Role profiles · 32 roles, 9 families
What the job is, before you apply for it.
Written from inside the sector, not scraped from postings. Each profile says what the work actually is, what a posting will ask for, what people did before they got there, and whether the degree in the requirements section is real or aspirational. No numbers are invented. Where a figure matters, the page sends you to the federal wage data and to the employer own 990.
Family 1 of 9
Executive and organizational leadership
Somebody has to hold the whole thing. In a small organization that is one person doing all of it. In a large one it is a team, and the titles start to mean different things at different places, which is the first thing to learn about reading nonprofit postings.
Executive Director
Runs the organization and answers to a volunteer board for everything in it. Strategy, money, staff, reputation, and whatever happened last night.
- What the job is
- Set and carry out strategy with the board
- Own the budget and the cash position
- Hire and lead the senior team
- Carry the largest donor and funder relationships
- Represent the organization publicly
- How people get here
- Program or development leadership, then Deputy Director or Chief of a function, then Executive Director. Some arrive from the board side or from a first ED job at a smaller organization.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Program leadershipDevelopment leadershipOperations leadershipPublic sector management
- Skills the posting will name
Board relationsFundraisingFinancial literacyPublic speakingHiring and letting go
- Degree
- Sometimes. A masters shows up in postings at larger organizations and is often written as preferred. Track record moves the decision.
- Credential
- Rarely. There is no license for this job.
A good fit if: You can hold ambiguity, you are willing to ask people for money, and you do not need the credit.
Chief Operating Officer
Runs the organization from the inside so the Executive Director can run it from the outside. Programs, operations, finance and people usually report here.
- What the job is
- Turn strategy into operating plans and hold them
- Own the internal calendar and the management rhythm
- Carry compliance and risk
- Build the systems the organization runs on
- Step in when a function loses its leader
- How people get here
- Director of Operations or Director of Programs, then a senior director or VP seat, then COO. Frequently the first executive hire after an organization crosses a few million in revenue.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
OperationsProgramsFinanceMilitary or public sector operations
- Skills the posting will name
Systems designBudget managementFederal and funder complianceStaff leadershipData and reporting
- Degree
- Sometimes. Asked for more often than for ED, and still lost to somebody who has run a complicated operation.
- Credential
- Rarely. Program specific compliance training matters more than a general credential.
A good fit if: You would rather fix the process than be the face of it, and a broken handoff bothers you personally.
Deputy Director
Second in command, with the split depending entirely on what the Executive Director is bad at. Read the posting closely, because two Deputy Director jobs are rarely the same job.
- What the job is
- Cover the functions the ED does not
- Act for the ED when the ED is out
- Lead a portfolio of programs or departments
- Manage the senior team day to day
- How people get here
- Director of a function, then Deputy, and often then Executive Director at the same organization or a smaller one.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
ProgramsOperationsDevelopment
- Skills the posting will name
DelegationCross functional managementBudgetingBoard reporting
- Degree
- Sometimes. Common as preferred, rarely as required.
- Credential
- Rarely
A good fit if: You are comfortable being the person who makes somebody else effective, and you want the ED seat eventually.
Chief Program Officer
Owns everything the organization actually does for people, across every site and every grant, and owns whether it worked.
- What the job is
- Set program strategy and the model
- Lead program directors
- Own outcomes and evaluation
- Sit with development on what can honestly be promised in a proposal
- Carry the funder relationships that come with program money
- How people get here
- Program Manager, Director of Programs, then VP or Chief Program Officer.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Social workPublic healthEducationCommunity development
- Skills the posting will name
Program designOutcomes measurementGrant compliancePartnership buildingStaff development
- Degree
- Often. An MSW, MPH or MPA is common here, and in clinical or health missions it is frequently required by the funder rather than the employer.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Licensure where the work is clinical.
A good fit if: You want the work to be good, not only funded, and you will say so when a proposal promises what the program cannot deliver.
Also search these titles: President, Vice President, Chief of Staff, Chief Strategy Officer, Executive Vice President. They are the same work under a different name, and a search that misses them misses real postings.
Family 2 of 9
Operations
The least glamorous family and the one most likely to be hiring. Operations is where a nonprofit either runs or does not, and it is the easiest door into the sector for somebody coming from corporate, military or government work, because the skills carry over almost unchanged.
