Director, Advancement Services

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County was the first museum in L.A. to open its doors 109 years ago and is poised for an exciting new era as it plans for the future. Having recently completed a new strategic framework, the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County—including NHMLA at Exposition Park, La Brea Tar Pits and museum in mid-Wilshire, and the William S. Hart Museum in Newhall—is looking forward to new building projects and campaigns, exhibitions, community outreach, and innovative audience engagement. 

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County values and endeavors to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and access within its organization and communities. Candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC), neurodiverse, gender, a person with disability, a veteran, and/or a part of the LGBTQAI+ community are welcome and encouraged to apply. 

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is seeking a Director, Advancement Services for our Advancement department.  The Director, Advancement Services works closely with the Associate Vice President of Advancement at the Natural History Museum. It is an exciting time as we embark on new journeys of becoming a museum of, for, and with L.A.

Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to:

• Systems Development and Management: Develops, implements and monitors Advancement systems, reporting mechanisms, information technology, and data infrastructure to support operations as these functions relate to annual and campaign fundraising programs. Provides leadership in evaluating and recommending systems and structure to build and maintain an impactful and growing advancement program.

• Donor Database: Oversees and maintains the Advancement database, maximizing its utilization, including staff training, development of reports and tracking documents, maintenance of donor records, and gift acceptance processing and receipting processes. Lead the development and implementation of a new fundraising database (CRM)

• Working closely with CAO and AVPA to develop the annual Advancement budget and interim forecasts. Monitors the budget, related forecasts and corresponding strategic goals to determine whether allocated funds are being spent as planned as well as revenue goals are being achieved. Identifies any significant variances and prepares trends and conveys status to CAO.

• Prepares dashboard reports and analysis related to the development and implementation of strategic and revenue goals assigned to the division. 

• With CAO and AVPA, develops and prepares short and long range planning analysis including: revenue and expense projections, staffing and equipment requirements.

• Monitors short- and long-range divisional and departmental revenue and cost projection goals; makes recommendations for budget adjustments

This position has the following requirements: 

• Familiarity with strategic planning and project management. Assist in translating organizational vision to divisional goals. Develop department goals necessary to accomplish divisional goals. Monitor implementation of goals at this level, make necessary adjustments and inform higher levels of management regarding significant changes.

• Oversee and manage the successful accomplishment of ongoing functions as well as their roles in accomplishing the organization’s strategic plan.

• Has the capability to solicit bids, draft contract terms and monitor performance of contractors.

• Assess complex situations and make decisions and/or recommendations across departments and functions.

• Experience with the development and monitoring of departmental program budgets and monitoring. 

• Able to be a successful supervisor; including compliance with human resources policies and procedures, recruiting and training staff, providing regular feedback to direct reports, establishing and supporting attainment of goals for direct reports and completing annual performance evaluations.

• Demonstrated excellence in oral and written communication.

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, peer reviewed primary literature, or government regulations.

• Ability to write reports, business/profession