Oakland Zoo Director, Development

Oakland Zoo; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 123,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Flexible spending account

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Zoo Membership options

Job summary

Oakland Zoo is seeking a Director of Development to lead fundraising and donor relations, directing strategy across major gifts, annual giving, and institutional funding.

You will manage a four-person team, collaborate with the CEO and CCEO, and work closely with cross‑functional departments to diversify revenue and enhance donor experience. This role requires strategic leadership and strong analytics, with a focus on sustainable growth.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 9 years of progressive development experience, including 5 years managerial experience.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing major gift and campaign strategies.
• Proven team leadership and people management experience, including coaching staff.
• Budget management and vendor negotiation experience.
• Proficiency with donor CRM systems and fundraising analytics platforms.
• Able to work flexible hours, including weekends, evenings and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: develop and implement fundraising strategies with organizational goals.
• Major & Principal Gifts: manage portfolio of major gift prospects and lead campaigns.
• Budget & Resource Management: manage department budget and vendor relationships.
• Board & Donor Relations: support CEO/CCEO and oversee donor relations strategy.
• Revenue Growth: increase major gifts, annual giving, and planned giving revenue.
• Partnership Development: oversee grant strategy and proposals.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Major gifts

Donor relations

CRM systems

Budget management

Vendor negotiation

Team leadership

Data analysis

Communication skills

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree

CFRE certification

Tools

Raiser's Edge

Job description

Full-time Description

Pay range: To maintain internal equity, we have identified the starting range for this position at the Oakland Zoo as $111,970.71 - $122,908.72 annually. An offer within this range will be determined by the experience and qualifications of a candidate and will be our best and final compensation offer, in alignment with Oakland Zoo's compensation philosophy.

Application Process

• Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter. The cover letter should include how the position aligns with their career goals and why they want to work at Oakland Zoo.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting October 13, 2026.

Position Summary

The Director of Development provides direction and manages workflow for all fundraising and donor relations supporting Oakland Zoo's mission. This position is responsible for managing, building, and diversifying Oakland Zoo's base of contributed revenue, driving sustainable revenue growth across major gifts, annual giving, and institutional funding, and ensuring an exceptional donor experience. The Director manages a team of four development professionals and collaborates closely with CCEO, and multiple departments.

Essential Job Duties

Strategic Leadership

• In partnership with CCEO, develop and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies aligned with organizational goals and mission
• Lead annual planning process, including goal-setting, budget development, and campaign calendar creation
• Analyze giving trends, donor data, and the philanthropic landscape to inform strategic decisions.

Major & Principal Gifts

• Manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects.
• Develop and maintain gift acceptance policies, donor stewardship standards, and recognition frameworks.
• Lead annual campaign initiatives as needed in consultation with the CCEO.

Budget & Resource Management

• Develop and manage department budget, including staff, fundraising campaigns, and vendor contracts
• Track and report on budget performance, ROI, and key performance indicators in partnership with Senior Manager Development Services.
• Negotiate and manage relationships with consultants and donor database vendors.

Board & Donor Relations

• Support the CEO and CCEO in fulfilling their responsibilities to the Board Development Committee, including preparing materials, coordinating agendas and follow‑up items, and advancing committee priorities in alignment with fundraising strategy.
• In partnership with the CEO and CCEO, oversee donor relations strategy and serve as point of contact for high‑level donor stewardship and recognition with CEO & CCEO.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key donors, philanthropic advisors, and community stakeholders

Revenue Growth

• In partnership with CCEO, drive strategies to increase major gifts, annual giving, and planned giving revenue
• Align annual fundraising campaigns with mission and conservation work.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications team on donor-facing campaigns and engagement content.
• Collaborate with Membership and Admissions team to develop a pipeline of donors.

Partnership Development

• Oversee grant strategy, proposal development, and compliance/reporting in coordination with program staff

Supervisory Responsibility

• Hires, supervises, develops and oversees performance management of the Individual Giving Manager, Philanthropy Officer, Individual Giving Coordinator, and Senior Manager, Development Services.

Who You Are

• Minimum of 9 years of progressive development experience, including 5 years managerial experience managing people and projects in development
• Demonstrated success developing and executing major gift and campaign strategies
• Proven team leadership and people management experience, including experience coaching and developing staff to build technical and interpersonal skills
• Budget management and vendor negotiation experience
• Proficiency with donor CRM systems such as Raiser’s Edge, prospect research tools, and fundraising analytics platforms
• Able to work flexible hours on occasion, including weekends, evenings and holidays.

Bonus if you have...

• Bachelor's degree in Nonprofit Management, Business, Communications, or related field
• Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) certification or similar professional fundraising credential
• Experience with non-profit fundraising at the six‑figure level in the cultural, tourism, or entertainment sectors
• Knowledge of conservation, environmental education, or wildlife management
• Planned giving and capital campaign leadership experience
• Bay Area donor and philanthropic network knowledge

Work Environment

• Primarily office‑based with occasional Oakland Zoo grounds visits.
• Some travel for conferences and professional development.
• Standard business hours with some flexibility.
• Limited remote work may be available after an evaluation period and is dependent on ongoing performance assessments.

Physical Considerations

• Sustained computer‑based administrative and analytical work, using standard or assistive technology for extended periods every day.
• Ability to communicate and exchange information effectively and to review, interpret, and work with digital or written materials, using verbal, written, or assistive methods as appropriate.
• Ability to navigate Zoo grounds.

Knowledge, Skills, and Qualities

• Analytical and Conceptual Aptitude – engages in and facilitates broad organizational strategic thinking/planning with awareness of equity, inclusion, accessibility, and cultural relevance.
• Collaboration – builds trusting relationships with both internal and external stakeholders across our organization and community‑wide and approaches differences of opinion with curiosity and humility.
• Communication – communicates respectfully and effectively with stakeholders across identities, both verbally and in writing
• Data Analysis – able to collect, interpret and detect patterns in clean data
• Impact – Inspired to contribute to the success of a project or the organization
• Leadership – mentors, advises, and develops people across identities with consideration for cultural relevance and responsiveness, self‑awareness around implicit bias and understanding of the power dynamics that exist in organizations.
• Passion – wholeheartedly believes in, represents, and models Oakland Zoo's mission and PRIDE values at all times
• Presentation – able to convey ideas clearly and sensitively, highlight key takeaways and translate impact; have thoughtful presence, can quickly build rapport with others, and are comfortable in front of a variety of audiences
• Project management – effectively prioritizes commitments, driving forward multiple high‑profile and complex projects simultaneously with flexibility, resourcefulness, and agility to adapt to shifting organizational needs
• Relationship‑Building – able to build and maintain trusting relationships and mutually beneficial partnerships with internal and external stakeholders
• Solution‑oriented – utilizes an open‑minded and strengths‑based approach to finding solutions for complex challenges.
• Sustainability – oriented toward the mission and values of Oakland Zoo and able to put those into practice by finding creative and resourceful ways to develop sustainable practices within your role and department
• Wildlife Aware – understands mission to support the conservation and welfare of animals at the Zoo, locally and globally. This is demonstrated by a willingness/passion to reflect this mission in all actions and to continue to learn how to take action for wildlife

Benefits

Oakland Zoo offers a comprehensive benefits package, including Health insurance, Dental insurance, Vision insurance, Flexible spending account, Retirement plan, Paid time off, Employee Assistance Program, and Zoo Membership options.

Salary Description $111,970.71 - $122,908.72 annually