Director of Operations
Owns how the organization works. Facilities, fleet, procurement, safety, technology, and usually whatever else has no other home.
- What the job is
- Design and hold the operating processes
- Manage vendors and contracts
- Own safety, insurance and continuity planning
- Run multi site logistics
- Build the reporting that tells leadership what is true
- How people get here
- Operations Manager, then Director, then COO or a general management seat.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Corporate operationsLogistics and supply chainMilitaryPublic sectorRetail or restaurant management
- Skills the posting will name
Process designVendor managementBudgetingSafety and complianceData and reporting
- Degree
- Rarely. Asked for as preferred and almost never enforced. What gets read is whether you have run something complicated.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Project management certification helps at larger organizations. Program specific compliance training helps more.
A good fit if: You see the whole system, you like the work that nobody thanks you for, and disorder costs you sleep.
Operations Manager
Runs the day to day. The person who makes sure the thing happens, on the day, at the site, with the people who showed up.
- What the job is
- Run daily operations at one or more sites
- Supervise front line staff
- Order and track supplies and inventory
- Keep records that survive an audit
- Solve whatever broke this morning
- How people get here
- Coordinator or site lead, then Operations Manager, then Director of Operations.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Site or store managementWarehouse and logisticsProgram coordinationHospitality
- Skills the posting will name
SchedulingInventorySupervisionRecord keepingVendor coordination
- Degree
- Rarely. A degree is often listed and experience routinely substitutes.
- Credential
- Rarely. Food safety, CDL or forklift certification where the mission needs it, and those are cheap to get.
A good fit if: You are calm when the day falls apart and you would rather be on the floor than in a meeting.
Compliance Manager
Keeps the organization inside the rules that come attached to its money. In federally funded work this is the job that protects everything else.
- What the job is
- Read the regulations and translate them into practice
- Build and run the monitoring calendar
- Prepare for audits and site visits
- Train staff on what the rules require
- Write the corrective action when something is found
- How people get here
- Program or operations work with a compliance piece, then a dedicated compliance seat, then Director of Compliance or COO.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Program managementAuditingPublic sector administrationGrants management
- Skills the posting will name
Regulation readingDocumentationAudit preparationTraining deliveryCorrective action
- Degree
- Rarely. Rarely required. Naming the specific programs you have been monitored under is worth more than a degree.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Program specific training such as CACFP, SFSP or TEFAP is the real credential and it is usually free from the state agency.
A good fit if: You read the fine print, you write things down, and you would rather be unpopular in June than found in September.
Facilities Manager
Owns the buildings, the equipment and the fleet. In a food or shelter mission this is a mission critical job, not a back office one.
- What the job is
- Maintain buildings, refrigeration and equipment
- Manage the vehicle fleet and its drivers
- Run preventive maintenance
- Handle inspections and code requirements
- Manage capital projects and contractors
- How people get here
- Maintenance or trades work, then Facilities Manager, then Director of Operations.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
TradesProperty managementMilitary logisticsWarehouse operations
- Skills the posting will name
Preventive maintenanceContractor managementCode and inspectionCapital planningSafety
- Degree
- Rarely. Almost never required.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Trade licenses and safety certifications carry real weight here.
A good fit if: You fix things, you plan for the thing that is going to break, and you want the work to matter.
Also search these titles: Business Operations Manager, Project Manager, Director of Administration, Risk Manager, Continuous Improvement Manager. They are the same work under a different name, and a search that misses them misses real postings.
Family 3 of 9
Programs and services
The work itself. Programs is the largest family in most organizations and the one most tied to grant cycles, which is worth knowing before you take a job: a position funded by a three year grant has a three year horizon written into it, and the posting will not say so.
Program Coordinator
The entry point into most of the sector. Runs the moving parts of a program: scheduling, participants, paperwork, partners, and the reporting that keeps the grant alive.
- What the job is
- Schedule and run program activities
- Enroll and track participants
- Keep the records the funder requires
- Coordinate with partner organizations
- Support the people the program serves
- How people get here
- Coordinator, then Program Manager, then Director of Programs. This is the most common first rung in the sector.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Any field with coordination and people in itTeachingRetail or service managementVolunteering that turned into a job
- Skills the posting will name
SchedulingData entry that holds upPartner coordinationCase notesPatience
- Degree
- Sometimes. A bachelors is commonly listed. Some organizations state that experience substitutes, and many that do not say so will still hire on experience.
