Director, Global Partnerships & Engagement

Job Family

Marketing & Communications

Job Function

Fundraising

Career Track

Fundraising

Job Level

Senior

Job Title

Director, Global Partnerships & Engagement

Reporting Line

CMEO

Supervises

Manager, Global Partnerships Development and Manager, Major Gifts & Foundations

Status

Full time

Duty Station/Location

Minneapolis, New York City, or Nairobi

On-site, hybrid, remote

Hybrid if Minneapolis or Nairobi; remote if New York

Travel expectations

20-30%

ABOUT ALIGHT

At Alight, we believe that the people closest to the challenge are closest to the answers.

For nearly 50 years, we've worked alongside people displaced by conflict and crisis—delivering aid and building futures together. Today, we work with more than five million people annually across East Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the United States

Rooted in a human centered approach, we listen first. We co-create with communities. We believe every person deserves the opportunity to build a meaningful life from the moment displacement begins. We call the people we serve customers because relationships built on dignity, choice, and partnership create better outcomes than those built on dependency alone.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Marketing and Engagement Team (MET) is responsible for private philanthropy and visibility at Alight

We are looking for a curious, enthusiastic, fast-moving connector and senior fundraiser to help build the ecosystem, relationships, and resources that will take Alight into our next chapter and lay the foundation for something bigger. We are aiming to grow our private philanthropy by $5M over the next 5 years and investing in the infrastructure to get there.

As the Director, you will play a critical role in this ambition and be responsible for leading the Global Partnerships team which includes two direct reports who focus on business development and major donor management ($20,000+) inclusive of individuals, foundations, corporations, and events This team has an annual revenue target of $6M towards an overall $10.5M goal for MET and plays a significant role in flagship fundraising.

We are looking for someone who is strategic,knows how to motivate and mobilize stakeholders, demonstrates strong storytelling and communications skills,and can lead and execute in a fast-paced environment

You will carry a revenue target and be expected to both manage a portfolio and raise new funds, create new partnerships, and navigate the full complexity of modern philanthropy while leading a small team

You bring an existing portfolio of donor relationships and a record that has already generated revenue at this scale (six and seven figure gifts, multi-year, transformational)

You are comfortable with ambiguity, uncertainty, and changing environments and demonstrate a bias to action, resourcefulness, and transparent communication.

Building a shared organization takes time and intention.We will always be becoming Alight, which meansyour work will evolve as well. For now, here’s how you could anticipate spending your time:

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership - 30%

You will lead the Global Partnerships Team accountable for generating $6M in private funding across major gifts, foundation, corporate, and event giving. This is a leadership role that demands a rare combination: strategic mind to see the bigger picture and the humility to listen.

This is a leadership role that demands a rare combination: the strategic mind to see the bigger picture, and the humility to listen

• Manage and expand fundraising strategy for the Global Partnerships team to meet annual target and 5-year ambitions of raising $6M in new private philanthropy
• Oversee the team's events strategy, ensuring donor cultivation and stewardship events align with broader partnership and revenue goals
• Motivate and inspire team members, fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration, and shared accountability for results
• Serve on MET’s Leadership team and collaborate with other departments

Raise New Funds & Build the Funding Ecosystem — $2M+ Annual Revenue Target (50%)

This role is about building relationships. Not just managing what exists but finding and creating what doesn't yet.While you will lead your team toward the $6M revenue goal, you will be responsible for a $2M annual revenue portfolio within that target.

• Manage an assigned portfolio and raise funds for special initiatives like Alight’s Health Equity Collective, Future Ground, and Emergency Response
• Secure multi-year commitments from major individual donors, family foundations, and otherphilanthropic partners
• Identify and pursue high-potential new funding opportunitiesthat are aligned with Alight’s workand build a robust prospect pipeline
• Build and deepen relationships with donor advisors, philanthropists, HNWIs, and family offices in key cities including Minneapolis, NYC, Nairobi, and London
• Host thought leadership roundtables, curated salons, and other events that combine building community with sparking curiosity and connection

Strategic Fundraising& Storytelling(20%)

Great fundraising is great storytelling rooted in great strategy. You will build both.

