Director, Development - Cancer Care Line

Scripps Health; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 159,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Scripps Health Foundation Development in San Diego seeks a strategic Director of Development to lead fundraising for systemwide cancer care priorities. You will cultivate major gifts, build donor relationships, and translate clinical needs into compelling philanthropic opportunities.

Reporting to senior leadership, you will manage a volunteer advisory council, collaborate with hospital leaders, physicians, and foundations, and ensure ethical stewardship while achieving a $5 million annual goal.

Qualifications

• Five years of professional fundraising experience with a track record of major gifts.
• Comprehensive knowledge of donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Ability to build relationships with donors, physicians, volunteers and community leaders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for fundraising materials and presentations.
• Strong proficiency in Word and Excel; capable of data-driven fundraising.
• Creative, self-directed, results-oriented, and collaborative team player.
• Commitment to high ethical standards and professional conduct.

Responsibilities

• Lead fundraising efforts to achieve a $5 million annual goal for cancer care priorities.
• Develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies.
• Cultivate major donors and steward relationships for long-term investment.
• Collaborate with hospital leaders, physicians, foundations, and corporations.
• Manage a volunteer Advisory Council and engage ambassadors and partners.
• Translate clinical needs into compelling philanthropic opportunities.

Skills

Major gifts fundraising

Donor cultivation

Communication skills

Relationship management

Leadership

Organization

Education

Bachelor's/Master's degree in a related field

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Description

Located at our HQ in La Jolla.

This position is eligible to participate in the Management Incentive Plan.

About Scripps Health

Founded in 1924, Scripps Health is a $5 billion, private nonprofit health system based in San Diego, founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps. Serving over 600,000 patients annually, it operates five acute-care hospitals, 30 outpatient centers, home health services, and a wide physician network of 3,000 affiliated doctors and 17,800 employees. Recognized nationally for excellence, Scripps has earned top rankings from U.S. News & World Report, Fortune, Newsweek, and Becker's Healthcare, and maintains an AA rating with a stable outlook from S&P Global Ratings due to its strong leadership and financial performance.

Elevate your career with Scripps Health, where Compassion Meets Excellence.

Invest, Empower & Belong. At Scripps Health, your potential is limitless. We're more than a healthcare provider, at Scripps you will join a community where your views, beliefs and values are celebrated. Grow through industry-leading development programs and empower yourself to deliver innovative care. Be a part of an extraordinary team, impacting health in beautiful San Diego.

Why join Scripps Health?

• Nearly a quarter of our employees have been with Scripps Health for over 10 years.

• Scripps is a Great Place to Work Certified company for 2025.

• Scripps has been consistently ranked as a top employer for women, millennials, diversity, and as an overall workplace by various national publications.

• Beckers Healthcare ranked Scripps Health on its 2026 list of 150 top places to work in health care.

• We have transitional and professional development programs to create a learning environment that enables you to thrive in your specific field as well as in your overall career.

• Our specialties have been nationally recognized for quality in areas such as cardiovascular care, oncology, orthopedics, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and gastroenterology.

Why Join Scripps Foundation?

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the future of cancer care while helping shape the future of health care at Scripps. Philanthropy has been at the heart of Scripps since its founding, and today, generous donors continue to make a profound difference in the health and quality of life of our community.

As Director of Development, you will connect the philanthropic interests and passions of our community with high-priority cancer care programs and initiatives that directly benefit patients and families. You'll have the opportunity to build relationships and secure philanthropic support that helps heal, enhance and save lives while advancing innovative care, leading-edge technology, clinical research, and patient and family support.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of mission, medicine and philanthropy - helping Scripps build the health care system of the future, with patients at the center of all we do.

Goal of the Role

In collaboration with the Scripps Health Foundation Core Services team and a community committee, the Director of Development will lead fundraising efforts to achieve a $5 million annual goal in support of systemwide cancer care priorities.

