[Hiring] Director of Strategic Growth & Institutional Funding @Prisms VR

Role Description

The Director of Strategic Growth & Institutional Funding operates at the critical intersection of business development and institutional funding. Your primary mission is to accelerate revenue growth by identifying, securing, and scaling funding sources that enable K-12 schools and districts to purchase our educational technology solutions. You will blend the persuasive narrative skills of a master grant writer with the commercial acumen of a business development executive to unlock federal, state, and private philanthropic funds.

Key Responsibilities

• Grant Strategy & Writing (50%)
  • Draft compelling proposals: Write highly persuasive, compliant, and technically accurate grant applications, concept notes, and RFPs tailored to K-12 buyers.
  • Align product to funding: Translate complex edtech product features into clear, impactful educational outcomes that match the specific goals of grant makers (e.g., Title I, Title II, IDEA, ARP, and private foundations).
  • Build a turnkey toolkit: Create reusable grant toolkits, templates, and boilerplates that district partners can easily use to apply for funding independently to purchase our platform.
  • Monitor compliance: Track post-award reporting requirements and impact metrics to ensure high renewal and retention rates.
• Business Development & Market Expansion (50%)
  • Identify funding pipelines: Research, track, and analyze federal, state, and private funding streams to identify new market opportunities for the sales team.
  • Consult with K-12 leaders: Act as an internal funding expert, conducting consultative discovery calls alongside Account Executives to help superintendents and curriculum directors map their strategic budgets to our solutions.
  • Build strategic partnerships: Develop and maintain relationships with state education agencies (SEAs), regional education service agencies (RESAs), and philanthropic organizations.
  • Enable the sales team: Train the sales and customer success teams on how to leverage specific funding streams to overcome budget objections and shorten sales cycles.

Qualifications

• Experience: 4+ years of combined experience in K-12 grant writing, educational procurement, or edtech business development.
• Domain Knowledge: Deep understanding of K-12 funding structures, including federal formula funds (ESSA Titles), competitive federal grants, and state-level allocations.
• Proven Track Record: Demonstrated success in securing six- and seven-figure grants or public sector contracts.
• Communication: Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to explain complex technical products in simple pedagogical terms.
• Project Management: Strong organizational skills to manage multiple strict grant deadlines simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications

• Former experience as a K-12 administrator, district grant coordinator, or educational consultant.
• Familiarity with Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar CRM tools to track funding pipelines.