Director, Strategic Growth and Partnership Engagement at Surge Institute

ORGANIZATION: Surge Institute

ROLE: Director, Strategic Growth and Partnership Engagement

LOCATION: Remote
TRAVEL EXPECTATIONS: Up to 20%
SALARY: $110,000 - $120,000

The Surge Institute is an education leadership accelerator with a simple but important mission: Develop and elevate leaders of color who create transformative change for children, families, and communities.

The Institute’s signature programs were designed to develop and unite emerging BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) leaders and change the education landscape by providing them with a unique leadership development experience. We go beyond training. We connect, support, and elevate; and we do it all in love and through community.

Learn more about Surge’s strategy and impact .

Surge’s success has brought the organization increased support and influence as Surge strives to make a positive impact in communities across the country through representative education leadership. This is an exciting time for Surge, and we hope to find motivated, disciplined, mission-driven individuals to join our team!

JOB SUMMARY
The Director, Strategic Growth and Partnership Engagement at Surge is a strategic, revenue-generating leader responsible for expanding both fee-for-service and philanthropic revenue across Surge’s diverse and growing portfolio. This includes core programmatic offerings like the Academy Fellowship, Black Principals Network, Power Surge, Surge Angels, and Surge @Work.

Reporting to the Vice President of Development and working in close collaboration with the Chief Program Officer, other Executive leaders as needed, and Program leads, this role complements the Director of Development (who leads on our traditional philanthropy and donor-facing campaigns) by focusing on corporate partnerships, earned-income growth, philanthropic support in expansion markets, and broader strategic engagement. They will develop and execute comprehensive strategies to secure revenue from a diversified portfolio, including institutional philanthropy, corporate partnerships, and mission-aligned earned-income opportunities. This role will directly contribute to Surge’s vision by bringing experience, systems and best practices to aid Surge in reaching ambitious revenue targets at the regional/local level and partner on org-wide fundraising efforts, contributing towards Surge’s audacious goal to be the preeminent pipeline of leaders of color tackling the world's most challenging problems.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Revenue Strategy & Fundraising Leadership

• Partner with the VP of Development and Director of Development to implement a revenue diversification strategy, balancing traditional fundraising with earned-income growth.
• Lead business development activities that generate revenue through fee-for-service engagements, CSR-driven partnerships, and corporate contracts.
• Build and cultivate a pipeline of new institutional donors in expansion markets, corporate sponsors, and ecosystem partners aligned with Surge’s mission. This role will not inherit a large portfolio, but instead requires an entrepreneurial and creative approach to generating opportunities and co-designing partnerships with program leads.
• Identify, cultivate, and close philanthropic opportunities, including general operating and program-specific support, through effective storytelling and relationship-building.
• Serve as a front-line fundraiser, initiating and stewarding major gift relationships, with a proven ability to make significant 1:1 and group asks that result in investments.
• Coordinate with the Development Team to support grant writing, prospect research, donor segmentation, and proposal development.

Earned Income & Market Expansion

• Develop and lead a sales and marketing strategy for Surge’s suite of offerings to increase revenue and market visibility.
• Collaborate with Programs and Marketing teams to position Surge’s services as high-impact solutions to talent development, DEI, and racial equity challenges across sectors.
• Create compelling proposals and pitch material tailored to corporate, nonprofit, and philanthropic audiences.
• Leverage data-driven insights to assess market readiness in expansion cities, inform partnership strategies, and refine value propositions for prospective funders and clients.
• Test “Taste of Surge” experiences (e.g., retreats, speaker series) to generate interest and lay the foundation for long-term partnerships in new markets.

Strategic Growth & Organizational Alignment

• Work closely with executive leadership to ensure business development efforts align with Surge’s long-term impact strategy.
• Collaboratively contribute to refining value propositions, optimizing cohort size, and increasing earned income efficiency across regions.
• Partner with the Chief Program Officer to market and sell Surge @Work, an internal leadership development program for BIPOC employee resource groups.
• Amplify Surge’s corporate consulting offerings to engage companies with constrained employee resource budgets who are seeking meaningful, values-aligned training and coaching.

DESIRED ATTRIBUTES

• Relevant Experience : Proven ability to manage complex operations, particularly in nonprofit, education, or mission-driven organizations.
• Sales & Fundraising Experience: Extensive engagement with sales and lead-generation tactics across diversified income streams, resulting in a balanced portfolio of earned income and philanthropic contributions, with a particular emphasis on B2B engagements. You have made significant asks in 1:1 and group settings.
• Scaling Operations : Experience with organizational growth and expansion, with a focus on building systems that can support increased scale and complexity.
• Prospecting Experience: You can identify champions/prospects and leverage your network to close them. You believe in the power of building trust to get to a “yes”.
• Entrepreneurial Inclination: You have taken a new idea or initiative that many were unfamiliar with and strategically ensured that the right people heard your message at the right time. You aren’t afraid to innovate.
• Change Management : Expertise in guiding organizations through periods of change while maintaining alignment with mission and values.
• Inclusive Leadership : Demonstrated ability to foster an environment where all voices are heard, respected, and valued. Strong background in ensuring diverse perspectives are integrated into decision-making processes to drive organizational success.
• Mission Translator: Skilled at framing equity-driven work in ways that resonate with diverse stakeholders, from corporate partners to philanthropic funders.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Passion for and connection with communities of color, with a history of successful collaboration.
• At least 8 years work experience in non-profit, business development, education, program administration, or related field
• Experience in planning and executing program expansion and/or project management, including communicating risks and adapting rapidly
• Experience in creating and managing project plans that include vision, methods, org structure, metrics, timelines, costs, partners, and desired outcomes
• Bachelor’s Degree and/or +5 years relevant experience; Master’s Degree preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Driven by a healthy sense of urgency balanced with an appreciation for the decision-making processes of external partners.
• Exhibits a high level of discretion when handling sensitive information.
• Ability to present to and ensure buy-in among other executive leaders and board of directors with exceptional communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to travel up to 20% for in-person programming, portfolio-specific meetings, and other organizational needs.

COMPENSATION

Surge Institute offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $110,000 - 120,000. A comprehensive benefits package including unlimited PTO, 401k retirement plan, annual performance bonus eligibility up to 10%, and a variety of other benefits are offered by Surge.

The Surge Institute does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristics covered by law with regard to employment opportunities. The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of job functions, responsibilities, or requirements and does not include the general job performance expectations applicable to all employees (e.g., regular, timely attendance).