Managing Director

Job Title: Managing Director

Department: Growth and Development

Location: Remote in the San Franciso Bay Area or Seattle, WA

Who We Are

Today’s societal challenges are more complex, interconnected, and urgent than ever. Sunflower Services is comprised of over 240 professionals with deep expertise in the philanthropic sector. We provide support services to fiscal sponsors and intermediaries—and their hundreds of mission-driven projects—that are creating meaningful change. We welcome jobseekers who are motivated by results and driven by impact. For a list of current job openings at Sunflower, please visit our LinkedIn page.

Sunflower Services is an independent, nonprofit-owned Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to providing operational excellence to nonprofit and social impact organizations. Sunflower delivers integrated solutions in finance, HR, grants management, compliance, and other administrative areas, helping mission-driven organizations and changemakers focus on what matters most: their impact.

Position Overview

Sunflower Services is seeking a bold, relationship-driven Managing Director of Business Development to help shape the next chapter of the growth of a newly formed ecosystem providing fiscal sponsorship to changemakers tackling today's thorniest problems.

We are a private benefit corporation, wholly owned by three 501c3 public charities: New Venture Fund, Windward Fund, and Hopewell Fund. This is a senior leadership role for someone who combines deep fluency in the social sector with an entrepreneurial mindset and a track record of building high-value, trust-based partnerships.

The ideal candidate brings firsthand knowledge of the fiscal sponsorship landscape and understands how philanthropic capital flows, how changemakers and their funders make structural decisions, and how to position this ecosystem, powered by Sunflower’s unparalleled services, as the partner of choice for organizations operating at the frontier of social change. Based in northern California, this leader will influence strategy, develop people, and serve as a credible and inspiring voice in the field.

This role reports to Sunflower’s Chief Relationship Officer and works closely with senior leaders across Sunflower and its affiliated funds, including Hopewell Fund, Windward Fund, New Venture Fund, and Sixteen Thirty Fund.

What You’ll Do

Business Development (60%)

• Shape and advance Sunflower’s multi-year growth strategy, in conjunction with our partners/owners, identifying and closing opportunities aligned with emerging trends in philanthropy and fiscal sponsorship
• Build and manage a pipeline of business aligned with the ecosystem partners’ areas of focus and a set of strong values, resulting in meeting individual and teamwide revenue and impact targets through the full sales cycle—providing leadership from lead generation through close
• Serve as a strategic advisor to prospective funders and project leaders, helping them understand how fiscal sponsorship can unlock new possibilities for their work
• Represent Sunflower and its partners/owners as a thought leader at conferences, in publications, and in high-value sector forums; author content that positions the ecosystem at the forefront of the field
• Monitor market trends and philanthropic shifts to inform business development strategy and identify new service opportunities
• Cultivate channel partner and referral relationships that expand Sunflower’s reach and reputation

Relationship Stewardship and Client Stewardship (30%)

• Develop and sustain strong, long-term relationships across the 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 ecosystem, and with a defined portfolio of funders and strategic partners
• Partner closely with the Presidents and senior leadership of multiple and separate nonprofit entities and partners to align priorities, share market intelligence, and identify collaborative opportunities
• Bring a sophisticated understanding of the ecosystem’s full-service offerings to every client interaction—diagnosing needs, designing solutions, leading fee negotiations, and defining scope
• Collaborate with service teams to ensure excellent client experience that drives retention and referrals
• Proactively deepen existing relationships by anticipating evolving needs and introducing creative and relevant capabilities

Leadership (10%)

• Serve as a senior contributor to strategy, bringing market perspective, sector intelligence, and partner insight to leadership discussions about the ecosystem’s – and specifically, Sunflower’s direction and priorities
• Represent Sunflower and its partners as a credible and inspiring spokesperson for fiscal sponsorship – enhancing the ecosystem’s reputation and relationships across the social sector.