Director of Development Communications

Mercatus Center; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & dental coverage

Unlimited PTO

Disability & life insurance

403(b) retirement plan

Parking/travel benefits

George Mason University credits

Job summary

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University seeks a Director of Development Communications to lead strategy, craft donor-focused messaging, and oversee communications products for fundraising and engagement. You will collaborate with leadership, major gift officers, marketing, and design to translate policy work into compelling donor communications.

Reporting to the Vice President of Development, you will guide newsletters, annual reports, digital appeals, and high-value donor materials,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience.
• 5 or more years of professional experience in marketing, communications, fundraising, development communications, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing communications strategies.
• Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, and storytelling skills.
• Experience translating complex ideas or technical subject matter into clear, compelling communications for varied audiences.
• Experience creating communications for donors, funders, executives, or other high-priority stakeholders.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong judgment, attention to detail, initiative, and follow-through.
• Ability to work effectively with senior leaders, subject-matter experts, fundraisers, designers, and cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Experience with Salesforce, Canva, and email marketing platforms is a plus.
• Familiarity with policy, research, nonprofit, philanthropic, or mission-driven organizations is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead Development Communications Strategy.
• Develop Donor Focused Messaging.
• Create Development Communications Products.
• Provide Copywriting and Editorial Support.
• Strengthen Visual Branding.

Skills

Marketing communications

Writing & editing

Storytelling

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Salesforce

Canva

Email marketing platforms

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Details

Job Location: ARLINGTON, VA 22201, Location: Arlington, VA (Hybrid)

Salary: $105,000 - $140,000 annually

About the Role

The Director of Development Communications leads the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of development communications for Mercatus Center. This role translates Mercatus research, policy work, organizational priorities, and impact into compelling communications that support fundraising, donor engagement, stewardship, and major-gift activity.

The Director partners closely with development leadership, major gift officers, executive leadership, subject-matter experts, marketing and design to ensure donors receive timely, relevant, and high-quality communications tailored to their interests and priorities.

This position reports to the Vice President of Development.

Specific Duties

Lead Development Communications Strategy

• Creates and implements an overarching development communications strategy aligned with fundraising goals and organizational priorities.
• Establishes and communicates priorities, timelines, workflows, and project plans across development communications.
• Coordinates with development leadership and cross-functional partners to ensure communications meet or exceed the team’s needs.
• Assesses and secures the talent, tools, processes, and other resources necessary for the success of development communications.
• Maintains high standards for accuracy, clarity, consistency, quality, and timeliness.

Develop Donor Focused Messaging

• Hosts regular messaging meetings with Mercatus experts and executive leadership to identify current projects, activities, accomplishments, and outcomes relevant to donors.
• Translates complex policy, research, and organizational information into clear, persuasive, and donor-centered messaging.
• Develops state-specific and interest-specific communications tailored to individual donors and donor audiences.
• Coordinates with state engagement, outreach, marketing, and other internal teams to incorporate relevant updates and insights.
• Provides regular reports, updates, and ready-to-use messaging that help Mercatus major gift officers communicate Mercatus’ value, outputs, and outcomes.

Create Development Communications Products

• Prints newsletters, typically three to four times per year.
• Mid-year updates, letters, and end-of-year reports.
• Annual appeal prospectuses and digital annual appeals.
• Regular reports for high-value donors and priority initiatives.
• Ready-to-send emails highlighting policy wins, media coverage, research, events, and other organizational updates.
• Media and research highlight PDFs and related donor-facing materials.
• Fundraising proposals for Mercatus major donors.
• Digital communications, including email newsletters, special announcements, webinar invitations, and event invitations.
• Evergreen materials, such as brochures and booklets.
• Additional collateral to support donor engagement, including postcards, leave-beheinds, magazine or book excerpts, and other materials.

Provide Copywriting and Editorial Support

• Writes and edits development emails, direct mail, lift notes, thank-you notes, proposals, reports, and other donor communications.
• Provides copywriting and copy-editing support for major gift officers, development operations, and other development colleagues.
• Ensures that original development communications products receive a thorough editorial review by someone other than the author before distribution.
• Establishes and maintains editorial standards for development communications.

Strengthen Visual Branding

• Formats documents and develop or coordinate maps, charts, graphics, and other visual elements for donor audiences.
• Partners with marketing and design colleagues to ensure that development communications are consistent, polished, visually appealing, and aligned with the Mercatus brand.
• Works with marketing and design teams to build and maintain a repository of high-resolution images for development use.
• Helps identify opportunities to capture high-quality photography at important events and activities, including through freelance photographers when appropriate.
• Develops new visual collateral and branded products to support fundraising and donor engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience.
• 5 or more years of professional experience in marketing, communications, fundraising, development communications, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing communications strategies.
• Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, and storytelling skills.
• Experience translating complex ideas or technical subject matter into clear, compelling communications for varied audiences.
• Experience creating communications for donors, funders, executives, or other high-priority stakeholders.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong judgment, attention to detail, initiative, and follow-through.
• Ability to work effectively with senior leaders, subject-matter experts, fundraisers, designers, and cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Experience with Salesforce, Canva, and email marketing platforms is a plus.
• Familiarity with policy, research, nonprofit, philanthropic, or mission-driven organizations is preferred.

Success in This Role

Success in this role means that Mercatus’ development team has the strategy, messaging, content, tools, and communications support needed to engage donors effectively. The successful candidate will consistently deliver high-quality, timely, and relevant communications that clearly convey Mercatus’ mission, work, and impact while strengthening fundraising and donor relationships.

About the Mercatus Center

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is where top classical liberal scholars solve real-world challenges. Grounded in the tradition of market-oriented thinking and classical liberal ideas, we equip high-agency talent to apply bold ideas that shape institutions, inform policy, and help people flourish.

Employee Benefits Review

Salary is competitive and will be commensurate with experience.

• full health and dental coverage
• unlimited paid time off
• long-term disability and life insurance
• a 403(b) retirement savings program
• parking/travel benefits
• twelve free credits per year at George Mason University

EEO Statement

The Mercatus Center is an equal employment opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

E-Verify

The Mercatus Center participates in E-Verify. Upon hire, Mercatus will provide the U.S. Social Security Administration and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security, with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.