Director, Strategic Growth & Institutional Funding

OUR MISSION

Prisms VR is a San Francisco-based team of educators, game developers, and engineers transforming K12 STEM education through experiential real-world problem-solving powered by the next generation of spatial computing. We utilize adaptive Virtual Reality (VR) to engage, inspire, and open pathways to creative problem-solving to rapidly improve engagement and proficiencies in Math and Science across our country and beyond. Our mission is to break down barriers to access and build STEM proficiencies at scale for all students, worldwide. 

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.

Required 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.