Development Operations Manager 

Reports To: Chief Innovations Officer Job Status: Full-Time; Exempt 

Time Commitment: 40 hrs/week; occasional nights and weekends for donor events and deadlines 

Location: Austin or Dallas, Texas (hybrid); occasional travel between the two offices and to funder events 

Compensation: $70,000–$85,000 annually. Placement within the range reflects depth of writing portfolio, demonstrated systems-building and project-management experience, and familiarity with grant processes; LSJA expects most candidates to be hired in the middle of the range. 

Benefits: 100% employer-paid premiums for employee coverage — major medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability; dependent and family coverage available for purchase by the employee. 401(k) (no employer match). Paid holidays and paid vacation accruing monthly per the Employee Handbook. Reimbursement of business expenses. 

Anticipated Start: Fall 2026 

Lone Star Justice Alliance is a nonprofit legal organization that improves the lives of youth and emerging adults (18–24) in the justice system. We envision a justice system that's fair, humane, and tailored to young people — one that supports their growth, respects their dignity, and keeps communities safe, all while using resources wisely. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

LSJA's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Innovations Officer hold the organization's donor and funder relationships personally. The Development Operations Manager is the person who makes those relationships productive: the writer who turns a conversation with a program officer into a complete proposal and LSJA's story into compelling appeals and campaign materials, the project manager who knows every application and report deadline three months out and coordinates the staff needed to meet it, and the operator who builds and keeps the systems — pipeline, records, acknowledgments, reporting — that a growing development program depends on. This position does not carry a solicitation portfolio. It carries everything else. 

We are hiring for five qualities, in this order: outstanding writing, disciplined project management, a genuine love of building and running clean operations, supporting the management of relationships, and passion for the mission. Prior nonprofit fundraising experience is welcome but is not the qualification we are hiring for. People who have done this kind of work in journalism, communications, law, policy, consulting, or program management are strongly encouraged to apply. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Writing 

• Write grant proposals, letters of inquiry, concept notes, and funder-specific materials in LSJA's voice, working from conversations with the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Innovations Officer and from source material across the organization. Coordinate the program data, budgets, and attachments each application requires from program and legal staff, the General Counsel, and LSJA's outside accounting firm. The expectation is that complete proposals are delivered to the Chief Executive Officer no fewer than five business days before the deadline. 

• Produce narrative and programmatic grant reports on schedule, gathering outcomes and data from the responsible program and legal staff and coordinating with the General Counsel and LSJA's outside accounting firm, who prepare the financial reports, so that each report goes out complete and reconciled. 

• Build and maintain the development library — case for support, program summaries, budget narratives, impact statements, etc.  — using a single set of canonical figures and distinguishing demonstrated results from projected outcomes in every claim. 

• Prepare briefing memos before donor and funder meetings and draft follow-up correspondence and acknowledgment letters afterward. 

Project management 

• Own the development calendar: application deadlines, report due dates, renewal windows, cultivation steps, board fundraising commitments, and campaign milestones.  

• Maintain the donor and funder pipeline that the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Innovations Officer cultivate: conduct prospect research, manage contact records, and provide them a weekly pipeline report; report revenue against monthly targets. 

• Project-manage donor events, funder site visits, and the annual individual-giving calendar (year-end and spring campaigns, board giving) from planning through follow-up. 

• Prepare materials and minutes for the Board Fundraising Committee and support the Board Fundraising Chair's give-or-get program. 

Development operations 

• Own the donor database (Donorbox): accurate records, gift processing, and acknowledgment of every gift within five business days; monthly reconciliation with the General Counsel and LSJA's outside accounting firm. 

• Design and run stewardship touch plans for donors . 

• Prepare awarded grants to be moved to the General Counsel in the organization’s grants management workflow for compliance. Write and maintain development policies, templates, and procedures, regularly monitoring what does and does not work as the program scales and developing solutions real-time. 

Communications support 

• Own the development content calendar and donor-facing materials — appeals, the donor email newsletter, campaign collateral, and the organization's general collateral — within the communications strategy set by the Chief Innovations Officer. 

• Maintain and update LSJA's website, email platforms, and social channels with development content and campaign updates as needed. 

SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

• Exceptional persuasive and technical writing: the ability to turn program data and legal work into clear, accurate funder narratives, and to produce finished prose quickly under deadline. Writing samples will be requested. 

• Project management that others can see: a track record of running multi-stakeholder work against hard deadlines and keeping it on schedule without being asked. 

• Operational instinct: you notice when a process is fragile, you build the fix, you document it, and you enjoy doing so. 

• Comfort with data and systems: CRM or database management, spreadsheets, and the discipline to keep records accurate to the dollar; comfort reading budgets and working with accountants. 

• Judgment about what belongs in front of an executive and what should be handled; discretion with confidential donor, client, and financial information. 

• Proficiency with donor databases and project-management tools; strong Microsoft 365 skills; working knowledge of website platforms, email management, social media, and Canva or similar design tools. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Three or more years of professional experience in which writing and project coordination were central, demonstrable responsibilities — in nonprofit development, journalism, communications, law or policy, consulting, program management, or a comparable field. 

• A portfolio of written work demonstrating persuasive and explanatory writing (grant proposals, reports, memos, briefs, or published work). 

• Experience owning a deadline calendar and a database or tracking system for an organization or team. 

• Demonstrated commitment to LSJA's mission and to working respectfully with young people and families impacted by the justice system. 

• Bachelor's degree, or additional directly applicable experience substituted at the discretion of LSJA. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Experience supporting a capital campaign or other large, multi-year fundraising effort. 

• Experience writing and reporting on foundation or government grants, including government contract proposals and reporting. 

• Familiarity with Texas philanthropy or with criminal or juvenile justice reform, legal services, or workforce and reentry programs. 

• Spanish language proficiency. 

POSITION PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

Primarily sedentary work with occasional travel. The hands are regularly used to write and type. Weights of up to 15 pounds occur (i.e., laptop computer, files, presentation materials). Requirements may be modified to accommodate individuals with disabilities. 

HOW TO APPLY 

Please send a letter of interest and a resume to Elizabeth Henneke, Chief Executive Officer, at ehenneke@lsja.org. In the subject line, type 'Development Operations Manager–Last Name.' 

In your letter of interest, please answer the following: 

• What does justice reform mean to you? Please be detailed, but do not exceed two paragraphs. 

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. LSJA has a strong commitment to diversity and especially encourages people with lived experience of justice involvement to apply. We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.