Chief Development Officer - Maine Maritime Academy Foundation

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Castine (ME); On-site; USD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote‑first role

Transformational impact

Alumni engagement

Job summary

Maine Maritime Academy Foundation is seeking a dynamic Chief Development Officer to lead a major fundraising campaign. This role oversees strategy, donor cultivation, and a high‑performing team to secure transformational gifts for MMA.

The CDO reports to the MMAF President, partners with MMA leadership, and drives disciplined processes, forecasting, and governance board support in a remote‑first, donor‑driven environment.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years in development with frontline fundraising and people management.
• Proven track record closing 100K+ gifts and handling 7‑figure gifts.

Responsibilities

• Lead the full lifecycle of a comprehensive fundraising campaign.
• Personally manage a high‑value portfolio and donor relationships.
• Collaborate with the President to manage key donor relationships and campaign strategy.
• Build and coach a high‑performing development team.
• Design scalable fundraising systems, reporting, and tools.

Skills

Frontline fundraising

People management

Strategic planning

CRM proficiency

Donor cultivation

Alumni relations

Board engagement

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Bloomerang

Raiser’s Edge

Salesforce

Job description

About Maine Maritime Academy

Founded in 1941 by an act of the Maine Legislature, Maine Maritime Academy is one of the nation’s premier maritime colleges and a recognized leader in maritime education worldwide. Located on the shores of Penobscot Bay in Castine, Maine, MMA prepares students through rigorous academics, hands‑on experiential learning, and professional training for successful careers as merchant mariners, engineers, logistics professionals, and leaders in the maritime industry.

MMA graduates play a vital role in supporting the U.S. economy and national security by helping to maintain a strong merchant marine fleet. The Academy’s unique mission blends leadership development, technical excellence, and service, producing professionals who excel at sea and ashore. With a proud 85-year history and a new state‑of‑the‑art training ship, TS State of Maine, the Academy continues to set the standard for maritime education.

Position Summary

The Maine Maritime Academy Foundation (MMAF) is seeking a dynamic, results‑driven Chief Development Officer to lead MMAF’s advancement team, while planning, launching, and completing an ambitious comprehensive fundraising campaign. This is a transformative leadership opportunity to design and execute the full campaign lifecycle—from strategic vision and planning through execution and successful close—while building a high‑performing, sophisticated development operation capable of delivering transformational philanthropic support for Maine Maritime Academy.

Reporting directly to the President of the Foundation, the Chief Development Officer will have strong access to the Foundation Board and work in close partnership with the President of Maine Maritime Academy. The CDO will provide strategic and operational leadership to the development team, personally manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects, implement disciplined systems and processes, and collaborate with institutional leadership to secure the resources necessary to sustain and advance Maine Maritime Academy’s global reputation as one of the world’s premier maritime institutions.

The successful candidate will join at a moment of significant momentum, with strong Board engagement, and committed institutional leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the full lifecycle of a comprehensive campaign, including strategy development, case for support refinement, prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Personally manage a high‑value portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and donors, with a primary focus on securing 6‑ and 7‑figure gifts. Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and principal gift donors and prospects in coordination with faculty, Academy leadership, and volunteers.
• Partner directly with the President of Maine Maritime Academy to manage a portfolio of 40–50 high‑net‑worth individuals and key relationships.
• Build, coach, and lead a high‑performing development team.
• Lead the development team in planning and implementing long‑ and short‑term strategies to secure gifts from individuals through major, planned, and annual gifts.
• Mentor, train, supervise, and evaluate staff; stay abreast of best practices in the development profession, evaluating new and emerging ideas for possible implementation.
• Design and implement scalable fundraising systems, processes, and reporting tools that drive accountability and measurable results.
• Establish measurable goals to increase fundraising results that are both aspirational and achievable
• Serve as a key strategic partner to the Foundation President and Board of Directors, preparing clear, compelling materials and presentations for Board meetings.
• Ensure disciplined use of Bloomerang CRM for prospect management, moves management, reporting, and forecasting.
• Foster a culture of data‑driven decision making, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Cultivate authentic, long‑term relationships with alumni, corporations, foundations, and high‑net‑worth individuals who share a passion for maritime education, leadership development, and the Academy’s mission.

Competencies & Qualifications

Required:

• 7–10+ years of progressive development experience, with increasing responsibilities and consistent success in both frontline fundraising and people management, ideally in a higher education setting.
• Proven track record of closing $100K+ gifts, with demonstrated comfort leading 7‑figure gift conversations and negotiations.
• Team leadership experience hiring and managing 2+ direct reports with a coaching‑oriented style.
• Strong strategic vision with the ability to build comprehensive, multi‑year (3–5 year) fundraising plans.
• Power‑user proficiency in Bloomerang (or comparable CRM such as Raiser’s Edge or Salesforce) and a track record of leveraging data to drive decisions.
• Experience working within structured operating systems such as EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) or the ability to adopt it quickly.
• Comfort preparing for, presenting to, and advising a governance board.
• Genuine passion for maritime education, leadership development, and the mission of Maine Maritime Academy. Prior connection to maritime, naval, military, or higher education preferred.
• A leadership style that creates strong teams who are motivated and focused on achieving goals
• Personal experience and demonstrated success as a major gift and principal gift fundraiser
• Proven success in building productive relationships with senior administrators, volunteers, colleagues, donors, and more
• Travel required; some evenings and weekends required
• Sophisticated interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Valid driver’s license

Preferred:

• Leadership experience in a comprehensive capital campaign (highly desirable).
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Personal Attributes

• High emotional intelligence and a natural relationship‑builder who thrives on closing transformational gifts.
• Self‑starter with exceptional organizational skills and a strong bias for action.
• Comfortable in a metrics‑driven, accountable, and results‑oriented environment.
• Demonstrated integrity, resilience, and a positive, solutions‑oriented mindset.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation package.
• Opportunity to make a lasting, transformational impact on one of America’s premier maritime academies.
• Engagement with a passionate alumni base and community that deeply values leadership, service, and maritime tradition.
• Remote‑first role with periodic travel to Castine, Maine, and key donor markets.

MMAF Contact

Tom Lord

MMAF Board Member

610-312-4001

[e-mail]