Head of Fundraising for AI Civic Media Startup

Head of Fundraising

Engage Media Inc. d/b/a Engage60 — Founding Leadership Position
Full-Time (preferred) or Part-Time
Compensation: Meaningful Equity + Defined Deferred Salary + Cash on First Close
Current Raise: $1M Pre-Seed at a $12M Post-Money SAFE

Why This Role Exists

Engage60 is raising a $1M pre-seed round to launch nationally in the next 60 days. We have a finished product and no fundraising department. We are hiring the person who builds both.

This is a founding leadership seat, not an execution role. You will own the round, own the investor network, and own the capital strategy that carries Engage60 through Series A and beyond. If we raise this round, you will have been the reason.

About Engage60

Engage60 is building the first short-form civic news app — a mobile-first product that helps people discover, understand, and engage with what is actually happening in American news and politics. Think of the format you already use every day, applied to the subject that shapes everything else.

Where we are today:

• Fully built and shipping product — not a deck, not a prototype
• National launch scheduled within 60 days
• Founding team in place, with product development accelerating
• Creator-led growth engine in early build

Where we're going:
Short-form civic news → national consumer audience → civic engagement platform → civic intelligence platform → B2B media and political intelligence.

That sequence is the reason this round exists. The person who builds our first investor base is the person best positioned to lead every round after it.

The Opportunity

You will work directly with the Founder & CEO on the company's fundraising strategy and investor relationships, with significant autonomy over sourcing, outreach, pipeline, positioning, and process.

Your primary mission:

Raise the $1M pre-seed round and build the investor network that carries Engage60 through its next stages of growth.

This role suits someone who already has real relationships across venture capital, angel investing, family offices, strategic investors, founders, and high-net-worth individuals — and who has been waiting for the right company to bring them to.

What You'll OwnThe Raise

• Lead the $1M pre-seed round end to end
• Develop and execute the investor strategy and target list
• Build and maintain a disciplined investor pipeline with accurate records
• Source qualified investors through your network and targeted outreach
• Generate warm introductions to VC firms, angels, family offices, strategic investors, and media companies
• Coordinate investor meetings and drive follow-ups
• Move investors from introduction → diligence → commitment
• Sit alongside the Founder & CEO in meetings and negotiations

Investor Relations

• Build durable relationships with current and prospective investors
• Communicate Engage60's vision, product, model, and growth path with conviction
• Cultivate investors who return for future rounds
• Build our bench of strategic advisors and investors
• Target investors who bring more than capital — distribution, media relationships, technical depth, strategic partnerships

Capital Strategy

• Advise the founding team on fundraising strategy and investor positioning
• Sequence who we approach, and when
• Sharpen fundraising materials and investor communications
• Feed investor conversations back into the pitch
• Identify strategic and non-dilutive financing opportunities
• Help architect the long-term capital plan through Series A and Series B

Compensation

We've designed this to align incentives honestly and to pay you for the work you actually do. No vague promises.

1. Equity

A meaningful equity grant in Engage60, recognizing that you join at the founding stage and build the company's capital base. Documented by formal equity agreement, subject to Company approvals and standard vesting terms.

2. Deferred Salary

An agreed monthly amount, accruing from your start date, documented in writing before you begin.

3. Cash on First Close

The first $250,000 closed into the round triggers immediate payment of accrued deferred salary to date. Additional closes accelerate the remainder. Deferred salary is fully payable on completion of the round.

The milestone, defined: "Successful completion" means $1,000,000 in aggregate closed subscription proceeds into the pre-seed round. Partial acceleration at $250K. No ambiguity, no renegotiation.

Why This Role Is Different

You're not inheriting a function. You're building it.

You will work directly with the Founder & CEO, hold real ownership over the outcome, and have a clear path to becoming one of Engage60's core leaders — with the opportunity to stay deeply involved as the company moves through each stage of the ladder above.

The person who raises this round doesn't hand off the relationship. They own it into the next one.

First 90 Days

Days 1–30 — Build the Engine

• Prioritized investor target list, tiered by fit
• Activate your existing investor relationships
• Outreach systems and pipeline tracking live
• First investor meetings underway
• Messaging refined against real investor feedback

Days 31–60 — Build Momentum

• Pipeline expanded and qualified
• Meeting volume up
• Strategic investor and media company relationships opened
• Investors advancing into diligence
• First meaningful commitments secured

Days 61–90 — Close the Round

• Driving the pre-seed toward completion
• Strong investor syndicate assembled
• Future-round relationships established
• Foundation for the Series A strategy in place

Who We're Looking For

Highly connected. Entrepreneurial. Persuasive. Relentless. Comfortable building from zero.

Background may include: venture capital, investment banking, private equity, family offices, startup fundraising, investor relations, corporate development, strategic finance, entrepreneurship, startup advisory, or capital formation.

What matters most:

• A demonstrated history of raising or directly contributing to successful financings
• A meaningful network across VC, angels, family offices, founders, or strategic investors
• Strong communication and relationship-building ability
• Confidence pitching an early-stage technology company
• Working command of the venture fundraising process
• Excellent organizational and follow-up discipline
• Ability to work directly with founders and executives
• An operator's mindset — independent, fast, low-ego

An established investor network is strongly preferred. If you have it, we should talk this week.

This Role Is For You If…

You read:

Finished product + $1M Pre-Seed + National launch in 60 days

…and immediately start thinking about who needs to be in the room.

You have the relationships. You know how fundraising works. You know how to get investors on the phone, how to create momentum, and how to close. You want to build something from the ground up and put your name on it.

If that's you, we want to hear from you.

How to Apply

Submit:

• Resume or LinkedIn profile
• Brief overview of your fundraising experience
• Examples of financings you have personally sourced or helped close
• Types of investors in your existing network
• Typical check sizes of your investor relationships
• Brief explanation of why you're a strong fit for Engage60

Candidates with a demonstrated track record of sourcing and closing startup investment are strongly encouraged to apply.

Engage Media Inc. d/b/a Engage60 is an equal opportunity company.

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off

Work Location: Remote