Chief Development Officer

The Batten Group - Executive Search; Dallas (TX); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Batten Group - Executive Search is seeking a Chief Development Officer (CDO) for Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, Inc. (VETS) in Dallas, TX. This role involves architecting and leading all philanthropic revenue strategies to support veterans' mental health. The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of fundraising experience and a passion for improving veteran mental health.

VETS operates with a commitment to ending veteran suicide through innovative treatment options. The position offers opportunities for transformational leadership and collaboration with an impactful organization.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive fundraising experience.
• Proven experience in building and scaling development programs.
• Ability to cultivate high-net-worth individuals and family foundations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a multi-year development strategy.
• Manage a portfolio of principal and major gift prospects.
• Recruit and lead a high-performing development team.

Skills

Strategic fundraising leadership

Operational discipline

Entrepreneurial mindset

Exceptional communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree or CFRE certification

Tools

Fundraising CRM platforms

Donor management systems

Job description

About Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, Inc. (VETS)

Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, Inc. (VETS) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the veteran suicide epidemic by expanding access to innovative mental health treatments for U.S. military veterans. Founded by veterans and advocates committed to addressing the invisible wounds of war, VETS works at the intersection of resources, research, and advocacy to support veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, and other mental health conditions.

Through strategic partnerships, education, policy advocacy, and support programs, VETS seeks to accelerate access to psychedelic-assisted therapies and other emerging treatment options that show promise for healing veterans and improving long-term mental health outcomes. The organization has experienced rapid growth in recent years, fueled by national awareness, major philanthropic support, and the release of a widely viewed documentary that expanded the organization’s reach and donor base.

Today, VETS operates with a small but highly committed team working across the country and engages a broad network of advisors, contractors, ambassadors, and advocates supporting the mission in more than 20 states. The organization has grown significantly in recent years, raising more than $6 million annually and expanding its national presence through research initiatives, advocacy coalitions, and direct veteran support programs.

VETS operates with an entrepreneurial spirit and mission-driven culture, where staff members are deeply connected to the cause and committed to driving meaningful change for veterans and their families.

Position Summary

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) serves as the executive leader responsible for architecting, leading, and scaling all philanthropic revenue strategy for VETS. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serving as a key member of the executive leadership team, the CDO will build a modern, high-performing development enterprise capable of sustaining rapid organizational growth and increasing national impact.

This is a transformative leadership opportunity for a builder. The development function is in its formative stages, and the incoming CDO will be charged with creating the systems, infrastructure, talent strategy, operating cadence, and fundraising roadmap required for a best-in-class advancement operation.

The CDO will design and execute a comprehensive revenue strategy spanning principal gifts, major gifts, mid-level giving, corporate partnerships, foundations, planned giving, community fundraising, campaigns, and signature events. This leader will also establish donor stewardship systems that ensure supporters are thoughtfully engaged, cultivated, retained, and inspired to deepen their investment in the mission.

The ideal candidate will combine executive-level fundraising expertise with entrepreneurial grit, operational discipline, and a passion for building from the ground up. VETS seeks a leader who can move quickly, think strategically, execute decisively, and build a department that matches the ambition and momentum of the organization.

VETS is headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex with office space in Southlake. There is a preference for the CDO to be based in the DFW market, though exceptional hybrid or remote candidates will be considered.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a bold multi-year development strategy aligned with organizational growth priorities and mission outcomes. Create clear annual goals, campaign strategies, performance metrics, and revenue diversification plans that position VETS for significant scale.
• Serve as strategic advisor to the CEO and Board regarding fundraising performance, market opportunities, campaign readiness, donor strategy, and long-term philanthropic growth.
• Lead the organization beyond its current fundraising baseline through thoughtful strategy, disciplined execution, and expansion into new philanthropic channels.
• Develop and oversee strategic revenue generation through corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and cause-marketing initiatives, building a scalable giving program aligned with VETS’ growth strategy.

Department Buildout and Infrastructure

• Design and build the development department from the ground up, including organizational structure, role design, hiring roadmap, workflows, policies, and accountability systems.
• Create modern development operations including CRM optimization, donor segmentation, moves management, dashboards, reporting systems, forecasting tools, stewardship calendars, and campaign processes.
• Establish a culture of urgency, excellence, responsiveness, and measurable outcomes across the fundraising function.

Major Gifts and Strategic Relationships

• Personally manage and grow a portfolio of principal and major gift prospects capable of transformational support.
• Partner closely with the CEO, ambassadors, and senior leaders to cultivate high-capacity donors, family offices, foundations, and strategic investors.
• Build a disciplined donor pipeline strategy ensuring prospects are identified, qualified, cultivated, solicited, and stewarded with excellence.

Team Leadership and Talent Development

• Recruit, lead, coach, and inspire a high-performing development team as the organization scales.
• Evaluate current staffing resources and implement a strategic hiring plan for functions such as major gifts, annual giving, donor relations, corporate partnerships, grants, and development operations.
• Create clear expectations, professional development pathways, and a high-accountability culture focused on results and mission alignment.

Partnerships and External Engagement

• Partner across leadership to maximize philanthropic opportunities generated through media visibility, advocacy momentum, national partnerships, and community engagement.
• Oversee fundraising campaigns, events strategy, donor communications, and strategic engagement efforts that elevate donor loyalty and broaden national support.
• Lead the strategic vision for signature fundraising events and experiential donor engagement opportunities, ensuring events serve as meaningful revenue drivers, stewardship touchpoints, and brand-building platforms.
• Oversee and evolve VETS Ambassador Program as a strategic channel for mission awareness, donor cultivation, and market expansion, equipping ambassadors to effectively represent and advance the organization nationwide.
• Serve as an ambassador for VETS with donors, foundations, partners, and stakeholders nationwide.

Candidate Qualifications

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of strategic fundraising leadership, operational discipline, and entrepreneurial mindset necessary to build and scale a high-performing development program.

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or CFRE certification preferred
• At least 10 years of progressive fundraising experience, including leadership of major gifts and development teams
• Demonstrated success designing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies that drive revenue growth
• Proven experience cultivating and stewarding high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, and institutional donors
• Experience building or scaling development infrastructure within a growing nonprofit organization
• Strong leadership and team development experience, including hiring and mentoring development professionals
• Familiarity with fundraising CRM platforms and donor management systems
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and presentation skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial nonprofit environment with rapidly evolving priorities
• Passion for the mission of improving veteran mental health and addressing the national veteran suicide crisis
• Experience working with veteran communities, mental health initiatives, healthcare innovation, or policy advocacy is valued but not required.

POLICY ON PLACEMENT AND RECRUITING

The Batten Group and Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions are equal opportunity employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status under applicable law.

The Batten Group is committed to recruiting, selecting, and placing candidates based on qualifications, merit, and alignment with the mission and values of the organizations we serve.