Deputy Director of Engagement

About the role

The Deputy Director of Engagement provides strategic leadership for all engagement functions at ECHO’s Florida campus, integrating guest experience, regional partnerships, and advancement initiatives into a unified, mission-driven strategy.

This role ensures that every interaction—with visitors, donors, partners, and the local community—advances ECHO’s mission by strengthening relationships, expanding the network, and inspiring deeper engagement.

Working cross-functionally, this leader aligns on-site experiences with ECHO’s global strategy, translating impact into compelling, Christ-centered opportunities for participation, partnership, and investment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the vision and utilization of the Florida campus as a primary platform for donor engagement, inspiration, and education.
• Ensure campus experiences reflect ECHO’s identity as a global, Christ-centered, agricultural development organization.
• Integrate farm, nursery, seed bank, and training environments into cohesive storytelling experiences that demonstrate impact.
• Collaborate with program teams to ensure alignment between what is experienced on campus and ECHO’s global work.
• Develop and lead a comprehensive engagement strategy that directly drives fundraising outcomes, donor acquisition, and donor retention.
• Design intentional pathways that move individuals from awareness to active partnership (visitor → engaged supporter → donor → advocate).
• Partner closely with Advancement leadership to align engagement efforts with campaign priorities, funding initiatives, and donor journeys.
• Ensure all engagement activities contribute to strengthening and growing the ECHO network and increasing its effectiveness.
• Translate ECHO’s global goals into compelling, donor-facing narratives and experiences.
• Establish and track key engagement metrics, including donor conversion rates, pipeline growth, and retention outcomes, ensuring alignment with Advancement goals.
• Lead and develop staff, including roles connected to:
• Welcome & Resource Center
• Operations
• Regional partnerships
• Foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, and Christ-centered service.
• Facilitate strong collaboration across departments including Advancement, Global Teams, MEAL, Communications, and Operations.
• Ensure alignment with ECHO’s strategic framework across all engagement functions.
• Build and strengthen relationships with local churches, donors, institutions, and community partners.
• Represent ECHO in regional events, speaking engagements, and partnership opportunities.

Requirements

To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential duties satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.

• Leadership Communication: Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with a proven ability to engage diverse stakeholders, build consensus, and inspire teams.
• Strategic Administration: Strong organizational and administrative skills, with meticulous attention to detail and the ability to develop systems that support scale and excellence.
• Relational Agility: Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships across departments, with partners, and among team members with professionalism and empathy.
• Initiative & Accountability: Self-starter with a high degree of initiative, ownership, and accountability in completing tasks and driving strategic objectives forward.
• Time & Priority Management: Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while meeting deadlines and maintaining composure under pressure.
• Team-Oriented Independence: Capable of thriving both independently and collaboratively, with a strong orientation toward team success and shared goals.
• Event Flexibility: Willingness and availability to support occasional evening and weekend events aligned with donor engagement activities.
• Technical Proficiency: High proficiency in Salesforce (or similar CRM), with the ability to learn new systems quickly and optimize database use for fundraising strategy.
• Data Integrity Focus: Exceptional attention to data accuracy, entry, and ongoing validation, with a mindset for continuous improvement in recordkeeping.
• Software Competence: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, and other relevant software tools.