Senior Director of Development

Orlando Shakes; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement contributions

Professional development support

Job summary

Orlando Shakes is seeking a Senior Director of Development to lead the theater's contributed revenue strategies and align them with artistic and financial goals.

In this role you will oversee fundraising functions, grow the donor base, and collaborate with the Executive Director, Artistic Director, and Board to advance the organization's mission and community engagement. This newly created position focuses on building systems, expanding major gifts, grants, and sponsorships.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of leadership experience in nonprofit development.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, including major gifts and institutional support.
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience using CRM systems such as Spektrix, Tessitura, or Salesforce.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a development strategy aligned with artistic and financial goals.
• Establish and monitor revenue goals across all sources of contributed income including individual giving, corporate sponsorships, and grants.
• Promote collaboration between marketing and development teams to ensure coordinated campaigns and consistent messaging.
• Utilize donor data to inform segmentation, engagement, and growth strategies.
• Manage and grow a portfolio of major donors and prospects.
• Oversee individual giving, institutional funding (foundation and government grants), and corporate sponsorships.
• Partner with the Executive Director and Board to strengthen fundraising efforts and engagement.
• Guide strategy and execution for annual campaigns and fundraising events.
• Supervise and support development staff, fostering a collaborative, high-performing team culture.
• Manage departmental budgets and monitor performance against revenue goals.
• Improve systems, processes, and use of CRM tools to support integrated work across teams.

Skills

Nonprofit leadership

Fundraising leadership

Communication

Relationship building

Tools

Spektrix

Tessitura

Salesforce

Job description

Senior Director of Development

Department: Development

Reports To: Executive Director

Direct Reports: 2 - 3 staff and 1 contract grant writer

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Development is a senior leadership role responsible for aligning the theater’s contributed revenue strategies to support sustainable growth.

This position oversees fundraising functions—driving contributed revenue, expanding donor base, and increasing philanthropic support. As a key member of the senior leadership team, this role partners closely with the Executive Director, Artistic Director, and Board of Directors to advance the theater’s mission, and deepen community engagement.

This is a newly created role designed to foster collaboration across teams, improve systems and workflows, and position the organization for its next phase of growth.

Key Responsibilities

Revenue Strategy & Organizational Alignment

• Develop and implement a development strategy aligned with artistic and financial goals
• Establish and monitor revenue goals across all sources of contributed income including individual giving, corporate sponsorships, and grants
• Promote strong collaboration between marketing and development teams to ensure coordinated campaigns and consistent messaging
• Utilize audience and donor data to inform segmentation, engagement, and growth strategies

Development & Fundraising

• Manage and grow a portfolio of major donors and prospects
• Oversee individual giving, institutional funding (foundation and government grants), and corporate sponsorships
• Partner with the Executive Director and Board to strengthen fundraising efforts and engagement
• Guide strategy and execution for annual campaigns and fundraising events

Leadership & Team Management

• Supervise and support development staff, fostering a collaborative, high-performing team culture
• Manage departmental budgets and monitor performance against revenue goals
• Improve systems, processes, and use of CRM tools to support integrated work across teams

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of leadership experience in nonprofit development
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, including major gifts and institutional support
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Experience using CRM systems such as Spektrix, Tessitura, or Salesforce

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in nonprofit theater or performing arts organizations
• Knowledge of the Central Florida philanthropic landscape and key funders
• Track record of supporting organizational growth or leading cross-functional initiatives

  Compensation

  Salary range commensurate with experience and market, with a projected range of:

  • $90,000 - $110,000

  Comprehensive benefits package to include health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement contributions, and professional development support