Director of Development
Description
Job Overview: Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School seeks a strategic, relationship-driven, and results-oriented Director of Development to help lead and grow the school’s philanthropic program. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director of Development is responsible for advancing the school’s annual giving program, strengthening the pipeline of major gift donors, and building the systems and strategies necessary to support long-term fundraising success. Working closely with the development team, this role plays a key part in fostering a culture of philanthropy across the Saint Andrew’s community while preparing the school for future campaign initiatives. The Director of Development combines strategic thinking with strong execution, bringing a data-informed and relationship-centered approach to all aspects of fundraising.
About the Role
The Director of Development directly manages the Development Operations Manager. Reports To: Chief Advancement Officer
Responsibilities
Partner with the Chief Advancement Officer to develop and implement a comprehensive annual development plan aligned with the school’s strategic priorities.
Strengthen the Saint Andrew’s Fund through thoughtful donor segmentation, leadership giving strategy, and community engagement.
Build systems and strategies that support sustainable philanthropic growth and long-term donor engagement.
Monitor and evaluate fundraising performance, using data and trends to inform strategy and decision-making.
Lead the strategy and execution of the school’s annual giving program, including parent, alumni parent, grandparent, and community giving.
Identify opportunities to increase both donor participation and leadership-level giving.
Collaborate with volunteers and school leadership to expand engagement and strengthen donor relationships.
Monitor and analyze giving trends to guide strategy and improve outcomes.
Identify, cultivate, and solicit prospective major donors in partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer and school leadership.
Create and manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors, with clear goals for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activity.
Develop and execute individualized engagement strategies to move prospects through the donor pipeline.
Partner with the Chief Advancement Officer and Head of School on leadership-level gift strategy and key donor relationships.
Design and oversee a comprehensive donor stewardship program that ensures timely, personalized, and impact-driven recognition and communication.
Ensure donors experience meaningful connection to the mission, students, and programmatic impact of Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School.
Collaborate with the advancement team to create thoughtful donor engagement opportunities through events, communications, and campus experiences.
Partner with the Director of Alumni Engagement and Community Events to strengthen relationships with alumni families and community supporters.
Lead the fundraising strategy and execution for key advancement events, including the annual Spring Gala, ensuring alignment with annual giving and major gift goals.
Develop and manage a parent volunteer fundraising program, including identifying, recruiting, and supporting parents who advance the school’s philanthropic priorities.
Engage and support volunteers, including parent leaders and Board members, in fundraising strategy, outreach, and peer-to-peer engagement.
Establish clear structures and expectations that enable volunteers to be effective partners in building a culture of philanthropy.
Provide day-to-day leadership and management of the Development Operations Manager, ensuring strong performance, accountability, and professional growth.
Establish clear goals, priorities, and workflows to support effective execution of development operations, data management, and reporting.
Foster a collaborative, solutions-oriented team culture aligned with the mission and values of Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of five years of experience in development, fundraising, or advancement, preferably in an independent school, higher education, or nonprofit environment.
Demonstrated success in annual giving and major gift fundraising.
Experience managing staff and volunteers, with the ability to lead, prioritize, and develop team members.
Experience using donor databases such as Raiser’s Edge or similar CRM systems.
Strong strategic thinking and organizational planning skills.
Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively with school leadership, volunteers, and colleagues.
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends in support of events and donor engagement.
Key Competencies
Strategic fundraising and donor engagement.
Data-informed decision making.
Relationship building and donor stewardship.
Volunteer leadership and community engagement.
Planning and project management.
Collaboration and team leadership.
Professional communication and representation of the school.
Skills and Characteristics
Reading, writing, speaking, listening, basic mathematics.
Desires a highly collaborative work environment.
Values innovation and creativity.
Growth mindset.
Conflict resolution.
Good sense of humor.
Passion for interacting with students in and outside of the classroom.
Positive team player, ready to contribute as needed.
Ability to use technology to enhance the classroom experience.
Motivation to use a range of resources that represent diverse cultures, experiences and viewpoints.
Physical Requirements
Ability to visually monitor the room and students.
Prolong sitting, some squatting, reaching, and kneeling.
Able to climb stairs, navigate sloping terrain, traverse multiple surface types.
Able to move equipment/boxes and ability to lift up to 25lbs.
Able to sustain indoor artificial lighting for 80% of time or higher depending on activities, backlit monitors.
Able to handle outdoor weather including bright sun to rain, and temperature from cold to hot.