- Credential
- Rarely
A good fit if: You want to see the work land on a person, and you can keep records while doing it.
Program Manager
Owns a program. Its budget, its staff, its numbers and whether it does what the grant said it would.
- What the job is
- Manage the program budget against the grant
- Supervise coordinators and front line staff
- Report outcomes to funders
- Adjust the model when the numbers say to
- Hold the partner relationships
- How people get here
- Coordinator, then Manager, then Senior Manager or Director of Programs.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Program coordinationSocial servicesEducationCase management
- Skills the posting will name
Budget managementSupervisionOutcomes reportingGrant complianceProblem solving
- Degree
- Sometimes. Bachelors usual, masters preferred at some organizations, and mission dependent.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Licensure where the work is clinical or involves children.
A good fit if: You want to own something end to end and you are willing to be accountable for a number.
Director of Programs
Leads the design, delivery, measurement and improvement of everything the organization does for people.
- What the job is
- Set program strategy across the portfolio
- Lead program managers
- Own the outcomes the organization reports
- Sit with development on what a proposal can honestly promise
- Carry compliance for program money
- How people get here
- Program Manager, Senior Program Manager, Director, then VP of Programs or Chief Program Officer.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Program managementSocial servicesPublic healthEducationCommunity development
- Skills the posting will name
Program designStaff leadershipBudget managementProgram evaluationPartnership development
- Degree
- Often. Mission dependent. Health and clinical missions ask for it and often need it. Food, housing and workforce missions frequently do not.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Clinical licensure where the services are clinical.
A good fit if: You like building systems, leading teams and improving how services reach people.
Case Management Director
Leads the staff who work with individuals and families over time, and owns the caseload standards, the documentation and the ethics of it.
- What the job is
- Set caseload standards and supervision structure
- Own documentation quality and confidentiality
- Lead clinical or peer supervision
- Manage crisis escalation
- Report on outcomes for the people served
- How people get here
- Case Manager, Supervisor, then Director. Often licensed.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Social workCounselingHuman servicesNursing
- Skills the posting will name
Clinical supervisionDocumentation standardsCrisis responseTrauma informed practiceConfidentiality
- Degree
- Usually required. An MSW or an equivalent is usually a real requirement here, not a preference, and it is frequently the funder that requires it.
- Credential
- Usually required. State licensure is the norm.
A good fit if: You want to lead practice and you can carry the weight that comes with the caseload.
Also search these titles: VP of Programs, Director of Services, Site Director, Community Engagement Manager, Outreach Manager. They are the same work under a different name, and a search that misses them misses real postings.
Family 4 of 9
Fundraising and development
The function most organizations are always hiring for, and the one with the clearest ladder. It is also the one people from sales and account management move into most easily, because the work is relationship management with a mission attached.
Development Coordinator
Keeps the fundraising operation running. Gift entry, acknowledgements, the database, event logistics and the reports the director needs.
- What the job is
- Enter and acknowledge gifts
- Keep the donor database clean
- Pull lists and reports
- Support events and appeals
- Track pledges and renewals
- How people get here
- Coordinator, then Manager, then Development Director. Database competence accelerates this more than anything else.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Administrative workCustomer serviceEvent coordinationAny role that lived in a CRM
- Skills the posting will name
CRM administrationData hygieneWritten acknowledgementEvent logisticsAttention to detail
- Degree
- Sometimes. Listed more than enforced.
- Credential
- Rarely. Knowing the database the organization actually uses beats any credential at this level.
A good fit if: You are precise, you like the machinery behind the ask, and a duplicate record offends you.
Development Director
Owns the money that is not a grant. Individual donors, events, corporate giving and the annual plan that has to add up.
- What the job is
- Build and run the annual fundraising plan
- Carry a portfolio of donors and ask them
- Run appeals and events
- Work with the board on their giving and their asks
- Report against goal every month
- How people get here
- Coordinator or Manager, then Director, then Chief Development Officer or Executive Director. Development is the most common route to an ED seat.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Sales and account managementMarketingProgram work with a donor facing pieceBoard or volunteer leadership
- Skills the posting will name
SolicitationMoves managementCampaign planningBoard engagementWriting
- Degree
- Rarely. Rarely required. Results are the credential.
