Associate Director, Premier Event

American Cancer Society, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 95,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The American Cancer Society is seeking a senior fundraising program leader to oversee the Westchester Making Strides event, driving strategy, planning, execution and growth of a $1M+ revenue program. This fully remote role requires a New York location and effective cross-functional collaboration.

You will build donor, sponsor, and volunteer relationships, recruit executive volunteers, manage budgets and vendor relationships, and ensure a best-in-class event experience that strengthens the donor

Qualifications

• Minimum Degree Required: Bachelors in related field and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Years of experience: 5+ years successful experience in fundraising, corporate engagement, volunteer partnership, and relationship development.
• Knowledge, skills, and abilities: Demonstrated success driving revenue growth through donor, sponsor, and volunteer engagement.
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills with high-impact stakeholders and community leaders.
• Experience leading complex, high-profile fundraising events with a focus on growth, donor experience, and return on investment.
• Ability to recruit, engage, and develop volunteer leadership and executive-level partners.
• Strong strategic planning, project management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to analyze performance and adjust strategies to achieve revenue goals.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams and functions.

Responsibilities

• Builds relationships with donors, sponsors, volunteer leaders, and partners to grow revenue and engagement.
• Develops fundraising strategies for large events, including sponsorships, donor cultivation, and pipeline development.
• Recruits, engages, and mobilizes executive volunteers, event chairs, ambassadors, and leadership teams to support fundraising.
• Oversees delivery of a best-in-class event experience through planning, budgets, vendor relationships, and brand execution.
• Collaborates cross-functionally to align event efforts with organizational priorities, donor strategies, and revenue goals.
• Monitors financial performance, evaluates results, and adjusts strategies to optimize revenue growth.
• Limited travel to meetings, training & events; average of 3 days per week in market.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor engagement

Relationship building

Event leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

At the American Cancer Society, we're working to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Our employees and 1.3 million volunteers are raising the bar every single day. We are a culture comprised of diverse backgrounds and experience, to better serve our communities. The people who work at the American Cancer Society focus their diverse talents on our lifesaving mission. It is a calling. And the people who answer it are fulfilled.

This is a fully remote position and requires a location in Westchester County, NY or surrounding counties. This position will oversee the Westchester Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. Responsible for leading the strategy, planning, execution, and growth of a premier large-scale fundraising event with accountability for $1M+ in annual revenue. Drives revenue through strategic relationship management, corporate partnerships, volunteer leadership engagement, and donor cultivation. Collaborates across functions to deliver a best-in-class event experience, strengthen the donor pipeline, and advance broader organizational fundraising goals.

Essential Duties

• Builds, sustains, and advances high-impact relationships with donors, sponsors, volunteer leaders, and community partners to drive revenue growth and long-term engagement.
• 30% Develops and executes fundraising strategies for a premier large-scale event, including sponsorship acquisition, donor cultivation, pipeline development, and participant engagement.
• 20% Recruits, engages, and mobilizes executive volunteers, event chairs, ambassadors, and leadership teams to support fundraising success and community visibility.
• 15% Oversees delivery of a best-in-class event experience through leadership of planning, logistics, budgets, vendor relationships, and brand execution.
• 15% Collaborates cross-functionally to align event efforts with broader organizational priorities, donor strategies, and revenue goals.
• 10% Monitors financial performance, evaluates results, and adjusts strategies to optimize revenue growth, return on investment, and overall event impact.
• 10%

EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum Degree Required: Bachelors in related field and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Years of experience: 5+ years successful experience in fundraising, corporate engagement, volunteer partnership, and relationship development.
• KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Demonstrated success driving revenue growth through donor, sponsor, and volunteer engagement. Strong relationship-building and influencing skills with high-impact stakeholders and community leaders. Experience leading complex, high-profile fundraising events with a focus on growth, donor experience, and return on investment. Ability to recruit, engage, and develop volunteer leadership and executive-level partners. Strong strategic planning, project management, and organizational skills. Ability to analyze performance and adjust strategies to achieve revenue goals. Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams and functions. Ability to lead through influence, manage competing priorities, and adapt in a fast-paced environment.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Limited travel to meetings, training & events. Expectation of being external in the market an average of 3 days per week Must be able to attend evening and weekend meetings, events and programs.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

No specific physical requirements.

The starting rate is $95,000 to $105,000.

The final candidate's relevant experience/skills will be considered before an offer is extended.

Actual starting pay will vary based on non-discriminatory factors including, but not limited to, geographic location, experience, skills, specialty, and education.

Benefits

• ACS provides staff a generous paid time off policy; medical, dental, retirement benefits, wellness programs, and professional development programs to enhance staff skills.

Further details on our benefits can be found on our careers site at: jobs.cancer.org/benefits.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer.

At the American Cancer Society, our employees are the soul of our lifesaving mission to save lives.

Our employment opportunities are as diverse as our people and include every discipline found in other business enterprises.

As an organization, we adhere to a set of core values that help inform all our decisions.

But what really sets us apart is that the work we do has global impact -- and every passionate, dedicated American Cancer Society team member contributes to each groundbreaking achievement we make.