Director of Development

JewishColumbus; Bexley (OH); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

JewishColumbus is seeking a Sr. Director of Development to lead the organization’s fundraising strategy and donor engagement.

You will supervise a team of gift officers and drive annual giving, major gifts, endowment, and donor-advised funds, aligning with executive leadership and volunteers to advance the mission. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, you will build a donor-centered culture, optimize portfolios, and ensure coordinated, high-impact campaigns across the FRD portfolio,

Qualifications

• 10+ years of fundraising leadership experience with success across annual giving, major gifts, endowment, and planned giving.
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop a high-performing gift officer team.
• Experience partnering with boards, volunteers, and senior leadership to align fundraising strategy.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive Annual Campaign strategy aligned with organizational goals.
• Lead, coach, and supervise the gift officer team; manage major donors and portfolios.
• Collaborate with senior leadership, operations, marketing, and volunteers on fundraising initiatives.
• Monitor, analyze, and report campaign performance metrics; adjust strategy as needed.

Skills

Strategic fundraising leadership

Major gift strategy

Donor lifecycle management

Campaign planning & execution

Team coaching & development

Board and volunteer partnership

Data-driven decision making

Tools

CRM systems

Fundraising analytics

Job description

POSITION TITLE: Sr. Director of Development

REPORTS TO: Chief Development Officer

DIRECT REPORTS: Director of Women’s Philanthropy, Managing Director & Senior Gift Officer, Leadership Giving Officer

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Sr. Director of Development is a member of the Financial Resource Development (FRD) leadership team and serves as the strategic leader responsible for supervising, coaching, and developing the gift officer team while leading the organization's comprehensive fundraising strategy. This includes oversight of JewishColumbus’ annual giving strategy, as well as the development and execution of complementary campaigns, philanthropic initiatives, and donor engagement strategies that strengthen long-term fundraising performance and advance the organization's mission.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this role provides leadership across the organization's fundraising portfolio, developing and executing strategies that strengthen annual giving while expanding philanthropic growth through targeted campaigns, major gifts, endowment, donor-advised funds, planned giving, legacy giving, and other strategic fundraising initiatives. The Sr. Director partners closely with the Chief Development Officer, Chief Executive Officer, volunteer leadership, and the FRD Committee to align fundraising strategies with organizational priorities and long-term philanthropic goals.

In addition to annual giving strategy leadership, the Sr. Director is responsible for building and leading a high-performing team of gift officers who cultivate, solicit, and steward donors across the full spectrum of philanthropic opportunities, including annual giving, donor-advised funds, endowment, planned giving, and legacy gifts. This role fosters a holistic, donor-centered approach to relationship management while advancing a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Partner with the Chief Development Officer, Chief Executive Officer, and volunteer leadership to develop and implement a comprehensive Annual Campaign strategy aligned with organizational priorities and fundraising goals.
• Translate campaign strategy into actionable plans, ensuring coordinated execution across Development, Marketing, Operations, and volunteer leadership.
• Establish and monitor campaign performance metrics in partnership with the Chief Development Officer, including revenue, donor acquisition, retention, leadership giving, and donor upgrade goals.
• Develop strategies to expand market penetration, increase donor participation, and strengthen long-term philanthropic growth.
• Monitor campaign performance throughout the campaign cycle, recommending adjustments and opportunities to maximize results.
• Manage a portfolio of major donors and major giving prospects through all stages of the donor lifecycle.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward donors while developing individualized strategies that deepen long-term philanthropic engagement.
• Identify and qualify new major gift prospects through research, relationship development, and community engagement.
• Partner closely with the Jewish Community Foundation and senior fundraising staff to ensure coordinated donor strategies across annual, planned, endowment, and donor-advised fund giving.
• Model and reinforce a holistic, donor-centered approach to donor relationship management across the Development team.
• Lead, supervise, coach, and develop the gift officer team through regular one-on-one meetings, performance management, mentoring, and professional development planning.
• Establish clear expectations, accountability measures, and fundraising goals in partnership with the Chief Development Officer.
• Support gift officers in developing comprehensive donor strategies across annual giving, major gifts, donor-advised funds, endowment, planned giving, and legacy giving.
• Monitor portfolio activity, fundraising performance, and donor engagement to ensure consistent progress toward organizational goals.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture grounded in relationship building, accountability, continuous learning, and donor-centered fundraising.
• Provide strategic guidance and coaching on complex donor relationships, solicitations, and stewardship opportunities.

