Position Summary

The Director is a senior leadership role responsible for advancing the mission, sustainability, and growth of the Colorado BioScience Institute. Reporting to the President & CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association (and President of the Institute), the Director provides organizational leadership across fundraising, partnerships, programs, and operations, with responsibility for day-to-day decision-making and execution of strategy while strengthening organizational performance. The Institute currently operates an annual budget of approximately $345,000 and is pursuing a measured, sustainable growth trajectory of approximately 15-20%/year, with the goal of reaching a $500,000+ annual operating budget over time, dependent on consistent revenue growth and external funding conditions.

This role is a unique opportunity for an experienced nonprofit leader who is motivated to scale a growing organization, strengthen its infrastructure, and expand its impact across Colorado’s life sciences and workforce development ecosystem. The Director serves as a visible external representative of the Institute and plays a central role in shaping fundraising strategy, cultivating partnerships, overseeing programs, and ensuring operational and financial effectiveness.

The Director position is intentionally structured as a senior leadership role with a defined growth trajectory. Based on demonstrated performance, strategic leadership, and organizational readiness, the Director may assume expanded authority with the potential to transition into the Executive Director role. In such a transition, the Executive Director would report directly to the Institute’s Board of Directors and assume full strategic, financial, and operational leadership of the organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising & Revenue Development (40%)

·       Collaborate with the Institute’s President and board of directors on development strategy and annual fundraising priorities.

·       Lead the executive of the Institute’s annual fundraising strategy with responsibility for achieving defined revenue targets, including foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, individual donor cultivation, and fundraising events.

·       Manage grant research, writing, submission, reporting, and stewardship.

·       Independently cultivate, solicit, and steward institutional, corporate, and individual donors.

·       Track and regularly report fundraising progress to the President and board while maintaining accurate records using the organization’s CRM and reporting tools.

Partnerships & External Relations (25%)

·       Serve as a visible external representative of the Institute, supporting relationship-building and stakeholder engagement.

·       Develop and maintain partnerships across life sciences industry, higher education, K–12 education, workforce development, government, and community-based organizations.

·       Coordinate with the Colorado BioScience Association team to align shared partner strategies and outreach efforts.

·       Represent the Institute at meetings, events, and convenings throughout Colorado.

·       Support marketing and communications efforts to increase awareness, engagement, and program participation.

Program Direction (20%)

·       Oversee planning, implementation, and evaluation of Institute programs to ensure programs align with mission, strategic priorities, funding requirements, and long-term sustainability.

·       Supervise the Program Manager and contract facilitators; provide coaching, support, and performance feedback.

·       Identify opportunities to enhance or expand programs in collaboration with leadership and partners.

·       Ensure programs are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with organizational goals.

·       Collaborate with the Program Manager to evaluate program performance using defined metrics and make recommendations for continuous improvement, growth, modification, or sunset.

·       Lead strategic initiatives to assess community and industry workforce needs and inform the development of new programs, including an industry talent collaborative and an NSF-funded initiative for a new Quality Assurance / Regulatory Affairs (QA/RA) program.

Operations & Financial Management (10%)

·       Lead the development and monitoring of the Institute’s annual operating budget in partnership with the President and board of directors.

·       Oversee financial forecasting, cash flow monitoring, and expense management; identify risks and recommend corrective actions to the President.

·       Coordinate with the contract accountant to support accurate financial reporting and compliance.

·       Ensure financial systems, controls, and reporting are appropriate for organizational growth and future independence.

·       Support vendor management, contracts, and operational logistics as needed.

Board Engagement & Organizational Support (5%)

·       Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Institute’s Board of Directors.

·       Present organizational updates, financial performance, and strategic recommendations directly to the Board.

·       Engage directly with Board members through meetings and ad hoc strategic discussions, building strong working relationships and trust to support governance best practices.

·       Collaborate with the President & CEO and Board leadership on organizational planning, and long-term strategic initiatives.

·       Performance will be formally evaluated within 24 months to assess readiness for expanded authority and potential transition into the Executive Director role, based on fundraising performance, financial leadership, board engagement, and organizational outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

·       5+ years of progressive nonprofit leadership experience, including fundraising, partnership, and/or operational leadership; workforce development, education, life sciences, or related field.

·       Demonstrated success leading fundraising strategies (grants, corporate sponsorships, donor engagement) and securing funding.

·       Experience managing organizational budgets and working directly with financial reports.

·       Strong relationship-building across corporate, education, government, and community sectors.

·       Excellent written and verbal communication; confident public speaker.

·       Strategic thinker with execution ability in lean environments.

·       Experience managing/coordinating staff, contractors, or cross-functional teams; collaborative leader.

·       Proficiency with Microsoft Office, CRM (e.g., Salesforce), and fundraising/program tools.

Preferred Qualification

·       Master’s degree in bioscience, workforce development, education, leadership or other related field.

Compensation & Benefits

·       Salary: Salary range is $70,000 to $80,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

·       Performance Incentive: This position may be eligible for annual performance-based bonus compensation tied to the achievement of defined organizational and budgetary stretch goals and/or individual performance metrics, subject to Board approval and organizational financial performance.

·       Benefits: The Colorado BioScience Institute offers a competitive benefits package eligible employees, which currently includes medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with employer matching contributions, disability insurance, monthly public transit or parking reimbursement, 10 days paid time off, and 9 paid holidays.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position, which operates on a hybrid work schedule, combining remote work with in-office presence as needed to effectively support the core functions of the role, including collaboration, meetings, programs, events, and partner engagement. At a minimum, the Director is expected to work in the office alongside the team on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Additional in-office time may be required.  The candidate must live in the Denver metro area or be willing to travel to and attend all in-person meetings/trainings/programs/events. This position requires public speaking and some travel along the Front Range. This position requires minimal evening work hours for events.

Non-Discrimination

The Colorado BioScience Institute firmly supports the principle and philosophy of equal opportunity for all individuals, regardless of age, race, gender, creed, national origin, physical or mental handicap, persons with disabilities and all veterans and any other protected category pursuant to applicable federal, state, or local law. The Colorado BioScience Institute strives to promote a culture of inclusiveness, respect, communication, and understanding.

To Apply:

With your application, please submit your resume and responses to these questions:

1. What types of programs or organizations (e.g., workforce development, education, life sciences), and what areas did you directly lead (fundraising, partnerships, operations)?

2. Regarding your fundraising strategy experience, what mix did you manage (grants, corporate sponsorships, donors), how much was raised, and what you personally owned versus supported?

3. What size budgets did you oversee, what financial reports did you work with, and how did you use that data to make decisions?

4. Give an example of how you built and maintained relationships with corporate, education, government, or community partners and how you led or coordinated staff or partners to execute on a shared goal.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.