• Continuously review and revise fundraising strategy to address thechanging philanthropic landscape and geo-political implications on the humanitarian sector
• Develop and refine case materials, pitch decks, cultivation material for prospects and funders, and messaging that communicates Alight’s differentiation
• Connect frequently with enterprises and global colleagues to keep informed on new initiatives, partnerships, and customer impact stories that can be amplified
• Attend 6–10 major global, regional, or sectoral events annually on behalf of Alight, converting introductions into pipeline opportunities (e.g. CGI, Africa Philanthropy Forum)
• Identify new and relevant funding and sector trends to inform the CMEO's strategy and priorities
• Bring energy, urgency, and genuine follow-through to every opportunity — from first conversation to closed gift

Anticipated travel–20-30% (domestic and international)

WHO YOU ARE

• Curious to your core — you ask, listen, and keep digging until you find the real story
• A natural connector — you bring people together in ways that lead to action, not just conversation
• A closer — you follow through, you are disciplined about your pipeline, and you know how to ask
• A strategic fundraiser — you understand the full arc from prospect identification to multi-year relationship, and you can execute
• Energized by possibility — you see what could be and move toward it with intent and discipline
• A doer — you don't wait for perfect conditions, and you build while you go
• Comfortable with complexity — multi-stakeholder environments and non-linear fundraising processes don't faze you
• Grounded in respect — you believe the people closest to the challenge hold the answers, and you act accordingly

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 10+ years of experience in fundraising, strategic partnerships, or business development — with demonstrated success closing major gifts, multi-year grants, and/or significant philanthropic partnerships
• Proven track record of raising $2M+ annually from a combination of individual donors, family foundations, and corporations
• Demonstrable new business development skills — a history of identifying, cultivating, and closing relationships that did not exist before you arrived
• Experience navigating complex, multi-enterprise private funding opportunities— from initial proposal development to internal coordination to reporting requirements
• Existing relationships with philanthropists and HNWI networks — you are a known and trusted connector in this ecosystem, not someone building from zero
• Experience representing an organization at major global or regional events and converting relationships into tangible pipeline
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills — able to tailor complex narratives for donors, partners, media, and communities
• Deep understanding of moves management, accuracy with revenue projections, and experience using a CRM system to track progress; familiarity with Raiser’s Edge is a bonus
• Demonstrated commitment to centering the voice and priorities of people closest to the challenge

Strongly Preferred

• Experience working with refugee, displaced, or marginalized communities — either through lived experience, programmatically, or through philanthropy
• Existing network within global philanthropy circles
• Familiarity with co-creation, human-centered design, or participatory funding models
• Prior experience at or with a humanitarian organization, social enterprise, or development-focused fund

VALUES ALIGNMENT

You are curious and truly listenYou appreciate the complexities of human beings. You ask questions, seek information, and dig deeper into understanding a problem holistically before working to solve it. You enter a space with humility and an eagerness to learn.

You believe shared ownership creates better outcomes. You trust displaced customers to guide the way forward. You’re open to new and different possibilities, are motivated in what an abundant future could hold, and you generate ideas sparked from insight – and foster spaces that are safe for others to generate their ideas too. You bring others in, build ecosystems, and share power with those who care about this more than you do. You adapt your work to make space for others.

You embrace transformation. You recognize and honor that our work centers people – a constantly changing and complex customer within a constantly changing and complex world. And so too, we must constantly change. You believe in the abundance of human beings and you understand that to unleash that abundance, we must bravely enter a bold new chapter capable of transforming the future.

You value beauty. You believe a meaningful life includes joy, dignity, and connection. You place weight on the experience people have – of a place, a space, a person, a service. You strive to create things that are human-worthy and you believe quality should be determined by those experiencing it.

BENEFITS

• Compensation: US-based pay rate is$125,000 - $140,000. Please note that salary offers are calibrated by candidate qualifications and work location.
• Borderless Team of 2,500 staff worldwide that sees possibility, celebrates moments of abundance, shares new ideas, and strives to do a better thing every day.
• Learning & Development – Access hundreds of free online learning courses to take at your own pace and tailor to your professional goals.
• Flexible Leave Time – Between vacation days, personal leave days, and holidays, you have ample opportunities to take time off when you need it.

Alight is an Equal Opportunity Employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status. Alight complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

We strive to represent the diverse communities we serve. Applicants who contribute to this diversity and those who bring lived experience with displacement are strongly encouraged to apply.

HOW TO APPLY

If this feels exciting we would love to hear from you. Tell us in 250 words or less prompt

• Why this role caught your attention and what are you excited to create here
• A story illustrating a new funding relationship you built — how you found it, cultivated it, and closed it
• More about your partnership approach and key examples of your philanthropic network, including celebrated accomplishments and lessons learned along the way
• What questions do you have for us