- Credential
- Sometimes. CFRE is recognised and does show up as preferred, especially at larger shops.
A good fit if: You can ask a person for money to their face and stay in the relationship afterward.
Major Gifts Officer
Carries a portfolio of the largest individual donors and moves each one toward a bigger gift over years, not months.
- What the job is
- Manage a portfolio of significant donors
- Build and run cultivation plans
- Make direct asks
- Write proposals and gift agreements
- Steward donors after the gift
- How people get here
- Development generalist, then Major Gifts, then Director of Major Gifts or Chief Development Officer.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Enterprise salesFinancial servicesDevelopment generalist work
- Skills the posting will name
Relationship buildingListeningProposal writingPatience across long cyclesDiscretion
- Degree
- Rarely. Rarely required.
- Credential
- Sometimes. CFRE, and planned giving training for gifts that involve estates.
A good fit if: You are comfortable with a long sales cycle and you can sit in silence after an ask.
Grant Writer
Finds the funding opportunities that fit, writes the proposals, and writes the reports that come due after the money arrives.
- What the job is
- Research funders and screen for fit
- Write proposals and budgets with program staff
- Track deadlines and submissions
- Write interim and final reports
- Keep the boilerplate current
- How people get here
- Writer, then Grants Manager, then Director of Foundation Relations or Development Director. Often freelance as well as staff.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Writing and editingResearchProgram workAcademic work
- Skills the posting will name
Persuasive writingBudget buildingFunder researchDeadline managementWorking with program staff who are busy
- Degree
- Rarely. A writing sample decides this hire.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Grant writing certificates exist and are cheap. A funded proposal you wrote is worth more.
A good fit if: You write clearly under a deadline and you can make a budget and a narrative agree.
Also search these titles: Chief Development Officer, Corporate Partnerships Manager, Planned Giving Officer, Annual Fund Manager, Donor Relations Manager. They are the same work under a different name, and a search that misses them misses real postings.
Family 5 of 9
Communications and marketing
Smaller than development and often reporting into it, which is worth knowing when you read the org chart in an interview. In a small organization this is one person doing the website, the newsletter, the social accounts and the annual report.
Communications Manager
Produces what the organization says. Newsletter, website, social, press, and the annual report that everybody forgets until October.
- What the job is
- Write and publish across channels
- Manage the editorial calendar
- Handle media inquiries
- Collect and tell participant stories with consent
- Maintain the website
- How people get here
- Coordinator, then Manager, then Director of Communications.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
JournalismMarketingAgency workProgram work with a writing habit
- Skills the posting will name
WritingEditingContent management systemsPhotography and basic designInterviewing
- Degree
- Sometimes. Portfolio decides it.
- Credential
- Rarely
A good fit if: You can write fast and well, and you understand that a participant story belongs to the participant.
Director of Communications
Owns the voice, the brand and the risk that comes with both. In a crisis this is the person the Executive Director calls first.
- What the job is
- Set message and brand standards
- Lead the communications team or the agency
- Manage crisis and reputation
- Support development with the case for support
- Own the public presence end to end
- How people get here
- Manager, then Director, then Chief Communications Officer or a VP seat covering marketing and development.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
JournalismAgency leadershipCorporate communicationsPolitical communications
- Skills the posting will name
Message strategyCrisis communicationsTeam leadershipMedia relationsEditing other people
- Degree
- Sometimes. Common as preferred.
- Credential
- Rarely. APR exists and is rarely asked for in this sector.
A good fit if: You can hold a line under pressure and you would rather be accurate than dramatic.
Digital and Social Media Manager
Runs the channels where most people meet the organization first, and increasingly runs the digital fundraising that comes with them.
- What the job is
- Plan and publish across social channels
- Run digital campaigns and email
- Manage paid digital where there is a budget
- Report on what actually worked
- Handle community management and the comments
- How people get here
- Coordinator, then Manager, then Director of Digital or Director of Communications.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Social media work in any sectorMarketingContent creation
- Skills the posting will name
Channel strategyEmail platformsAnalyticsShort form writingVideo and image editing
- Degree
- Rarely. The account you ran is the resume.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Platform certifications are free and do get read at this level.
A good fit if: You can make something worth watching on no budget and you do not take the comments personally.
Also search these titles: Marketing Manager, Public Relations Director, Content Manager, Storytelling Manager, Brand Manager. They are the same work under a different name, and a search that misses them misses real postings.
