Chief Development Officer

Chief Development Officer - Full Time

Amara is committed to positive long-term outcomes for children and families. We drive systemic change, promote healing, and advance racial and LGBTQIA+ equity by offering programs and services to families engaged in the child welfare system.

At Amara, we believe that a supportive, equitable and inclusive workplace, where everyone feels valued, trusted, and nurtured, is key to shaping organizational culture and investing in underrepresented communities. Amara believes that a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture enhances our ability to fulfill our mission. We strongly invite candidates from diverse backgrounds, including communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.

Position Summary

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) provides overall vision, leadership, and strategic direction for Amara’s development programs and external relations. This position reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and oversees a team of fundraising, communications, and external relations professionals. The Chief Development Officer serves as an essential member of the senior leadership team. Peer relationships include the Chief Program and Policy Officer and the Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Development Officer will be responsible for spearheading and maintaining a comprehensive fundraising program that includes strategic revenue diversification. The Chief Development Officer oversees all of Amara’s fundraising activities including cultivating and securing a mix of annual, major, event, and planned gifts along with corporate, foundation, and public funding. The Chief Development Officer will work collaboratively with staff, Amara’s Governance Board, Amara’s Ambassador Board, and regional advisory boards to implement Amara’s strategic fundraising plan. The Chief Development Officer also oversees Amara’s external communications & volunteer program.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the following satisfactorily; other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Fundraising and Donor Engagement Duties

Lead, manage and motivate the development team to meet and exceed engagement and fundraising goals.

Build a robust fundraising strategy with clearly defined revenue goals and a diverse mix of giving that advances the strategic objectives of the organization.

Provide direction and oversight to any campaign including serving as primary manager and supporting the Board of Directors, Advisory Councils, Campaign Steering Committee (if any), and other staff and volunteers.

Managing a portfolio of 50-75 gift prospects and donors and supporting staff with assigned portfolios in maintain regular contact with donors and prospective donors to maintain engagement at appropriate giving level and moving prospects toward solicitation.

Support the CEO in relationship building, solicitation, and stewardship of key Amara donors and funders.

Through their own portfolio and through staff they supervise, work towards identifying, cultivating, and soliciting prospects, as well as stewarding those who have already made commitments to Amara.

Manage the department’s budget for strong return on investment.

Design, produce and manage the fundraising and stewardship efforts for Amara’s fundraising events.

Continue to engage program staff in donor cultivation and stewardship to bring the experiences of Amara’s work to donors.

Provide leadership and appropriate staffing to the board, councils, and committees, and any other assigned groups, and task forces as needed.

Establish ethical and clear policies and procedures to support relationship-based fundraising.

Create regular reports that reflect the status of giving activities, trends, and opportunities.

Develop and maintain positive, collaborative working relationships with Amara’s staff, board, and volunteers.

Communications, Marketing, and Volunteer Engagement (In partnership with the Director of Development and Communications):

Leads responsible staff in their department to sustain and slowly scale the recruitment and retention of volunteers balancing organizational needs, programmatic needs, community support needs, and stewardship of those stakeholders interested in Amara’s mission. Makes a determination in partnership with the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Program and Policy Officer, and other pertinent staff as to appropriate volunteer engagement strategies.

Lead the creation and implementation of Amara’s communications strategy to elevate Amara’s profile across multiple platforms, including content creation for a variety of sources like the e-newsletter, website, social media channels.

Develop and implement a system to capture donors, program, and client stories (written or visual). Set policy and support staff in adhering to policies related to ethical standards of storytelling.

Direct the development and distribution of external facing collateral materials.

Through staff create and maintain relationships with local and regional media outlets and support staff in proactively seeking new opportunities to amplify Amara’s work and mission that lead to new partnerships, resources, and/or visibility, including through press releases, speaking opportunities, and other promotional opportunities.

Ensure quality and consistency across all external communication in relation to Amara’s outcomes and impact.

Strategic Leadership

As a senior leadership team member, this position plays a key role in the development and ongoing promotion of Amara’s mission, vision, philosophy, and culture.

Work closely with the Chief Executive Officer and senior leaders to develop and implement strategic plans and goals that support the organization’s mission and vision.

Support the leadership of the Finance Committee and any additional committees to which this role is assigned as either a liaison or a co-liaison.

Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following.

A demeanor that exudes confidence and care for others.

A leader who builds enduring relationships and leads with a thoughtful, positive, loyal, and strategic presence.

A leader who displays a visionary and entrepreneurial spirit, someone who will not only see existing relationships but imagine the stakeholders that we might engage as we grow, build, and scale.

A leader with a respectful and accessible leadership style who is comfortable with situations of ambiguity and able to relate to a wide range of supporters and constituencies.

A highly competent team player who is energized by the mission, and who is caring, honest and open.

A team player oriented toward the greater good of Amara and its overall strategic direction and who can partner with other senior leaders to vision and develop growth and sustainability strategies.

Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

5-7+ years of experience building successful fundraising programs that include managing high performing teams.

Proven drive and achievement in the successful solicitation of six- or seven-figure major gifts.

Innovative thinker with a track record of translating strategic thinking into concrete action plans and results.

3+ years of experience directing external stakeholder relations.

3+ years of experience overseeing organization-wide communications, including the ability to translate strategic thinking into concrete action plans and results.

5+ years of experience supervising and mentoring a team of no fewer than 3 individuals.

Outstanding verbal and written communication skills and the ability to lead group meetings.

Ability to lead with initiative, discretion, maturity, flexibility, and independent judgement.

Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the various cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients and staff

Demonstrated leadership in promoting advancement and development of diversity.

Strong decision-making skills, including critical thinking skills. Demonstrated ability to think globally.

Cross-cultural competence relative to age, religion, race, culture, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) credential preferred.

Education: BA degree in related field or 10+ years of experience in a similar role for an organization of a similar size and scope.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Direct supervision of Director of Development and Communications, Donor Relations Officer, and Corporate and Foundations Relations Officer. Responsibilities include recruitment, retention, hiring, orientation, supervision, evaluation, and promotion.

Criminal Background Check

Amara conducts background checks appropriate to the contractual requirements of the position. A previous conviction will not necessarily bar individuals from employment at Amara.

Specific clearance requirements can be discussed with the Hiring Manager or Human Resources.

Vaccination Requirement:

Amara requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This requirement is designed to prioritize the safety of the children and families we serve. Exemptions may be sought only for documented medical or religious accommodation.

Salary and Benefits

This is a full-time position with an annual rate of pay between $125,000-$150,000 depending on experience. Generous personal leave and benefits package, including paid time off, paid sabbatical, health, vision and dental insurance, 401k with a company match, life, and disability insurance. Amara supports a hybrid work schedule with some flexibility to work from home. Occasional travel between our King and Pierce County offices will be required.

To Apply

To express your interest in this position, please send your resume and a one-page cover letter indicating why this position is the right opportunity for you in Smart Recruiters. https://smrtr.io/hNLcc

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Amara is an Equal Opportunity Empl