Senior Vice President, Development

Job Title: Senior Vice President, Development 

Department: Development

Location: Remote/Virtual within the continental US

Reports to: Chief External Affairs

Direct Reports: Yes

Classification: Exempt 

Position type: Full-Time Employee

Pay Band: $135,000 - $186,000

 

Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is the largest nonprofit dedicated to making military life better for families. Each year, we support over 1.5 million military- and veteran-connected family members through a national network of 300,000+ members and local chapters in communities across the country.

Our mission is simple and bold: We make military life awesome for families. 

We listen, share, partner, and act to deliver evidence-based, data-driven solutions that work for real people. We’re a lifestyle organization, a friend and neighbor, and a trusted partner. Our approach is collaborative, human-centered, and designed with the whole family in mind.

A Blue Star Family is one with an immediate family member — a spouse, parent, or child — actively serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Guard and Reserves. These families face unique challenges: frequent relocations, deployments, career disruption, and isolation. We respond with research-informed programs that create connection, build resilience, and foster a true sense of belonging.

We serve with urgency but build trust over time — because change happens at the speed of trust. Whether we’re driving spouse employment, supporting caregivers, or helping communities welcome military families, we strive for upstream solutions.

Who We’re Looking For:

• Bold thinkers. Fast movers. Smart collaborators. People who want to build, lead, and drive measurable change — and who care deeply about making an impact that matters.

What You’ll Do Here:

• Solve complex challenges with data, heart, and humility
• Build cross-sector partnerships that get things done
• Help military families feel at home wherever they live

If you're ready to work in a high-performance, mission-driven environment — and to make life better for those who serve — Blue Star Families is where you belong.

 

General Description

The Senior Vice President of Development is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive strategies for the Development Department that align with organizational goals and objectives. This role plays a critical part in shaping the long-term direction of the organization’s fundraising efforts and will provide input on the overall organizational strategy. The Senior Vice President will lead the Development Department, managing all fundraising channels and ensuring that the department’s initiatives are aligned with the broader business objectives and long-term goals of Blue Star Families (BSF).

 

This position requires someone with extensive experience in all aspects of fundraising, including, but not limited to, identifying and cultivating individual, corporate, and foundation donors, as well as managing major gifts, planned giving, capital campaigns, special events, and grant writing.

 

The Senior Vice President will report to the Chief External Affairs Officer and will collaborate closely with the Senior Vice President of External Affairs and other members of the senior leadership team to ensure that fundraising strategies support organizational priorities, secure essential funding for new initiatives, and cultivate and steward relationships with key donors.

 

As a fully remote organization, we rely on regular in-person gatherings to fulfill core business functions, including strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and culture-building. This role requires the ability to travel overnight several times per year to attend team offsites, leadership sessions, and company-wide events.

 

These events are critical to performing the essential functions of the role, enabling team alignment, effective decision-making, and strong interpersonal connection. Attendance and participation in these gatherings is a non-negotiable component of the position.

 

Key Job Functions

• Develop and execute comprehensive, multi-channel fundraising strategies for the