Development Associate

POSITION TITLE: Development Associate

SUPERVISOR: Director of Development

LOCATION: Remote, USA (specific states listed below) or Washington DC (hybrid/flexible). Must possess valid US work authorization.

SALARY RANGE:    60,000-$70,000 depending on qualifications

DEADLINE: The priority application date will be March 18, 2026; after that, the position will remain open until a strong candidate pool is identified

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) uses the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society. We work at the intersection of environmental protection and human rights, across sectors and borders, and in close collaboration with global partners and local communities.

The Development Associate plays a critical role in advancing CIEL’s ambitious fundraising agenda by driving overall donor engagement through creative strategies and online appeals while also supporting the expansion of an individual major gift program.

The Development Associate is responsible for managing email engagement and donor cultivation campaigns, advancing strategy for the growth of an individual donor base, and contributing to the development of appealing donor collateral, including CIEL’s annual report. The Associate also works with the Development Director, and in collaboration with other senior organizational leaders based globally, to identify, cultivate, and solicit an increased number of individual major gift supporters. The professional in this position will work across time zones with program, communications, and finance staff in a diverse and fast-paced environment. 

This is a great opportunity to join a dynamic and passionate team working to ensure CIEL has the resources to deliver high-impact campaigns that protect people and the planet. This position is included in the CIEL staff unit of the Washington Baltimore News Guild union.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Individual Major Gifts (35%)

• Drive growth of major gift prospect pool through research, cultivation, and stewardship activities.  
• Support the Director of Development and other leadership figures in building relationships with major gift prospects, ensuring personal attention and consistent engagement. 
• Plan intermittent virtual and in-person donor events and activities

Constituent Engagement and Donor Cultivation (35%)

• Project manage and implement email engagement and donor cultivation campaigns, including: 
  • Coordinating email distribution calendar to deliver regular email updates and solicitations;
  • Working with CIEL’s Communications Team to craft compelling stories illustrating our impact, including drafting original content, editing, and proofreading; and 
  • Publishing online action opportunities.
• Take actions to grow our email subscriber base, including by publishing customized online action and donation pages, and continually improving the donor’s giving experience.
• Work with communications staff to support fundraising and brandraising efforts on social media.

Development Operations (25%)

• Play a leading role in development of annual report, collaborating with colleagues in Development, Communications, and Program teams to develop appropriate content.  
• Create visually compelling and information-rich donor collateral to facilitate donor engagement.
• Work across Development team to maximize utility and accuracy of CRM. 

Administration (5%)

• Maintain timesheets and submit them on time.
• Meet periodically as requested with supervisor and other team members.
• Participate in weekly staff and team meetings and other organizational activities, including a regular staff performance evaluation.
• Meet target dates, prioritize tasks, and ensure high-quality work products.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least two (2) years of development experience required, preferably in an advocacy environment.
• Experience in donor engagement, stewardship of individual donors. 
• Exceptional communication skills and attention to detail, including the ability to articulate complex subject matter clearly both in writing and verbally.
• Ability to successfully work on multiple priorities concurrently, including having strong planning and organizational skills, and ability to work well under pressure.
• Experience with CRM maintenance and use, such as Blackbaud products, or a demonstrated ability to learn new digital platforms quickly.
• Sound judgment in handling confidential donor information.
• Ability to work both independently and in close coordination with a team.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with individual major gift fundraising is strongly preferred.
• Experience working across time zones preferred.
• Relevant work or educational experience with international or environmental policy, human rights, and/or law.
• Experience with project management programs and tools.
• Past work with planned giving is a plus. 

A successful candidate will demonstrate the following competencies: 

• Action-Oriented: Makes things happen. Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of curiosity, proactivity, and constructiveness.
• Openminded and Flexible: Approaches unfamiliar tasks proactively and with an open mind. Can quickly adapt to new situations and to draw on past successes and failures to solve current problems.  
• Effective Communication: Understands the value of effective communication. Can deliver messages in a clear, compelling, and concise manner. Actively listens, checks for understanding, and adjusts content and style to meet the needs of different stakeholders.  
• Collaborates: Brings people together to leverage their skills, talents, and knowledge to achieve a common purpose. Creates synergy resulting in a combined effort with greater results than what can be achieved by individuals.  
• Resourcefulness: Is able to make the best of limited resources and find a way to get things done even when the odds are against them.  Can look beyond the obvious for viable approaches to accomplish the goal. 

Location note: This position is eligible to work from our Washington, DC office or remotely only in the following US states provided you have the ability to legally work in the US: Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Colombia, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington (State)

Working Hours: CIEL works with employees and partners all over the world; however, our main offices are located in US Eastern Time (Washington DC) and Central European Time (Geneva). Thus, all employees must have some core overlap hours for live meetings, which are generally 9am - 12pm ET / 3pm - 6pm CET. In terms of working hours, CIEL tries to support staff with life/work balance and working a 40-hour work week. However, there will be occasions when working more is required; in such cases, CIEL may provide compensatory time to use at a later date.

CIEL offers a strong benefits package including employer-subsidized health, dental, and vision; paid vacation, sick, and parental leave; a 5% contribution of gross annual salary into a 403(b) retirement account; a relocation stipend; dedicated professional development funding; and paid sabbatical leave after 7 years. CIEL is a 501(c)3 nonprofit in the US, and full-time employees qualify for the US Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.  

Application instructions: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis; the priority application date is March 18. After that, the position will close once a strong candidate pool has been identified. Please submit a cover letter, resume, and any other required materials or responses. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls, please. Note that CIEL does not sponsor visas of any kind. You must have prior authorization to work in the United States in order to be considered for this position.

Application Questions (you will be required to answer these when you submit your application)

• Please describe your experience working with individual donors. 
• Describe a gift that you are proud of having secured and your role in having done so.

Anonymous Demographic Survey: Please complete this anonymous demographic survey as part of your application to CIEL. The survey will only be used to help us evaluate our efforts to recruit a diverse pool of candidates. Your answers will not in any way be linked to your application, and the answers to the survey will not be handled by anyone on the hiring committee for the role.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with CIEL’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, CIEL requires US candidates to be fully vaccinated/boosted against COVID-19 within the past 36 months in order to be hired for this position. ​​If you are not eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or vaccination is contraindicated by a licensed medical professional, you must provide documentation verifying this ineligibility or contraindication.

About CIEL: For 30 years, CIEL has used the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society. CIEL’s dynamic team of international attorneys and experts work together in a collaborative and supportive work environment to tackle some of the most interesting and challenging issues facing people and the planet. 

CIEL is actively committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and building an organization that is as diverse as the communities we serve around the world. We know that diversity and inclusion make us stronger, and we actively encourage qualified applicants with various backgrounds, identities, perspectives, and (dis)abilities to apply. If you need an accommodation or assistance with this application, please contact Human Resources at jobs[at]ciel.org.