Regional Chief Development Officer

About the role

Joining The American Red Cross is like nothing else – it’s as much something you feel as something you do. You become a vital part of the world’s largest humanitarian network. You align your life’s work with an ongoing mission that’s bigger than all of us. As you care for others, you’re cared for with competitive compensation and benefits. You join a community that respects who you are away from work as much as what you do while at work.

Responsibilities

• Set and Execute a Bold Regional Fundraising Strategy
• Design and lead annual and multi-year fundraising strategies that sustain and significantly grow the Region’s donor base while expanding new corporate, individual, and foundation relationships.
• Partner closely with the Regional CEO, Divisional Fundraising Vice President, Chapter Executive Directors, and Chapter Boards to align fundraising priorities with regional mission impact, market opportunity, and organizational growth.
• Establish clear goals, performance expectations, and accountability measures that drive a revenue-oriented culture across the Region.
• Lead and Be Accountable for a Portfolio-Based Major Gifts Program
• Own and be fully accountable for all regional fundraising results within a portfolio-based major gifts model. Lead the Development team in setting individual targets, ensure the management and stewardship of disciplined portfolios, provide accurate forecasting and analysis, and drive consistent prospect movement across the Region.
• Provide key leadership, expectations, standards, and accountability for identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gift prospects with emphasis on transformational giving.
• Ensure strategic solicitation planning, rigorous performance management, and strong stewardship practices that result in sustained donor engagement and long-term revenue growth.
• Maintain full accountability for achieving or exceeding the Region’s annual fundraising goal, currently exceeding $6.7 million annually, while managing departmental expense budgets.
• Navigate dynamic revenue environments, including increased targets during major domestic disasters, with agility, discipline, and confidence.
• Monitor monthly, quarterly, and annual performance of team members and channels and adjust strategies as needed to ensure sustained success.
• Drive growth in individual giving and partnership strategies through dynamic annual and multi-year plans that grow revenue, deepen engagement, and diversify the donor base.
• Own the renewal and expansion of key relationships and the pursuit of new revenue, especially during disaster response and other high impact moments.
• Set a high standard for strategic discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and world-class stewardship to consistently exceed regional goals.
• Mobilize Boards and Volunteer Leaders for Philanthropic Impact
• Act as the fundraising subject matter expert and as the primary liaison between the development team and Regional Board Philanthropy Committees supporting Chapter Boards in fulfilling their fundraising responsibilities.
• Equip board members and volunteer leaders with the tools, coaching, and confidence needed to serve as effective ambassadors and fundraisers.
• Support orientation and ongoing engagement of new board members with a clear focus on philanthropic leadership.
• Build, Develop, and Inspire a High Performing Team
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the Regional Development team, including fundraising staff outside the region. Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and performance-driven team culture focused on professional growth, accountability, and shared success. Guide strategic decision-making and ensure alignment across the Development function.
• Lead Effectively During Disaster and High-Demand Environments ("Grey Skies")
• Led with discipline and urgency through swift execution, prioritization of donor relationships and modeling resilience. Manage the team with clarity and accountability, coaching through uncertainty, sustaining morale and driving both restricted and unrestricted fundraising to meet the moment.
• Ensure Excellence in Systems, Stewardship, and Reporting
• Oversee disciplined donor management practices, ensuring all fundraising activity and gifts are accurately and timely recorded in Salesforce. Hold accountability for monthly and annual forecasting of expected gifts. Maintain compliance with all reporting and relationship management requirements while using data and insights to inform strategy, improve performance, and strengthen donor relationships.
• Serve as a Key Member of the Regional Leadership Team
• Operate as a trusted senior leader within the Region, contributing to enterprise-wide strategy, decision-making, and organizational leadership. Represent the Region externally with credibility and confidence while advancing the American Red Cross mission and values across Arizona and New Mexico.
• Scope
• Establish operating policies and procedures impacting multiple functional areas. Interpret and implement enterprise-wide policies within the regional context. Develop and manage budgets, performance standards, and operational plans. Oversee and drive a multi-million-dollar regional fundraising portfolio, ensuring alignment between strategic priorities, resource allocation, and revenue growth objectives. Partner with regional leadership to advance community resilience priorities, supporting Executive Directors in strengthening local impact and aligning philanthropic strategy with mission delivery across the Region.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Advanced degree highly desirable
• Minimum 7 years of progressive fundraising leadership experience or equivalent combination
• Demonstrated success in: Scaling philanthropic revenue across diverse donor segments, Leading multi-million-dollar portfolio-based fundraising programs, Executing multi-year development strategies, Applying industry best practices
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience, including building and developing high-performing teams

Skills & Abilities

• Exceptional relationship-building and influencing skills with senior stakeholders
• Strong executive presence and communication skills
• Proficiency with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge)
• Strategic thinker with strong operational execution capabilities
• Collaborative leader with strong mission alignment
• Pioneering track record of securing and scaling multi-million-dollar fundraising portfolios through strategic donor engagement, complex gift negotiations, and transformational giving strategies

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision plans
• Health Spending Accounts & Flexible Spending Accounts
• PTO (Paid Time Off): Starting at 15 days a year; based on FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) status and tenure
• Holidays: 11 paid holidays comprised of six core holidays and five floating holidays.
• 401K with 6% match
• Paid Family Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Disability and Insurance: Short + Long Term Service Awards and recognition

Pay

$123,000 - $154,000

Schedule

Frequent travel within the Region, occasional travel within the Division and to Washington, D.C.