Managing Director, Development

ROLE TITLE: Managing Director, Development

POSITION REPORTS TO: Senior Managing Director, Development

LOCATION: Bay Area Region (California) – Candidates must reside within the San Francisco Bay Area or within 20 miles of the region. This role requires frequent travel throughout the Bay Area for donor meetings, events, and partnership engagements.

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WHAT YOU’LL DO

All prospect & donor management roles on Field Fundraising teams are responsible for cultivating, stewarding, and managing a portfolio of donors in our local communities who share our commitment to ensuring that all children have access to an equitable and excellent education.  As a member of the Field Fundraising team, you will be a part of a team-based effort charged with developing and executing on a long-term vision and strategy to achieve our development goals for both public and private funding. In your role, you will partner with Executive Directors, regional advisory board members, and other front-line fundraisers to maximize giving, playing a key role in new donor strategy and acquisition over the next 3-5 years.

Reporting to the Senior Managing Director, Development, you will partner closely to set the vision for and execute strategies that generate $3M+ annually toward an $8M+ team goal. You will manage a portfolio of donors with the capacity and/or demonstrated history of giving $10,000+ annually, with an emphasis on securing increased 5- and 6-figure gifts. You will work directly with the Executive Director to cultivate and steward your portfolio of donors, and in some circumstances, you may also be the primary solicitor. We are looking for a specialist in fundraising and development who - in partnership with local Executive Director and the VP, Field Fundraising - can independently develop and execute the strategy to acquire, cultivate, retain, and diversify your portfolio of donors  (including public and private donors).

WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

• 15% - Set vision, strategy, and plan for cultivating a portfolio of donors, incorporating input from the ED and VP, Field Fundraising with the goal of maximizing revenue to the organization as a whole 

• 50% - Manage, cultivate, steward, and solicit (when appropriate) a portfolio of donors

• 25% - Work in close partnership with the SMD and local Executive Director to build the relationships necessary to advance fundraising efforts, including local advisory board members

• 5% - Consistently maintain donor, prospect, and fundraising activity information in our customer relationship management system (CRM) and leverage this information in tracking progress, monitoring gaps, and adjusting strategy and approach 

• 5% - Steward team and organizational initiatives

A WEEK IN THE LIFE 

In a typical week, you’re balancing strategic planning with high-impact donor engagement. You might start by refining strategy for a key seven-figure prospect, aligning with the Executive Director and Senior Managing Director, Development on approach and roles, then spend time in donor meetings – deepening relationships, advancing solicitations, or stewarding recent gifts. You’ll connect with advisory board members to activate their networks, identify and qualify new prospects to strengthen your pipeline, and tailor outreach that reflects each donor’s interests and values. Throughout the week, you’re tracking progress, adjusting strategy based on insights, and ensuring every interaction moves your portfolio – and our broader fundraising goals—forward. 

YOUR EXPERIENCE

Your areas of knowledge and expertise that matter most for this role (minimum qualifications): 

Relationship Building and Management

• Highly skilled relationship builder, particularly with external high-touch prospects and donors

• Build and execute comprehensive relationship management plans across a portfolio of donors

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

Fundraising and Development 

• Specialize in best practices of development and fundraising, particularly in portfolio moves management 

• Track record of successfully navigating complex philanthropic landscapes to reach revenue goals

• Experience stewarding a diverse portfolio of donors/funders from various funding streams, particularly major individual donors

• Leverage historical local devel