Senior Director, Corporate and Foundations Relations

At The Obama Foundation, our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world.  We seek to build an active democratic culture where people are equipped and motivated to make change in the communities where they live, work, and play. Right here on the South Side of Chicago, we’re building a home for this vision, a global center for change with a range of opportunities - coordinated programming, community outreach events, educational moments, and more - that invite visitors from down the block or across the globe to turn hope into action.

Achieving our ambitious goals starts with an exceptional team built on our Hope to Action Values - Courage, Empathy, Integrity, Accountability, Community, Inclusivity, Pragmatism, Resilience, Imagination, and Hope. A Framework that anyone, anywhere, can use to build trust, activate participation, and expand opportunity in their community.

Purpose of the RoleThe Senior Director, Corporate and Foundations Relations (CFR) will be responsible for leading a CFR program with ambitious fundraising and engagement goals. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Development, the Senior Director is a key member of the frontline leadership team, and will have the opportunity to build on and capture the momentum of the June 2026 opening of the Obama Presidential Center.
You will work closely with select Board members, Foundation leadership, and cross-departmental teams to cultivate, develop and steward corporate and foundation partners at the seven- and eight-figure level, while managing a team of fundraisers responsible for expanding the CFR prospect pipeline. This is an ideal opportunity for a collaborative, values-driven, highly-motivated development leader.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Fundraising Leadership & Portfolio Management: Lead the CFR team responsible for corporate and foundation partnerships.. Personally manage a portfolio of top $1M+ corporate and foundation partners, and develop customized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for each.  
• Team Strategy: Manage the execution of a best-in-class CFR strategy, which includes fundraising in support of the Obama Presidential Center, Foundation programs and key initiatives. 
• Stakeholder Engagement: Develop strong partnerships with select board members, the Chief Executive Officer, and members of the Foundation’s senior leadership team; provide support, meeting preparation, and follow up for their engagement with CFR prospects. 
• Cross Department Collaboration: Establish supportive and cooperative working relationships with other departments, share best practices and new ideas, and collaborate on partner cultivation, engagement and grants management as needed. Represent the CFR team in internal leadership and strategy meetings, working groups and cross-departmental efforts to help build a culture of philanthropy across the organization.
• Operating Effectiveness: Build a culture of Salesforce utilization to track and evaluate the team’s key metrics, and use meaningful data to continually improve practices and inform decisions.
• Fundraising Collateral: Ensure the timely creation and distribution of fundraising collateral, including highly personalized proposals, stewardship materials, and presentations with support from the Development Donor Relations Team.
• Supervision and Direction: Manage and develop a team of five professionals by providing guidance and strategic counsel to help advance their portfolios and initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Meet Fundraising Targets
• Prospect Portfolio Strategy
• Prospect Contact Management Plans
• Stewardship and Engagement Plans
• Board Fundraising Activation Plan
• Best Practice Sharing Forums
• Fundraising/Stewardship Materials, Collateral and Briefings, and Highly Personalized Proposals

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated & extensive experience in corporate and foundation fundraising, including a minimum of eight years in a leadership and managerial position;
• Track record of building relationships with corporate and foundation Corporate Social Responsibility leadership and C-suite executives, closing partnerships of $1M+;
• Deep understanding of CFR fundraising programs and high-level partner strategies;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence, with an ability to develop and maintain long-term, productive relationships internally and externally.

The salary range for this role is between $166,820 and $208,573.

This is a hybrid role based at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park in Chicago. 

For an overview of our benefits package, including insurance, paid time off, retirement & more, please visit https://www.obama.org/careers/.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [email protected] if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.