Development Manager

We are looking for

The Open Home Foundation is looking for a Development Manager based in the United States to join our Marketing team. This team is responsible for connecting the foundation's projects, such as Home Assistant, Music Assistant and ESPHome, with the people who benefit from them most: users, contributors, and partners. By making it easier for people to discover, use, and get involved with our projects, the Open Home ecosystem can grow in a way that's aligned with our values.

In this role, you'd be the primary owner of the development and growth of the Open Home Foundation's fundraising efforts, from identifying prospects to closing commitments. This includes grant funding from open-source and public-interest technology funders and corporate sponsorships that support flagship events like the annual State of the Open Home.

Your work will make sure the Open Home Foundation has the necessary resources to keep Home Assistant and our other projects independent, privacy-respecting, and sustainable for the long term.

What you are going to do

• Develop and own the foundation's fundraising strategy across grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual giving.

• Identify, cultivate and steward relationships with qualified prospects, adapting solicitation strategies as appropriate.

• Translate the Foundation's mission, values and roadmaps into suitable, philanthropic narratives for potential donors.

• Build and manage corporate sponsorship programs and partnership packages, including around flagship conferences and events such as the annual State of the Open Home and global community meetups.

• Research, write, and manage grant applications and funder reporting, including open-source and public-interest technology funders, making sure donors are informed on how their support is contributing to our mission.

• Set up and maintain fundraising systems — donor/CRM tracking, pipelines, reporting, and donation platforms.

• Collaborate with leadership and the project communities to align fundraising with the foundation's roadmap and values.

• Engage external partners and advisors when needed, including across international funding sources.

What you need to have

• At least 5 years of fundraising or development experience, with a track record of securing significant gifts, grants, or corporate sponsorships.

• Experience owning a fundraising function or leading major fundraising initiatives end-to-end.

• Experience within the tech sector.

• Experience cultivating and closing corporate sponsorships and/or major donors.

• Strong grant-writing and funder-reporting skills.

• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills.

• Ability to travel to meet potential donors in person.

• Professional Fluency in English: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

• US Residency: You must currently be based and eligible to work within the US.

It would be great if you also have

• A passion for smart homes and automation.

• Experience as a Home Assistant user.

• Experience fundraising for open-source, technology, or privacy-focused organizations.

• An existing network of relevant funders, sponsors, or technology-philanthropy contacts.

• Familiarity with grant programs relevant to open source and public-interest technology.

What we offer you

The Open Home Foundation is a fully remote organization that uses Remote to employ people from all over the world. You will be a normal salaried employee in your country.

This is a full-time position for 40 hours per week. Because we are a fully remote company, there is no fixed schedule. For the purpose of team communication, we do try to ensure at least 3 hours of overlap in the workday. You will report to the Marketing Lead, who is based in the Netherlands.

Core to the establishment of the Open Home Foundation was the well-being of the people building the future of the smart home. We will provide all the benefits required by the country you reside in. However, we also want to make sure all our employees, regardless of country of origin, get at least a minimal set of benefits, including:

• Five weeks (twenty-five days) of paid time off.

• Fourteen days of paid sick leave if your country/laws treat them as unpaid.

• Six weeks of paid and six weeks of unpaid parental leave to be used in the first year after birth. We will provide the missing days if your country/laws do not provide such compensation.

• A budget for your work hardware once you start. After three years, you may keep this equipment for personal use.

• A 50% contribution to your internet connection fee at your home workspace.

• One day every two weeks to work on your personal projects.

• If you are currently working on Home Assistant-related side projects, you can spend work time maintaining them.

When first offering a position to a new member, the Open Home Foundation aims to provide a total compensation package that matches the 75th percentile for the new hire's role, seniority, and local market rates. For a Fundraising Manager in the United States, the approximate yearly compensation will be approximately 120.000 to 150.000 USD. These figures may be adjusted based on experience, qualifications, and work hours.

About us

The Open Home Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Switzerland, with the objective of fighting for the fundamental principles of privacy, choice, and sustainability for smart homes. It does this by supporting the development of open-source projects, open connectivity and communication standards.

A big part of this is Home Assistant, the biggest open-source project in number of contributors, used by over two million households, but the Open Home Foundation also owns or collaborates with other projects important to promoting privacy, choice, and sustainability in the smart home, like:

• Open hardware tools (e.g., ESPHome, ESP Web Tools).

• Open standards (e.g., Python Matter Server, Z-Wave JS, ZigPy, BTHome, Improv Wi-Fi).

• Open voice (e.g., Rhasspy, Wyoming Protocol, Piper).

• Music Assistant.

The recruitment process

1. Apply for the role.

2. Our HR team will review your application with the hiring manager.

3. Interview with HR.

4. Interview with the Marketing team.

5. Interview with the Marketing Lead.

6. Interview with our Board.

7. Offer.

8. Join our team!