Director, Direct Response & Donor Growth

United States Fund for UNICEF; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 123,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

UNICEF USA is seeking a Managing Director, Direct Response to lead donor acquisition, retention, upgrade, and reactivation across offline channels including direct mail and telemarketing, with potential expansion into new channels as the program grows.

The role provides senior oversight of the Monthly Giving program and manages a team of direct response professionals, coordinating with Philanthropy, Finance, Technology, and agency partners to drive growth and revenue goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, nonprofit management, or related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• Master’s degree and/or CFRE designation strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in direct response fundraising or marketing.
• Experience managing multi-channel offline programs and budgets.
• Experience managing workplace giving programs and third-party platforms.
• Strong analytical skills with segmentation and data modeling.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for UNICEF USA's offline direct response program across all active and emerging channels, including direct mail and telemarketing, with the potential to expand into face-to-face fundraising and other offline channels over time
• Provide senior oversight of integrated multi-channel direct response campaigns that drive acquisition, retention, upgrade, and reactivation across mass market and leadership giving segments
• Guide campaign planning, segmentation strategy, and testing roadmaps, ensuring alignment on priorities and measurable goals
• Ensure channel mix decisions are informed by data, long-term donor value and test-and-learn approaches
• Review and approve campaign strategies, creative briefs, and performance recommendations
• Serve as the primary relationship lead for all direct response agency partners and vendors
• Establish performance benchmarks and accountability frameworks for all vendor relationships
• Lead regular performance reviews and planning sessions with vendor partners and internal stakeholders
• Manage vendor contracts, SOWs, and budget allocations in partnership with Finance and Legal
• Provide oversight of UNICEF USA's monthly giving program and its dedicated manager

Skills

Leadership

Donor acquisition

Donor retention

Strategic planning

Communication

Stakeholder management

Team mentoring

Data-driven decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Campaign planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing/communications/nonprofit management

Master’s degree

CFRE designation

Tools

Blackbaud CRM

Job description

UNICEF USA is seeking a Managing Director, Direct Response to lead donor acquisition, retention, upgrade, and reactivation across offline channels including direct mail and telemarketing, with potential expansion into new channels as the program grows.

The role provides senior oversight of the Monthly Giving program and manages a team of direct response professionals, coordinating with Philanthropy, Finance, Technology, and agency partners to drive growth and revenue goals.