Senior Development Manager, Principal Engagement

Job Description

Movement Labs is an incubator and consulting firm that uses technology, data, and experimentation to stop fascism and build progressive power. We help progressives win and defeat MAGA extremists through year-round work grounded in research and real-world testing. Our team partners with leading advocacy groups, grassroots organizers, and electoral campaigns to develop innovative tactics, win elections, and shift power for the long term.

As the R&D powerhouse for the progressive movement, we’ve run over 100 randomized control trials (RCTs) on voter behavior and helped hundreds of organizations increase their impact. We work hard, and the environment evolves rapidly. We are adaptable, nimble, and shift quickly as needed to meet the moment. We are looking for candidates who thrive in this type of environment.

The Role

Movement Labs is seeking a Principal Engagement Manager to drive fundraising outcomes by managing principals’ donor outreach blocks, advancing donor relationships, and ensuring consistent execution across the development pipeline.

This role sits at the center of fundraising execution—partnering closely with the Director of Development and senior staff to prioritize opportunities, shape next steps, and ensure donors move from cultivation to solicitation to stewardship.

This is a high-ownership role for someone who combines strong judgment, organizational rigor, and the ability to manage up to senior stakeholders. The right candidate will not only track activity but also actively drive progress and influence decisions to help the team meet ambitious revenue goals.

This role is fully remote.

Responsibilities

Principal Management & Donor Strategy Execution 

• Partner with the Director of Development to prioritize donor outreach and staff principals during focused, relational outreach blocks to major donors
• Build and maintain high-quality call lists focused on the highest-impact opportunities, with strong initial drafts for outreach approaches
• Prepare donor call materials with clear recommendations on positioning and next steps
• Ensure principals are consistently focused on the right donors at the right time
• Collaborate with the Donor Engagement Manager to take working proposal drafts and make any necessary tweaks to geographies or programs, and quickly deliver follow-ups

Moves Management & Pipeline Progression

• Own day-to-day movement of donors through the pipeline (cultivation → solicitation → stewardship)
• Identify stalled opportunities and proactively recommend and drive next steps
• Maintain clear visibility into pipeline status, risks, and opportunities

Managing Up & Execution Accountability

• Drive consistent follow-through across the team, including senior staff
• Proactively surface gaps, delays, or missed opportunities and push for resolution
• Ensure clear ownership of next steps after every donor interaction

Team Leadership & Execution Through Others   

• Delegate and oversee the execution of data entry, list building, and coordination tasks
• Set clear expectations for quality, timeliness, and attention to detail
• Potential to manage one or more Fellows or associates

CRM/Pipeline Infrastructure & Automation

• Oversee accuracy and consistency of CRM data related to donor activity and next steps
• Ensure pipeline tracking reflects real-time activity and supports decision-making
• Continuously improve systems that support donor tracking and follow-through
• Strong engagement with automations that can reduce repeat work and enable the principals and development team members to produce more highly personalized, thoughtful, relational touches possible

Requirements

Our preferred candidate will have many of these characteristics and experience:

• 4-6+ years of experience in nonprofit or political fundraising, development operations, or related roles
• Demonstrated experience supporting or driving major donor pipelines and principal-driven donor outreach processes
• Strong judgment in prioritizing donor opportunities and recommending next steps
• Experience managing up to senior stakeholders and driving accountability
• Excellent organizational and project management skills in fast-paced environments
• CRM experience (e.g., EveryAction or similar) and comfort using data to inform decisions
• Prior experience automating arduous processes, keeping a human in the loop to ensure high quality
• Strong communication skills and ability to operate cross-functionally
• Comfort with spreadsheets outlining budgets, electoral impact assumptions, targeted geographies, etc.
• Familiarity with call time strategy, donor research tools, and prospect vetting (e.g., wealth screening platforms)
• Some familiarity with RCT-based political evidence

Our preferred candidate may have some of these characteristics and experience:

• Experience with 501(c)3, 501(c)4, and PAC giving
• Experience working on high-profile campaigns, national nonprofits, or advocacy organizations
• Track record of staffing principals raising 6-7 figure gifts
• Experience building or optimizing fundraising systems, workflows, or donor pipelines
• Experience orchestrating agents to improve work processes
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders with competing priorities

Benefits

• Annual salary of $95,000-$105,000 as part of a transparent salary structure with clear levels of advancement, including geographic COLA depending on employee location.
• Excellent health, dental, and vision benefits, 401(k) matching, and unlimited Paid Time Off.
• This position is not eligible for the collective bargaining unit.

We’re looking for candidates with a wide range of skills and experience. If you’re excited about the job, even if you don’t match all the characteristics, we encourage you to apply. Movement Labs is an equal‑opportunity employer. We value a team that reflects the communities we serve and strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, veterans, people with disabilities, and people from rural communities.

Applications submitted by April 13th will be given priority. The application process includes two interview rounds and an exercise. 

Applicants must be legally eligible to work in the United States.