Senior Director of Strategic Relationships

About Unify America

We’re on a mission to replace political fighting with collaborative problem-solving. Yeah, we know it sounds audacious. It is. But we’re doing it—by creating civic experiences that reduce polarization, teaching essential civic skills, and inviting Americans to use their differences to better solve common problems together. (If you want to learn more about Unify America, you could read this.

Where we work:

• Higher Education (Civic Gym): Over 30,000 college students have engaged in meaningful cross-partisan conversations. Think of it as training for democracy—reps, sweat, and all.
  

• Cities (Democracy Leagues): We partner with communities to run Citizens’ Assemblies, where residents—across the ideological spectrum—solve shared problems together. Our first pilot is in Akron, with Dayton and Chicago close behind.
  

• Thought Leadership: Our founder and CEO, Harry Nathan Gottlieb, is stirring the civic conversation with fresh ideas on social media and an upcoming book that points toward a hopeful new era of democracy.
  

About the Role

Harry - who is based in Chicago - is looking for a partner to do full-time what he can only do part-time: seek out major philanthropic investors and build lasting partnerships with them.

We use the term “investors” because we assume our donors are, in fact, expecting a return in the form of measurable progress toward our mission. We are looking for investors who can both write a check and help us as strategic partners. Among the meaningful ways they can help: connecting us to other investors or influencers, opening doors to college administrators for our Civic Gym, or connecting us to government leaders in cities ready for Democracy Leagues

That is why the role is called Strategic Relations: fixing the country isn’t charity; it’s a team sport.

As Director of Strategic Relations, you’ll be the senior leader dedicated to major investors (five, six, and seven figures). The vast majority of your time will be spent externally—meeting people, networking, building relationships, and cultivating long-term commitments.

You’ll also play “field marshal” to ensure that our communications, follow-ups, and systems run smoothly, whether you or Harry are the primary contact. Even though you’ll be reporting to Harry - what he needs is someone to master the path to hitting our strategic relations goals – and all details – and daily direct him: what does he need to do, where does he need to be?

This is a hands-on senior role, not a department-head position. If you want to manage a team and delegate most of the work, this isn’t for you. If you want to be the person in the room, making the connections, telling the story, and building relationships that move mountains, keep reading.

What You’ll Do

In your first year, you will:

• Expand our base of major investors in Chicago, while cultivating new prospects nationally.
  

• Help build and engage our board and advisors—ensuring meaningful involvement, not just names on a list.
  

• Put in place a system for running the strategic relations function efficiently—from research to tracking to follow-up.
  

• Organize small, strategic events: investor dinners, salons, and gatherings that connect people to the mission and to each other.
  

• Identify and vet speaking engagements for Harry, yourself, and other senior leaders that put us in front of key audiences of potential investors.
  

• Deeply learn Unify America’s work—attending the Akron pilot, meeting professors who use our Civic Gym, joining advisory council meetings—so you can speak with authenticity and insight.
  

• Travel flexibly: conferences, speaking opportunities, investor meetings. When Harry attends conferences or speaks, you’re there too, networking and organizing follow-up.
  

Over time, you will:

• Grow the investor community, continuously.

• Secure multi-year commitments from investors.

• Foster investor-to-investor connections.

• Increase the level of investment per investor over time.

• Deliver successful event outcomes (relationships sparked, follow-up secured, dollars raised).

• Maintain investor relationships year after year, keeping them strong and engaged with moving our mission forward.

• Make inroads to aligned foundations that share our values around investing (e.g. long-term, focused on efficiency, not paperwork)

• Closely track and analyze approaches to hone efficiency—constantly improving systems and strategies.
  
  

How Success Will Be Measured

In year one:

• Growth in dollars raised from major investors compared to previous years.
  

• Growth in the number of new investors and size of the qualified prospect pipeline.
  

• Measurable increase in board/advisor engagement and activity.
  

• Accurate use of CRM and research tools; data-driven tracking and strategy adjustment.
  

Over time:

• Multi-year investment commitments secured.
  

• Investor community strengthened and expanded.
  

• Investor relationships maintained with continuity and depth.
  

• Increased investment levels per investor.
  

Who You Are

• A senior professional with 15+ years of work experience.
  

• You do not need to come from a classic major gifts background. We’re open to closely related experience (e.g., B2B sales, political fundraisers, social or for-profit entrepreneurs who’ve raised money, etc.) We’re looking for the right skills, character, and DNA. We’re looking for an overachieving hustler-in-chief.
  

• What matters is your proven ability to:
  

  • Grow and leverage a network.

  • Build long-term, trust-based relationships.

  • Confidently ask for major financial commitments.

  • Set clear goals, track them rigorously, and adjust strategy based on results.
    

• Someone, ideally, with a strong Chicago network of philanthropists and major donors. If not, you have a significant national network and the drive (and a plan) to quickly build your Chicago presence.
  

• A best-in-class communicator and a world-class listener.
  

• A charming connector—authentic, warm, charismatic, and someone people want to spend time with.
  

• Fearless about making the ask.
  

• Diligent about follow-through; nothing falls through the cracks.
  

• Hungry for feedback, ambitious for impact, and funny (or at least fun to be around—we’re running an ultra-ultra-marathon here).
  

• Relentless about problem-solving, positive, and creative about getting to “yes.”
  

• Radically nonpartisan, welcoming people from across the political, religious, and cultural spectrum.
  

• An aggressive self-learner who levels up continuously.
  

• Totally at ease with technology: adept at ramping up on CRMs, research databases, and new systems.
  

Our Culture

We’re a startup-minded nonprofit with fire in our bellies and a deep commitment to gratitude, honest reflection, and continuous growth. We treat each other like adults. Appreciation is a daily practice. We ask for feedback constantly and celebrate our “portals of discovery” (aka the failures we learn from).

What You’ll Have to Work With

• Direct access to and collaboration with the CEO.

• A digital marketing team focused on engaging existing investors and doing broad outreach to new ones (which will mostly be smaller dollar investors for whom they will be responsible)

• A Chicago office for meetings and events.

• CRM, development research tools, and access to IT support.

• Travel and event budget (meals with prospects, conferences, salons).

• Introductions to board members and advisors, who will partner with you.

• Some administrative support for scheduling

• Event logistics support.

• And most importantly, colleagues on staff who are A+ talent and A++ human beings.
  
  

Compensation & Benefits

• First year salary: $125,000 – $175,000, depending on relevant experience. Salary growth thereafter (for you and others at Unify America) will be tied to your success and those of other revenue generators in the organization. In other words, we can raise salaries, if we have the money to do it.

• Flexible, self-managed PTO.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• 401k match up to 5%.

• Health and wellness reimbursement.

• Internet and phone reimbursement.

• A healthy, appreciative, feedback-driven workplace.
  

  Ready to Apply?

  Application materials should include a cover letter that shares three reasons why you’re right for this job (and why it’s right for you) and your resume in one, combined PDF (there will only be one field for Resume in the application, and we are looking for a combined Cover Letter/Resume in that field).