Senior Director of Development

National Park Trust; Rockville (MD); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with company match

Health and dental insurance

Flexible spending account

Life and disability insurance

Paid vacation and sick leave

Job summary

The National Park Trust, located in Rockville, MD, is seeking an experienced fundraising leader to guide a $20M comprehensive campaign. This full-time role involves developing fundraising strategies and managing relationships with high-capacity donors.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in capital campaign execution, securing significant gifts, and mentoring a development team. Benefits include health insurance, a 401(k) with company match, and generous leave policies.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of professional fundraising experience with proven success.
• Experience in securing six and seven figure gifts.
• Expertise in managing large-scale capital campaigns over $20M.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead comprehensive fundraising strategy.
• Oversee major and principal gift strategy.
• Facilitate a $20M comprehensive campaign execution.

Skills

Fundraising expertise

Capital campaign experience

Systems thinker

Exceptional storytelling

Environmental passion

Tools

Donor databases

Job description

Salary: $125,000 - $150,000, commensurate with experience.

Job Type: Full-time staff member.

Reports to: Executive Director.

Location: Rockville, MD.

Work Type: In-office.

Position Overview

Following a strategic shift—including the sunsetting of $1.5M in federal funding—we are reimagining our $4M annual development operation. With an engaged Board of Trustees and a three-person full-time development team, we are preparing to take our program to a new level, including a projected three-year, $20M Comprehensive Campaign.

Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Growth: Develop and lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy to support both near‑term program needs and long‑term sustainability. Establish and achieve annual and multi‑year revenue targets across all funding sources, ensuring a balanced and diversified funding model.

Major & Principal Gifts: Oversee the organization’s major and principal gift strategy while managing an active portfolio of high‑capacity donors and prospects. Guide cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts to secure six‑ and seven‑figure gifts. Implement a rigorous moves management process to track prospect movement through each phase of the philanthropic process from identification to stewardship.

Campaign Execution: Facilitate the execution of a $20M comprehensive campaign, working closely with the Executive Director, Board leadership, and campaign counsel to drive strategy, performance, and accountability. Monitor campaign progress, ensure alignment with broader goals, and support achievement of key milestones and overall campaign success.

Board & Volunteer Engagement: Empower a motivated Board of Trustees by providing tools, training, and opportunities to turn their best intentions into strategic action.

Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and grow the development team, ensuring roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations are clearly defined and aligned with organizational priorities. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement, and evolve team structure and capacity to support fundraising growth and campaign success.

Qualifications

• Capital Campaign Experience: Proven track record of playing a lead role in a large‑scale capital campaign ($20M+).
• Fundraising Expertise: Successful past performance securing six‑ and seven‑figure gifts. Minimum of 8–10 years of professional fundraising experience, with deep knowledge of individual, corporate, and foundation sectors and familiarity with all giving channels from direct response appeals to planned giving.
• Systems Thinker: Expert‑level experience in formal moves management processes with a familiarity with donor databases (e.g., Neon, Raisers Edge, Salesforce).
• Communication: Exceptional storytelling skills to translate land acquisition and youth stewardship into compelling cases for support.
• Environmental Passion: A strong understanding of the environmental movement and land conservation is highly preferred.

Special Requirements

• All staff are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID‑19. Reasonable accommodations will be considered for qualified individuals with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs, in accordance with applicable law.
• The candidate must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check.

Physical Requirements

• Some physical exertion, including outdoor recreation activities.
• Lifting items up to 25‑40 lbs.
• Driver’s license and use of a car.
• Local and overnight travel will be required.

Benefits

• 401(k) plan with a 5% company match
• Health and dental insurance with a vision program
• Flexible spending account
• Life insurance, short‑term, and long‑term disability insurance
• Vacation, sick leave, and observance of all federal holidays

National Park Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment. We seek diversity in thought, background, and experience among our staff, Board of Trustees, donors, and partners. Diversity within our organization informs our programming, strengthens our partnerships, and enables us to serve diverse stakeholders and communities effectively. National Park Trust follows all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding non‑discriminatory hiring and employment practices. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.