Business Development Specialist

Position Summary

HIAS seeks a Business Development to support HIAS’ Business Development strategy by identifying, tracking, and qualifying funding opportunities (“prospects”) from foundations, corporations, government, and multilateral donors. Reporting to the Director of Business Development, the Specialist is responsible for conducting in-depth research, monitoring donor trends, and building a robust pipeline of prospects aligned with HIAS’ global programmatic priorities. The Specialist analyzes HIAS’ evolving funding needs to support the timely identification of viable prospects and produces clear, actionable prospect records to inform internal decision-making and opportunity planning. This role is responsible not only for identifying prospects, but also for assessing and qualifying them against HIAS’ internal funding criteria to ensure strategic fit and feasibility.

Beyond monitoring formal public solicitations, this role proactively identifies and cultivates strategic funding opportunities, including by identifying donors that HIAS can engage and steward over time in an increasingly relationship-driven funding landscape.

The Specialist will also lead the development of proposals for general operating support funding.

This is a research-intensive role requiring strong analytical and communication skills, attention to detail, sound judgment, and a proactive approach.

Note, this position is based at our headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland or our office in New York, New York, and we will consider a remote option for applicants who live outside of commuting distance to either of our offices and are based in other states in which we are registered (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia).

The salary range for this position is $65,000-70,000.00.

Essential Functions

• Conduct comprehensive, ongoing research to identify institutional funding prospects aligned with HIAS’ programs and geographic footprint.
• Monitor funding platforms, donor websites, philanthropic trend reports, and sector-specific bulletins to surface timely and relevant prospects.
• Track and analyze RFPs, RFAs, and donor strategies across humanitarian and development sectors in both U.S. and international markets.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date prospect records in HIAS’ Grants Management System, including country focus, technical sector, anticipated solicitation timelines, funding mechanism, and estimated award value.
• Synthesize donor intelligence and opportunity criteria into clear, concise donor profiles and summaries.
• Independently assess and qualify prospects against HIAS’ internal funding criteria.
• Participate in regular internal meetings with technical teams to understand priorities, funding gaps, and strategic direction.
• Support the development and/or improvement of internal prospecting tools, templates, and processes.
• Lead end-to-end development of proposals for general operating support funding.
• Produce regular reports and analysis on funding trends and HIAS’ funding pipeline.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, public affairs, nonprofit management, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• At least 3 years of experience in research, institutional fundraising, business development, or related areas in a nonprofit or humanitarian context (internship or volunteer experience included).
• Demonstrated ability to conduct donor research and analyze data to assess funding alignment and likelihood.
• Familiarity with prospecting tools (e.g., Foundation Directory Online, Devaid, Grants.gov, EU portals).
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to synthesize and present complex information clearly and concisely.
• Experience working with donor databases or CRM systems preferred.
• Highly organized, self-directed, and able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and functions.
• Strong digital literacy, with the ability to quickly learn and effectively use new tools, systems, and data platforms.
• Commitment to HIAS’ mission and values.
• Some knowledge of Judaism and/or the Jewish community, culture, and issues desired.