Director of Development

Encounter; Boston, Arlington (MA, MA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dependent coverage

Vacation

Flexible work environment

Job summary

Encounter seeks a Director of Development to lead its fundraising efforts. Reporting to the CEO and serving on the leadership team, the Director will build and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy, cultivate donors, and manage foundation grants.

They will oversee a small team, coordinate across departments, and drive ambitious revenue growth while upholding Encounter’s values. The role is based in Boston, MA with occasional travel.

Qualifications

• Experience managing others and executing a development strategy.
• Proven ability to steward and solicit donors.
• Proven track record with foundation grants and relationships.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creation and execution of an annual development plan with donor targets.
• Manage grants calendar and ensure timely proposals and reports.
• Build a robust donor and foundation pipeline and solicit prospects.
• Oversee donor records in Salesforce and supervise the development team.

Skills

Leadership

Fundraising strategy

Donor relations

Stewardship

Team management

Public speaking

Analytics

Communication

Travel

Salesforce

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Encounter is an educational organization committed to informed, courageous, and resilient Jewish communal leadership on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We educate and equip Jewish communal and civil society leaders with the experiences, networks, and resources they need to proactively and positively shape their constituents’ engagement with Israel as it relates to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our work addresses distinctly political subject matter, but we are resolutely nonpartisan; we do not promote any specific policies or political positions regarding the conflict. Rather, as an educational organization, we support Jewish leaders and communities in serving as a positive force in the pursuit of a durable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that upholds the dignity, security, and rights of all parties.

To learn more, visit www.encounterprograms.org.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Position

Encounter seeks a Director of Development to lead its fundraising efforts. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and serving as a member of Encounter’s leadership team, the Director of Development plays a critical role in ensuring the success of Encounter through creating and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy. They must have experience in identifying, cultivating and stewarding prospective and current donors and a proven track record of managing foundation grants and relationships. The successful candidate will be adept at leading a team of two (with plans for future growth), managing across departments to ensure the Development function is positioned to successfully execute a sound strategy to expand the organization’s impact, and driving toward ambitious fundraising goals.

Encounter is a mission-driven, results-oriented, and growing organization with a small but mighty team of thoughtful, dedicated professionals. We care deeply about our work and each other and go to great efforts to support each individual’s unique talents and contributions to drive towards greater impact individually and collectively.

Encounter has a full-time staff of eight and an operating budget of $3.5M.

Responsibilities

The Director of Development will create a culture of philanthropy, supervise the development manager and communication manager and is responsible for the organization’s philanthropic revenue.

Development Planning

• Annual Development Plan: Lead on the creation and execution of an annual development plan, including target giving goals by level and individual donor/foundation, curated prospect lists, a detailed high-level development calendar, and a strategic moves management calendar by donor/foundation. Update and refine these plans as needed throughout the year.
• Grants and Proposals Calendar: Ensure the creation and maintenance of an annual internal calendar of grant proposals and report deadlines for foundations to reflect the execution of Encounter’s strategy to sustain and grow a rapidly scaling institutional funding portfolio. Manage team members to ensure grant proposals and reports are high-quality and completed according to deadlines.

Development Research and Reporting

• Prospecting: Ensure the system is in place to identify, research, cultivate, steward, and solicit individual donor and foundation prospects. Build a robust pipeline of new potential sources of both individual and institutional support. Research and identify opportunities that align with Encounter’s mission, vision, and strategies.
• Recruiting: Work in partnership with team members who oversee program recruitment to ensure the prioritization and inclusion of prospective supporters in Encounter’s programs.

Stewardship and Relationship Management

• Manage a portfolio of individual donors, serving as a steward and solicitor. Partner with CEO, Board Chair, and others, as needed to steward individual donors.
• Manage a portfolio of foundation partners, playing a key role in holding relationships with Program Officers. Partner with CEO, COO, and others, as needed, to steward foundation relationships forward.

Development Administration

• Ensure proper tracking and management of donor records. In partnership with COO, manage a team to ensure data is entered into Salesforce, reports are generated as needed, pledges are tracked, and moves management system is comprehensive and fully functioning at all times. Ensure accurate record keeping of all contributions and touchpoints.
• Supervise and manage Development Team, including Development Manager and Communications Manager/Writer. Lead regular development meetings and set priorities for team members based on annual departmental goals.

Qualifications & Skills

• Familiarity and comfort with navigating the complex dynamics that animate Jewish communal life in the US and Israel as it relates to the Israeli‑Palestinian reality. Strong commitment to Encounter’s organizational values - specifically Ahavat Yisrael and K’vod Ha’Adam.
• Significant experience with managing others, creating and executing a development strategy, and stewardship and solicitations.
• Expert manager of both people and projects, adept at multitasking, unintimidated by uncertainty and excels at driving towards bottom-line results and outcomes.
• Entrepreneurial, flexible, and innovative approach to management.
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Analytic and decisive decision maker with the ability to prioritize and communicate key objectives and tactics necessary to achieve goals.
• Strong professional demeanor, an ability to lead with authority balanced with humility, and comfort speaking publicly and representing Encounter to diverse stakeholders.
• Radical candor is a principle of engagement at Encounter. The successful candidate must possess a strong sense of self, be comfortable with giving and receiving feedback and be able to meet moments of pressure with centeredness, humility, and generosity of spirit.
• This position will require occasional travel (approximately 10‑15% of the time) throughout the year, both domestically and to Israel and the West Bank.

Salary: $130,000- $150,000, commensurate with experience. Competitive compensation and benefits package, including 100% medical insurance coverage plus 50% coverage for eligible dependents. Generous vacation package and holiday schedule. Flexible work environment.

This position description is based upon material provided by Encounter, an equal opportunity employer. Encounter is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.