Volunteer Leadership & Community Engagement

• Partner with volunteer leadership, campaign chairs, and the FRD Committee to implement successful campaign strategies.
• Recruit, train, coach, and support campaign volunteers and solicitors to maximize fundraising effectiveness.
• Build meaningful relationships with community leaders, congregations, affinity groups, and partner organizations to expand campaign visibility and participation.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy that encourages broad-based community engagement and volunteer leadership.

Campaign Operations & Performance Management

• Partner with Operations to develop campaign reporting, forecasting, and pipeline management processes that provide timely, accurate information to leadership and volunteer partners.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to develop integrated campaign messaging, donor communications, and engagement strategies aligned with campaign priorities.
• Utilize CRM systems, fundraising analytics, and performance dashboards to inform strategic decision-making and monitor campaign effectiveness.
• Ensure campaign processes, gift documentation, acknowledgments, and donor records support an exceptional donor experience.
• Identify opportunities to improve campaign systems, workflows, and operational efficiency.

Marketing, Stewardship & Donor Experience

• Partner with Marketing to develop integrated donor communications that inspire philanthropy and clearly communicate organizational impact.
• Oversee donor stewardship initiatives, recognition programs, and impact reporting that strengthen donor retention and long-term engagement.
• Support the development of segmented donor outreach strategies that improve donor acquisition, retention, participation, and giving.

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as a strategic member of the Financial Resource Development leadership team, contributing to organizational planning and fundraising strategy.
• Partner across departments to advance an integrated, donor-centered approach to philanthropy.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.

COMPETENCIES + SKILLS + EXPERIENCE

Core Competencies

• Strategic fundraising leadership, including the development and execution of integrated fundraising strategies, campaigns, and philanthropic initiatives that drive sustainable growth.
• Major gift, principal gift, and transformational donor strategy
• Donor-centered relationship management and moves management
• Fundraising innovation, growth strategy, and opportunity identification
• Volunteer leadership, Board engagement, and executive partnership
• Staff leadership, coaching, talent development, and performance management
• Strategic planning, execution, and organizational leadership
• Data-driven decision-making, fundraising analytics, and portfolio optimization
• Strong organizational, project management, and operational leadership skills
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Cross-functional collaboration, influence, and relationship building
• Sound judgment, executive presence, discretion, and professionalism
• Diversification of philanthropic revenue streams

Experience Required

• >10 years of progressively responsible fundraising leadership experience with demonstrated success developing and leading comprehensive fundraising strategies that drive sustainable philanthropic growth.
• Proven success leading integrated fundraising portfolios, including annual giving, major gifts, donor stewardship, donor advised funds, endowment, planned giving, legacy giving, and other strategic fundraising initiatives.
• Demonstrated success designing, executing, and evolving fundraising campaigns and initiatives that achieve measurable revenue growth and deepen donor engagement.
• Experience identifying, evaluating, developing, and implementing comprehensive fundraising strategies with measurable results.
• Demonstrated success leading, coaching, and developing high-performing fundraising professionals while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Experience partnering effectively with Boards, volunteer leadership, executive leadership, and community stakeholders to advance fundraising priorities.
• Strong knowledge of fundraising strategy, donor lifecycle management, campaign planning, stewardship, and philanthropic best practices.
• Familiarity with donor-advised funds, endowment, planned giving, and holistic philanthropic planning.
• Experience utilizing CRM systems, reporting tools, fundraising analytics, and portfolio management to inform strategy and drive results.
• Knowledge of the Jewish community and Federation system preferred.

WORK ENVIRONMENT + SCHEDULE

• Hybrid work environment, with on-site presence required Tuesday through Thursday.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed to support organizational events and address time-sensitive priorities or issues requiring team involvement and responsiveness.
• Some travel may be necessary for venue site visits, partner meetings, or special programs and professional development.