Director of Innovation

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
life insurance, paid time off, paid holidays, 401(k)
United States, New York, New York
733 3rd Avenue (Show on map)
Oct 16, 2025
WHO WE ARE: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. We partner with volunteers to accomplish our work. Staff members engage volunteers through effective and timely communications, facilitating meaningful opportunities, and continually seeking and providing feedback for reciprocal growth and learning. Job Summary: This role drives the design, testing, and scaling of new fundraising products while embedding innovation practices across the organization. The Director serves as both a strategist and operator, helping to transform bold ideas into scalable impact. Though not a people manager, the Director sets the pace and standard for fundraising execution-partnering with the VP and coordinating efforts across business units and departments to ensure strong results and donor experiences. Main Responsibilities: Lead the development of new fundraising products by directing the entire process from ideation, testing, analysis, and future scaling. Create structured engagement opportunities (workshops, digital forums, consumer research) that inspire innovation and enhance fundraising effectiveness. Build cross-departmental partnerships (Marketing, IT, Finance, Development Business Units) to ensure products are operationally sound and scalable. Develop and maintain dashboards that track performance across all innovation stages that track ROI metrics. Establish test-and-learn frameworks, capturing insights to refine future product development. Translate research and insights into practical playbooks, toolkits, and training modules for internal and external stakeholders. Stay current on market trends, fundraising practices, and emerging innovation models. Use CRM and campaign dashboards to inform decisions, track performance, and continuously improve tactics. What We're Looking For: 7-10 years of professional experience, with 4+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, product development, innovation, or program leadership. Demonstrated success in launching and scaling new initiatives, products, or campaigns with measurable outcomes. Strong leadership and project management skills, with experience supervising staff or volunteers and coordinating cross-functional initiatives. Proficiency in CRM systems (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Salesforce) and data analysis to inform strategy and reporting. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and inspire donors, board members, and community stakeholders. Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and implement long-term fundraising plans aligned with organizational goals. Experience planning and executing donor events, stewardship programs, and grant proposals. Location Requirements Remote - Flexible Location Work is primarily performed remotely, however, when possible and necessary, teams meet in person to conduct the business of the organization and build team relationships. Compensation \| Benefits: The estimated hiring compensation range for this role is $95,000-$110,000. Final offers will be based on the candidate'sgeographic location, consider career experience and may vary from this range due to these and other factors. You will have the opportunity for a highly competitive, comprehensive benefit package that the Society provides to employees. Your benefits include a considerable Paid Time Off Plan; Paid Holidays; 401k Retirement Savings Plan with Society match; Commuter Benefit Plan; Comprehensive Health & Welfare benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Flex Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Disability Coverage, Spring Health Membership offering free therapy and professional coaching, as well as additional voluntary benefit offerings. Not to mention, you will join an incredible mission focused team of people! We're committed to supporting the growth of every employee through a structured and transparent approach to career development. We use Talent Portraits to define clear expectations, development opportunities, and advancement paths - whether you're growing as a people leader or deepening your expertise as an individual contributor. Each role is thoughtfully placed within one of these pathways (Leadership or Partner) to help you understand how it fits into our broader organization and your potential career journey. This position is classified as Partner - Knowledge Expert. The National MS Society is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strive to create a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We need you and your unique talents and perspectives to help us write the last chapter on MS. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: We appreciate your consideration of our job opportunities and strive to make it as effortless as possible to apply for our positions. With only a few required sections and the option to use our resume parsing tool, we aim to streamline the application experience, saving you time and effort. Additionally, if you wish to include a cover letter with your application, please feel free to attach it along with your resume, and any other documents required, to the Resume/CV document upload section at the bottom of the My Experience page. We appreciate your interest in joining our team and look forward to receiving your application! Important: You will not be able to modify your application after you submit it. The "My Experience" page is the only opportunity to add your cover letter and supporting document attachments. If you experience any trouble submitting your materials, please check out our FAQ & Contact Us page.