Career Opportunity
The NC Rural Center seeks a collaborative, highly organized Development and Strategic Partnerships Manager to help grow philanthropic investment and strengthen partnerships that advance its mission across rural North Carolina. This newly created role offers an experienced development professional the opportunity to manage meaningful relationships, build strong fundraising systems, and work across a statewide organization with nearly 40 years of impact.
Reporting to the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Special Projects, this position will oversee an active portfolio of approximately 75-100 current and prospective donors, funders, sponsors, and strategic partners; lead sponsorship and funder engagement for the annual Rural Summit; coordinate grant development, reporting, and renewals; and manage grant administration and grantee relationships for the Faith in Rural Communities program.
This is an excellent opportunity for a development professional who enjoys both the relationship side of fundraising and the behind-the-scenes discipline that keeps complex work moving: writing, prospect research, detailed tracking, follow-through, and cross-functional collaboration.
Mission: To champion rural North Carolina by investing in people, communities, and potential.
Reporting Structure: Reports to the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Special Projects. This position has no direct reports.
Salary: The salary is commensurate with experience, and the salary range is $85,000-$95,000.
Benefits: NC Rural Center offers a comprehensive benefits package including 20 days of paid time off; 12 paid holidays plus a Winter Break between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day; 12 weeks of paid parental leave; medical, dental, and vision coverage at no cost to full-time employees; employer-paid life and short- and long-term disability insurance; a 403(b) retirement plan with employer contributions of up to 11.5% based on employee participation; and $2,500 annually for professional development.
Working Location: Raleigh, North Carolina. This is a full-time, exempt position and includes periodic travel throughout North Carolina.
Key Responsibilities of the Development and Strategic Partnerships Manager
Cultivate Funding Relationships
- Manage an active portfolio of approximately 75-100 current and prospective donors, funders, sponsors, and strategic partners, moving relationships through identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal
- Develop thoughtful donor engagement strategies, coordinate meetings and site visits, prepare briefing materials and proposals, and ensure timely follow-up and accurate documentation
- Build and deepen relationships with foundations, corporations, financial institutions, and other partners whose interests align with the Rural Center's mission and programs
Lead Rural Summit Sponsorships
- Serve as the development lead for the annual Rural Summit, working with communications and other staff to develop and execute the sponsorship, fundraising, and funder engagement strategy
- Identify, cultivate, solicit, steward, and renew sponsors; coordinate sponsorship materials; and track commitments, revenue, benefits, recognition, and deliverables
- Create meaningful opportunities for sponsors and funding partners to engage with the Rural Center and rural leaders before, during, and after the Summit
Coordinate Grants and Funding Development
- Coordinate the lifecycle of grants received by the Rural Center, including proposals, award documentation, reporting, renewals, and closeout, while maintaining a comprehensive grants calendar and tracking system
- Work across program and finance teams to develop strong proposals and reports, monitor deliverables and budgets, and anticipate funder requirements and deadlines
- Conduct prospect research, identify aligned funding opportunities, and help translate program priorities into compelling, fundable opportunities
- Strengthen grant management procedures, templates, and workflows to improve consistency, accountability, and efficiency
Manage the Faith in Rural Communities Grantee Portfolio
- Manage grantee relationships and grant administration for approximately 63 church and organizational partners representing approximately $2 million in grant funding in calendar year 2027. The portfolio may grow over time as the program continues to evolve.
- Manage grantees through all stages of the grant lifecycle, including award processing, payment coordination, report collection, monitoring, follow-up, and closeout, while serving as the primary point of contact for grantees regarding award administration
- Maintain complete and accurate grantee records and calendars in Salesforce and other systems, coordinating multiple grant cycles and reporting periods throughout the year with the Faith in Rural Communities and finance teams to keep awards, payments, and reporting on track
Strengthen Development Systems and Collaboration
- Maintain accurate donor, prospect, grant, sponsorship, and partnership information in Salesforce and other development systems, including pipeline activity, commitments, and next steps
- Develop useful fundraising, grant, and pipeline reports; monitor key metrics; and recommend improvements to systems and workflows
- Build strong working relationships across programs, finance, communications, and leadership, supporting the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Special Projects in implementing annual and long-term fundraising and partnership strategies
The Ideal Candidate Profile
The successful candidate will be a collaborative relationship builder who combines strong communication skills with exceptional organization, attention to detail, and follow-through.
The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:
- 3-5 years of relevant experience in fundraising, development, philanthropy, grants management, nonprofit management, partnership development, or a related field
- Demonstrated success cultivating and managing relationships with donors, funders, grantees, sponsors, partners, or other external stakeholders
- Strong grant development, administration, and/or grantee management experience, including proposals, award processing, reporting, compliance, tracking, payment coordination, and/or renewals
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to prepare clear, compelling materials for a variety of audiences
- Exceptional project management and attention to detail, with the ability to manage a high volume of relationships, grants, deadlines, and deliverables at the same time
- Experience with prospect research and CRM or grants-management systems; Salesforce experience preferred
- A collaborative, accountable, and growth-oriented work style, with comfort in an organization that continues to evolve and strengthen its systems and processes
- Genuine interest in rural North Carolina; experience with rural communities, churches, community development, sponsorships, or major organizational events is welcomed but not required
About NC Rural Center
Since 1987, the NC Rural Center has worked to develop, promote, and implement sound economic strategies that improve the quality of life of rural North Carolinians. The Center serves the state's 80 rural counties, with particular attention to people and communities with limited resources and access to opportunity.
As North Carolina's rural policy leader and advocate, the Rural Center connects people, capital, and ideas to strengthen rural communities. Its work focuses on leadership development, expanding access to capital for small businesses, advancing policy and advocacy efforts, and strengthening the capacity of rural communities to thrive.
Want to know more? Visit www.ncruralcenter.org.
How To Apply
Join the NC Rural Center and help strengthen the relationships and resources that expand opportunity across rural North Carolina.
To apply, click on the link for this position at https://jobs.armstrongmcguire.com/. You will see instructions for uploading your compelling cover letter, salary requirements, and resume. Cover letters should be responsive to the NC Rural Center's mission as well as the stated responsibilities and qualifications.
Please provide all requested information to be considered. In case of any technical problems, contact talent@armstrongmcguire.com. No phone calls, please, and no applications will be accepted by email or directly from third-party posting sites.
About Armstrong McGuire
Armstrong McGuire is a national executive search, fundraising, and strategic advising firm that believes in unlocking the potential of nonprofit leaders and the communities they serve. Founded in 2004, our diverse team of advisors works with clients and leaders to align strategy, optimize operations, build capacity, and lead nationwide searches that bring talented individuals to high-impact organizations.
NC Rural Center offers a comprehensive benefits package including 20 days of paid time off; 12 paid holidays plus a Winter Break between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day; 12 weeks of paid parental leave; medical, dental, and vision coverage at no cost to full-time employees; employer-paid life and short- and long-term disability insurance; a 403(b) retirement plan with employer contributions of up to 11.5% based on employee participation; and $2,500 annually for professional development.
Join the NC Rural Center and help strengthen the relationships and resources that expand opportunity across rural North Carolina.
To apply, click on the link for this position at https://jobs.armstrongmcguire.com/. You will see instructions for uploading your compelling cover letter, salary requirements, and resume. Cover letters should be responsive to the NC Rural Center's mission as well as the stated responsibilities and qualifications.
Please provide all requested information to be considered. In case of any technical problems, contact talent@armstrongmcguire.com. No phone calls, please, and no applications will be accepted by email or directly from third-party posting sites.