Senior Director of Development and Leadership

Socket.dev; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Aaron Family JCC of Dallas seeks a Senior Director of Development & Leadership to drive fundraising strategy and leadership development. You will cultivate major and planned gifts while expanding the J's donor base and volunteer leadership.

In this role, you will partner with the CEO and CDO, oversee staff and volunteers, and shape governance programs. This exempt position includes benefits and leadership opportunities within the Dallas Jewish community.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree a plus.
• 8+ years of progressive nonprofit experience spanning fundraising, governance, or organizational leadership.
• Proven track record securing major and planned/legacy gifts with revenue goals.
• Experience managing complex governance structures, volunteer leadership, and board relations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including grant writing and presentations to boards.
• Strong ability to build relationships with high net worth donors and lay leaders.

Responsibilities

• Set annual revenue goals and diversify funding across foundation, corporate, and individual giving.
• Lead donor solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship strategies that honor donor intent and ensure timely recognition.
• Manage and grow a personal portfolio of donor relationships (major and planned/legacy gifts).
• Plan and execute the annual campaign, signature fundraising events, and capital/endowment campaigns as assigned.
• Utilize donor tracking tools and CRM systems to support data-driven cultivation and stewardship.
• Represent the J at events as a visible ambassador for its mission.
• Strengthen volunteer committee infrastructure and leadership development across governance and philanthropy.
• Develop onboarding/offboarding procedures for Board and committee leaders.
• Cultivate diverse leadership pathways across the Dallas community and beyond.

Skills

Donor relations

Leadership development

Strategic planning

Project management

Grant writing

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Amelia CRM

Job description

The Senior Director of Development & Leadership is a senior leadership role on the Aaron Family JCC of Dallas's (the J) Development team, reporting to the Chief Development Officer (CDO). The role carries dual responsibility: assisting in executing comprehensive fundraising strategies that grow and diversify the J's donor base spanning major gifts, the annual campaign, planned giving, special events, and capital initiatives, and strengthening the J's volunteer leadership infrastructure by building a deep, diverse pipeline of lay leaders grounded in shared values, across governance, philanthropy, and community building.

The Senior Director partners closely with the CEO, CDO, Board Chair, and key committee chairs (Governance, Development, Nominating) to translate the J's fundraising and leadership priorities into ongoing strategy, donor relationships, and results, while also serving as the organization's primary staff resource for board governance and leadership development. This position is classified as Exempt and is eligible for benefits. The Jewish Community Center is an equal opportunity employer (EOE).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Fundraising & Donor Development

• Partner with the CDO to set annual revenue goals and diversify funding across foundation, corporate, and individual giving.
• Assist in the execution of donor solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship strategies that honor donor intent and ensure meaningful, timely recognition.
• Manage and grow a personal portfolio of donor relationships, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major and planned/legacy gifts.
• Assist in the planning and execution of the annual campaign, signature fundraising events, and capital or endowment campaigns as assigned.
• Utilize donor tracking tools, including moves management and CRM systems (Amelia or comparable platforms), that support cultivation and stewardship grounded in data.
• Represent the J at community, donor, and J events as a visible ambassador for the organization's mission.

Leadership Pipeline & Volunteer Development

• Strengthen the J's volunteer committee infrastructure, building a deep, diverse pipeline of lay leadership with particular emphasis on Board members, Annual Campaign leadership, and committee chairs.
• Design and operationalize systems that identify, track, develop, and sustain high-potential lay leaders across governance, philanthropy, and programming; build leadership pathway tools in the J's tracking platforms to support succession decisions informed by data.
• Develop clear onboarding and offboarding procedures for Board and committee leaders, along with strategies for engaging past leaders.
• Cultivate diverse leadership pathways reflecting the breadth of the Dallas Jewish community, with intentional attention to geographic and generational diversity across the greater DFW metro area.
• Develop and oversee leadership programming, including jointly facilitating a flagship, yearlong Community Leadership Program with the CDO and CEO designed to develop the J's top communal lay leaders and future board members.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships (e.g., Dallas Jewish Historical Society, Rabbis, and universities) that bring Jewish learning and thought leadership to lay leaders and professionals.

Team & Organizational Leadership

• Oversee, coach, and develop assigned staff and volunteer fundraising and leadership talent.
• Collaborate with the CDO, CEO, and Board of Directors (and relevant board committees) on donor cultivation, solicitation strategy, campaign priorities, and governance strategy.
• Serve on the Department Head working group
• Foster a culture of strategic clarity, professional growth, and trust between lay and professional leadership across the organization.

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree a plus.

• 8+ years of progressive nonprofit experience spanning fundraising, governance, or organizational leadership, ideally within aJ, Jewish Federation system, or comparable Jewish communal/nonprofit organization.
• Demonstrated success securing major and planned/legacy gifts, with a track record of meeting or exceeding revenue goals.
• Experience managing complex governance structures, volunteer leadership, and board relations.
• Proven supervisory experience and the ability to lead, coach, and develop staff and volunteers at multiple levels.
• Proficiency with donor CRM/database systems (Amelia or comparable platforms).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including grant writing, donor correspondence, facilitation, and presentations to board audiences.
• Strong ability to build relationships and comfort engaging high net worth donors, lay leaders, and Board members.
• Strategic thinker with strong project management, budgeting, and analytical skills.
• Working knowledge of Jewish communal life, donor culture, and community structures (Federation system J network).