Family 6 of 9
Volunteer and community engagement
A whole profession that people outside the sector do not know exists. In a food bank or a disaster response organization the volunteer manager is running a workforce many times the size of the paid staff, with none of the leverage that comes with a paycheck.
Volunteer Coordinator
Recruits, schedules, trains and keeps the volunteers who make the work possible.
- What the job is
- Recruit and screen volunteers
- Run orientation and training
- Schedule shifts and fill the gaps
- Track hours and recognise people
- Be the person volunteers actually talk to
- How people get here
- Coordinator, then Manager, then Director of Volunteer Engagement.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Customer serviceEvent coordinationTeachingVolunteering that turned into a job
- Skills the posting will name
SchedulingOnboardingVolunteer management softwarePublic speakingRecognition that is not tokenism
- Degree
- Rarely. Rarely required.
- Credential
- Rarely
A good fit if: You like people, you can lead without authority, and a no show does not ruin your day.
Volunteer Manager
Owns the volunteer program as a program. Its capacity, its safety, its retention and its cost.
- What the job is
- Design volunteer roles and the training behind them
- Own screening, background checks and risk
- Build corporate and group engagement
- Measure retention and hours against need
- Supervise coordinators
- How people get here
- Coordinator, then Manager, then Director of Volunteer Engagement or a broader community engagement seat.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Volunteer coordinationHuman resourcesProgram managementEvent management
- Skills the posting will name
Program designRisk and screeningData and reportingCorporate relationshipsSupervision
- Degree
- Rarely. Rarely required.
- Credential
- Sometimes. The CVA credential is the recognised one in this field and almost nobody outside it has heard of it.
A good fit if: You want to build capacity rather than deliver every hour of it yourself.
Director of Volunteer Engagement
Leads volunteer engagement across the organization and usually owns the corporate partnerships that come with it.
- What the job is
- Set volunteer strategy across sites and programs
- Own risk, policy and insurance implications
- Lead corporate group engagement and the revenue attached
- Represent volunteers at the leadership table
- Build the pipeline that becomes donors and board members
- How people get here
- Manager, then Director, then a broader community engagement or development seat.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Volunteer managementDevelopmentCommunity relations
- Skills the posting will name
StrategyCorporate partnershipRisk managementTeam leadershipAdvocacy for the function
- Degree
- Sometimes. Listed at larger organizations.
- Credential
- Sometimes. CVA.
A good fit if: You believe volunteer engagement is a strategy and you are prepared to argue for it in a budget meeting.
Also search these titles: Corporate Engagement Manager, Community Engagement Manager, Volunteer Services Director, Outreach Coordinator. They are the same work under a different name, and a search that misses them misses real postings.
Family 7 of 9
Finance, HR and administration
Nonprofit finance is not corporate finance with smaller numbers. Money arrives restricted, has to be tracked to the grant that sent it, and has to survive a single audit. That is a real specialty and it is why the sector will hire an accountant who has never worked in it and then need a year to teach them fund accounting.
Finance Director
Owns the books, the budget, the audit and the cash. In a midsize organization this is also the person who explains all of it to a board that mostly does not read financial statements.
- What the job is
- Own the annual budget and the reforecast
- Manage cash and the line of credit
- Lead the annual audit and the 990
- Track restricted funds against their restrictions
- Present financials to the board
- How people get here
- Accountant or Controller, then Finance Director, then CFO or COO.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Public accountingCorporate accountingGovernment financeGrants management
- Skills the posting will name
Fund accountingAudit preparationCash forecastingGrant budgetingExplaining numbers to non finance people
- Degree
- Often. An accounting or finance degree is genuinely usual here, and this is one of the few families where that is true.
- Credential
- Often. CPA is common and frequently preferred rather than required below CFO.
A good fit if: You want the numbers to be right and you are willing to be the person who says there is no money.
Controller
Runs the accounting operation underneath the Finance Director. Close, reconciliation, payables, payroll and the schedules the auditors ask for.
- What the job is
- Run the monthly close
- Reconcile accounts and grants
- Manage payables, receivables and payroll
- Prepare audit schedules
- Maintain internal controls
- How people get here
- Staff Accountant, then Controller, then Finance Director or CFO.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Public accountingCorporate accountingNonprofit bookkeeping
- Skills the posting will name
Fund accountingClose processInternal controlsReconciliationAccounting systems
- Degree
- Often. Accounting degree usual.