About the Role

Scripps is seeking a strategic, relationship-driven and accomplished fundraising leader to advance philanthropic support for our systemwide cancer care priorities. This is a high-impact opportunity to build meaningful, long-term relationships with donors, community leaders, physicians, foundations, corporations and other key partners and translate those relationships into philanthropic investment that advances exceptional cancer care. The selected candidate will also lead and cultivate a volunteer-based community Advisory Council, engaging members as ambassadors, advocates, and strategic partners in advancing cancer care philanthropy.

The Director will develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies aligned with the clinical, operational, capital, research and endowment priorities of the cancer care line. Working closely with leaders across Scripps hospitals, centers, programs and services, the Director will identify emerging priorities and translate organizational needs into compelling philanthropic opportunities that inspire meaningful investment.

A critical component of the role is major donor cultivation and stewardship. The Director will develop a deep understanding of each donor's interests, values and philanthropic goals and create meaningful opportunities for engagement. Through thoughtful stewardship and compelling storytelling, the Director will demonstrate the tangible impact of philanthropy and foster lasting relationships that encourage continued investment.

As a trusted ambassador for Scripps, the Director will present compelling institutional priorities and funding opportunities to individuals, civic and community organizations, foundations, corporations and other public and private partners. The successful candidate will bring together clinical priorities, donor passions and community partnerships to help advance innovative cancer care and create meaningful outcomes for patients and families.

Make an Impact That Lasts

Through Scripps' Here for Good commitment, philanthropy is helping make a lasting investment in the future of health care and the San Diego community. For the Director of Development, this means having the opportunity to help donors create a legacy that improves the lives of patients today while helping shape a healthier future for generations to come.

This is more than a fundraising role. It is an opportunity to help shape what is possible in cancer care and ensure that patients and families have access to exceptional care, innovation and hope when they need it most.

Qualifications

Required Education/Experience/Specialized Skills

• A minimum of five years of professional fundraising experience, with a demonstrated track record of success securing major gifts.

• Comprehensive knowledge of and experience with the full spectrum of philanthropic development, including donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, as well as a working knowledge of the rules and regulations governing charitable estate planning.

• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong, productive relationships with a diverse range of constituents, including donors, physicians, volunteers, patients, community leaders, and organizational stakeholders.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop compelling fundraising materials and effectively present institutional priorities and funding opportunities to a variety of audiences.

• Strong computer proficiency, including advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel.

• Creative, self-directed, results-oriented, and collaborative approach, with the ability to work effectively as part of an integrated team.

• Highly organized with the ability to effectively prioritize and manage multiple complex initiatives, relationships, and deadlines simultaneously.

• Demonstrated commitment to high ethical standards and professional conduct.

Preferred Education/Experience/Specialized Skills/Certification

• Bachelors/Master's degree in a related field.

• Experience in cancer care philanthropy, with a strong understanding of the unique fundraising landscape and donor community.

• Previous fundraising or development experience within a healthcare, academic medical center, hospital, or other complex healthcare environment.

• Experience supporting or leading capital campaigns and/or securing major gifts for capital, programmatic, or endowment priorities.

• Experience working with senior executives, physicians, high-net-worth individuals, and community or philanthropic leaders.

Job

Job: Development

Primary Location: Central San Diego County-SAN DIEGO-SCRIPPS HEALTH FOUNDATION DEVELOPMENT.

Work Locations: SCRIPPS HEALTH FOUNDATION DEVELOPMENT. 4555 EXECUTIVE DR SAN DIEGO 92121.

Organization: Scripps Health Corp

Job Posting: Sep 25, 2026, 6:22:06 PM

Benefit Status: FT - FULL-TIME WITH BENEFITS

Minimum Rate (USD): 76.33 - Maximum Rate (USD): 110.68

In compliance with the California Pay Transparency Act, Scripps Health posts the pay range for all jobs. Please note that actual pay will be determined based on relevant experience and internal equity within the pay range. Please also note this range is applicable for employees who reside in California only. A geographical pay differential may be applied for remote employees who reside out of state. Scripps Health strives to ensure that our employees receive equal pay for equal work in line with our commitment to being an equal opportunity employer.

Scripps Health is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression), age, marital status, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.