

Key Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in grant writing for foundation, nonprofit, or other type of publicly supported organization.
• Demonstrable track record of funding success.
• Deep commitment to SkyTruth’s mission and conservation causes.
• Demonstrated organizational skills with ability to work effectively on multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, track tasks, meet deadlines, organize time and identify resources for projects as needed.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills (English language), including the ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and concisely.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with individuals and teams at all levels of the organization, grant staff and funders, and donors.
• Direct, supportive approach to communications with colleagues.
• High degree of attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Commitment to exercising discretion in handling confidential information.
• If your experience and interests only match some of the above, we still want to hear from you! There is room for the right candidate to grow into certain aspects of the role.

Desirable

• Experience in environmental non-profits dealing with climate change issues.
• Demonstrated ability to make technical language and concepts accessible to a lay reader such as a grantor or donor.
• Experience with donor databases and grant tracking.
• Experience prospecting large grants, especially for climate change and/or technology based organizations.
• Experience with individual donor management.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time salaried position with an expected salary range of $100,000 to $125,000, with final compensation depending on skills and experience. SkyTruth’s robust benefits package includes a retirement plan with generous company match, health, vision, dental, disability, and life insurance, with 4 weeks of paid vacation plus ample sick leave, and 12 paid holidays. We use HR policies to embrace and support a positive and productive remote work culture, and want our team to live full lives outside of work.

Our Interview Process

Top candidates will be invited to schedule a one hour interview with our hiring manager. This may be followed by a 1-2 hour take home exercise to demonstrate writing skills and ability to summarize information. Candidates passing this stage will have an additional interview with other members of the SkyTruth team. Reasonable accommodations will be provided as requested by candidates throughout all aspects of the selection process.

To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter and resume as one PDF titled ‘Last Name, First Name’ SkyTruth Director of Development Position ‘date of your submission’ in mm.dd.yyyy format, and complete all other required questions at this page.

Location

SkyTruth is a fully remote organization working across multiple time zones, so working hours may vary according to geography as well as operational and personal needs. Candidates can be located anywhere in the United States and must be able to reliably accommodate meetings across North American time zones and, occasionally, international time zones. The role’s supervisor is located in the Eastern Time Zone. Periodic domestic and international travel may be necessary to build relationships with funders, and participate in conferences, presentations, and meetings. In-person team retreats are typically held twice per year.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity

The staff and leadership of SkyTruth believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates are critical to our success as an organization. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. SkyTruth is an equal opportunity employer. We hire and promote qualified professionals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees of SkyTruth and our partners, vendors, suppliers, and contractors. Your skills and experiences are needed here!