- Credential
- Sometimes. CPA preferred at larger organizations.
A good fit if: You like a close that lands on time and a reconciliation that ties.
Grants Accountant
Tracks restricted and government money against the rules that came with it, and produces the reports the funder requires on the funder schedule.
- What the job is
- Track expenditures by grant and by budget line
- Prepare financial reports for funders
- Support single audit requirements
- Reconcile grant revenue and receivables
- Work with program staff on allowable costs
- How people get here
- Staff Accountant, then Grants Accountant, then Grants Manager or Controller. A specialty that is hard to hire and easy to keep.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
AccountingGovernment financeCompliance
- Skills the posting will name
Federal cost principlesAllowability analysisFunder reportingReconciliationDocumentation
- Degree
- Often. Accounting background usual.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Uniform Guidance training matters here more than a general credential.
A good fit if: You like rules with real consequences and you can say no to a program director politely.
HR Director
Owns hiring, benefits, policy, employee relations and the culture nobody put in a job description. In a small organization this is half a job bolted onto finance or operations.
- What the job is
- Run recruiting and onboarding
- Manage benefits and the annual renewal
- Own policy and the handbook
- Handle employee relations and investigations
- Advise leadership on compensation
- How people get here
- HR generalist, then Manager, then Director, then Chief People Officer.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Corporate HRRecruitingOperations with an HR piecePublic sector HR
- Skills the posting will name
Employment law basicsBenefits administrationEmployee relationsCompensation structureDifficult conversations
- Degree
- Sometimes. Commonly listed and often waived for a strong generalist.
- Credential
- Often. SHRM or HRCI certification is read seriously in this family and is one of the few places a credential moves a hiring decision.
A good fit if: You can hold confidence, hold a line and still be the person people come to.
Also search these titles: Chief Financial Officer, People Operations Manager, Payroll Manager, Staff Accountant, Director of Administration. They are the same work under a different name, and a search that misses them misses real postings.
Family 8 of 9
Policy and advocacy
The smallest family on this list and the hardest to enter cold. Most advocacy roles are filled by people who already know the legislative process or the coalition, which makes volunteering on a campaign or a coalition committee an unusually direct route in.
Policy Analyst
Reads the bill, the rule and the data, and turns them into something the organization and its allies can act on.
- What the job is
- Track legislation and regulation
- Write briefs, comment letters and fact sheets
- Analyse the impact on the people served
- Support coalition positions
- Brief leadership before they testify
- How people get here
- Analyst, then Senior Analyst or Policy Manager, then Director of Policy.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Legislative staff workResearchAcademic workProgram work with a policy interest
- Skills the posting will name
Legislative processResearch and analysisClear writingData interpretationNeutral summary of a partisan fight
- Degree
- Often. An MPA or MPP is common in this family, more than in most.
- Credential
- Rarely
A good fit if: You read primary sources for pleasure and you can write a page a busy person will actually read.
Government Relations Manager
Carries the organization relationship with elected officials and agencies, at whichever level of government the money and the rules come from.
- What the job is
- Build relationships with officials and staff
- Represent positions to agencies and committees
- Coordinate with lobbying counsel where there is any
- Track and honour the limits on nonprofit lobbying
- Bring intelligence back to the organization
- How people get here
- Legislative or agency staff, then Government Relations, then Director of Public Affairs.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Legislative staffAgency workCampaign workAssociation management
- Skills the posting will name
Relationship buildingLegislative processMessage disciplineCoalition workKnowing the reporting rules
- Degree
- Sometimes. Who you already know moves this more than what you studied.
- Credential
- Rarely. Lobbying registration requirements are legal obligations, not credentials. Get advice on them from counsel.
A good fit if: You are patient, you are useful to people before you need anything, and you keep your word.
Advocacy Director
Leads the campaign. Sets what the organization is asking for, who has to be moved, and how the people affected are part of it rather than the subject of it.
