Senior Director, Government Development

Jobs for the Future (JFF)

. Advance mission-aligned public sector revenue supporting JFF’s North Star goal .

Posted 11/2/2026full-timeRemote • United StatesSenior💰 $160,000 - $185,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive experience in public sector business development, including leading federal and state grant and contract pursuits. Proven ability to build relationships with government clients and stakeholders while managing cross-functional proposal teams and developing competitive pricing strategies.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Public Sector Business DevelopmentFederal And State Grant PursuitsProposal Development And ManagementRelationship Building With Government ClientsCompetitive Pricing And Budget Development

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Proposal WritingGrant ManagementContract ManagementMarket ResearchOpportunity AssessmentBudget DevelopmentCost Proposal DevelopmentFederal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) KnowledgeData AnalysisProject Management

Soft Skills

LeadershipCoaching And MentoringCollaborationCommunicationInfluencing Without Authority

Tools & Technologies

SalesforceAsanaSharePointCRM ToolsProposal Management Tools

Industry Keywords

Public SectorNonprofit LeadershipWorkforce DevelopmentEconomic DevelopmentPolicy And Systems Change

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Advance mission-aligned public sector revenue supporting JFF’s North Star goal
Lead strategy, capture, proposal development, and team operations across federal, state, and local government grants and contracts
Develop and manage outreach, engagement, and relationship-development strategy with public agency clients
Contribute to Development strategy, goals, and key performance indicators
Cultivate external strategic and project-specific partnerships
Develop and execute government grants and contracts strategy, emphasizing federal and state funding
Lead market research and opportunity identification across government agencies
Establish opportunity assessment and go/no-go practices
Build and manage capture plans, including client strategy, competitor analysis, positioning, partner strategy, pricing, and proposal planning
Maintain government funding calendar and pipeline forecast
Track public-sector funding trends, agency priorities, and procurement calendars
Lead responses to complex federal, state, and local procurements
Assemble and manage cross-functional proposal teams
Establish proposal workplans, roles, decision rights, timelines, review cycles, and escalation paths
Coordinate technical responses and service-delivery models with program leaders and subject matter experts
Serve as lead writer, editor, strategist, and quality-assurance partner for high-priority proposals
Oversee narratives, technical approaches, management plans, past-performance materials, staffing plans, partner documentation, budgets, and cost proposals
Guide competitive pricing and level-of-effort strategies
Guide partner exploration, negotiation, and documentation
Pursue or update relevant Government Wide Acquisition Contract agreements
Ensure compliant and timely submissions
Advise leaders on client management and launch readiness following awards
Analyze proposal outcomes and apply lessons learned
Build and lead the Government Development team with two direct reports
Set expectations for roles, ownership, decision-making, communication, quality, and follow-through
Coach and mentor staff and support career development
Manage internal and external consultants
Align staffing and capacity with the government pipeline and fundraising portfolio
Design and deliver training on government capture, proposal development, pricing, partnership strategy, and proposal-team participation
Strengthen Salesforce, Asana, SharePoint, templates, procedures, and reusable content
Promote project-management practices, shared documentation, review protocols, and post-submission learning
Model JFF’s mission, values, inclusive culture, ethical fundraising, collaboration, transparency, and adaptability

Requirements

What you’ll need

At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in public sector business development, nonprofit leadership, capture, grants, contracts, fundraising, consulting, or a related field
Demonstrated record of leading successful federal and state grant and contract pursuits, including complex, cross-functional proposals in workforce development, education, economic development, or adjacent policy and systems-change contexts
Understanding of federal and state procurement and grant processes
Ability to translate public sector requirements, solicitation terms, and eligibility criteria into strategies, workplans, and submissions
Experience building relationships in federal agencies and key stakeholders within the Washington, DC–Maryland–Virginia region
Demonstrated track record of cultivating trusted networks
Experience building relationships with government clients, partners, subcontractors, subrecipients, and other external stakeholders
Experience developing or overseeing competitive pricing, budgets, cost proposals, and level-of-effort assumptions for government opportunities
Knowledge of applicable government cost requirements as defined in the FAR
Ability to identify, qualify, and prioritize opportunities based on mission alignment, competitiveness, revenue potential, organizational capacity, risk, and impact
Excellent writing and editing skills
Ability to synthesize complex information and develop clear, persuasive, audience-centered content
Experience managing and developing staff, including setting expectations, providing feedback, coaching performance, and supporting career growth
Effective project and people leadership skills
Ability to influence without formal authority and collaborate with program leaders, subject matter experts, Finance, Legal and Contracts, Resource Management, and external partners
Process and systems improvement orientation
Experience using CRM, project management, and proposal management tools; Salesforce, Asana, or similar platforms helpful
Ability to implement data-gathering and information-deployment processes
Sound judgment balancing strategic priorities, technical requirements, people, resources, risk, and impact
Curiosity, adaptability, and commitment to JFF’s mission
Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders
Ideal candidate should be located in Washington, D.C. or close proximity to the region

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Retirement benefits through a 403(b) plan, including employer contributions for eligible employees
Paid time off
Paid leave benefits
Professional development opportunities
Flexible work arrangements: in-person, hybrid, or completely remote
Annual home office stipend for regular full-time and part-time employees
Office equipment as needed for new employees
Competitive salaries
Comprehensive benefits program