- What the job is
- Set advocacy strategy and priorities
- Lead or join coalitions
- Build grassroots and grasstops capacity
- Own the line between advocacy and the lobbying limits
- Support people with lived experience to speak for themselves
- How people get here
- Organizer or Policy Analyst, then Manager, then Director of Advocacy or Chief Policy Officer.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Community organizingPolicy analysisCampaign managementProgram leadership
- Skills the posting will name
Campaign strategyCoalition leadershipPublic speakingMediaPolitical judgment
- Degree
- Sometimes. Listed, and a won campaign outweighs it.
- Credential
- Rarely
A good fit if: You want the rule changed rather than the symptom managed, and you can lose a session and come back.
Also search these titles: Public Affairs Manager, Coalition Director, Organizing Director, Legislative Affairs Manager. They are the same work under a different name, and a search that misses them misses real postings.
Family 9 of 9
Technology and data
Underbuilt almost everywhere and rising fast. A person who can genuinely administer a CRM, clean data and build a report the board understands is scarce in this sector and will be hired quickly, often at a title above what the same skills earn outside it.
Salesforce Administrator
Runs the platform a great many nonprofits keep their donors, participants and programs in. Configuration, users, reports and the integrations hanging off it.
- What the job is
- Configure objects, fields and flows
- Manage users and permissions
- Build reports and dashboards
- Keep data clean and deduplicated
- Support the staff who use it every day
- How people get here
- Data or operations work, then Administrator, then CRM Manager or Director of Technology.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Any role that lived in SalesforceDevelopment operationsData entry and analysisIT support
- Skills the posting will name
Salesforce configurationReportingData hygieneRequirements gatheringTraining users
- Degree
- Rarely. Almost never the deciding factor.
- Credential
- Often. The Salesforce Administrator certification is one of the few credentials that genuinely opens doors here, and Trailhead is free.
A good fit if: You like making a tool fit the work rather than making the work fit the tool.
Data Analyst
Turns what the organization collects into something it can act on, and usually cleans it first because nobody else has.
- What the job is
- Build and maintain reports and dashboards
- Analyse program outcomes
- Support grant reporting with real numbers
- Improve how data gets collected in the first place
- Explain what the numbers do and do not say
- How people get here
- Analyst, then Senior Analyst, then Director of Data or Evaluation.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
Analytics in any sectorResearchProgram work with a spreadsheet habitFinance
- Skills the posting will name
Spreadsheets to a serious levelSQL or a BI toolData visualisationSurvey designExplaining uncertainty
- Degree
- Sometimes. A portfolio of actual analysis competes well with a degree.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Platform certifications in Power BI or Tableau get read.
A good fit if: You want to know whether it worked, and you are prepared for the answer to be no.
Director of Technology
Owns the systems, the security and the roadmap, usually with a budget that assumes none of it will break.
- What the job is
- Own infrastructure, devices and vendors
- Lead system selection and implementation
- Own security, backup and incident response
- Plan and defend the technology budget
- Translate between staff needs and technical reality
- How people get here
- Administrator or IT manager, then Director. Frequently the first technology hire the organization has ever made.
- Backgrounds it is filled from
IT managementSystems administrationConsultingOperations with a technology piece
- Skills the posting will name
Vendor managementSecurity basicsImplementation managementBudgetingChange management
- Degree
- Sometimes. Listed, and what you have implemented matters more.
- Credential
- Sometimes. Security and platform certifications help. NTEN is where this field talks to itself.
A good fit if: You can make good decisions with a small budget and you would rather prevent the outage.
Also search these titles: CRM Manager, Database Manager, Systems Administrator, Director of Digital Transformation, Business Analyst. They are the same work under a different name, and a search that misses them misses real postings.
Before you spend forty thousand dollars
Where a degree actually moves the decision.
There is no nonprofit degree. What a role needs varies more by mission than by title, and a great deal of what appears under requirements is aspirational. This is a judgment from reading postings and from hiring against them, not survey data, and it says so. Experience is the column that never changes: it matters for every role on this list.
Read Usually required as a real gate, most often because a funder or a licensing board put it there rather than the employer. Read Often as a preference that a strong record beats. Read Rarely as a line in the posting that nobody is enforcing. If a role you want says Rarely and you were about to enrol in something, the money is better spent on the credential column or on a project you can show.
Wages are not on this table on purpose, because a national average tells you nothing about a specific employer. The two places that do are the federal wage data and the employer own 990.
Now find the people who do it.
Every family has an association, most have local chapters, and a chapter meeting puts you in a room with fifty people holding the job you are applying for. The careers page names yours.