Senior Director, Development

Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee

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Job Summary

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

Junior Achievement: Empowering young people to own their economic success®

Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee inspires and prepares young people to succeed in the global economy.  We engage and equip students with the resources to make a connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the real world.  We do this by enhancing the relevance of their classroom learning and increasing their understanding of the value of staying in school.  Through our programs, our volunteers also motivate students to foster the belief in self that allows them to realize their potential.

The Nashville & Middle Tennessee area is seeing continued growth and opportunity – and Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee is committed to ensuring this opportunity is available and accessible for each of the 400,000 students in Middle Tennessee.  Pre COVID, JA of Middle Tennessee served almost 40,000 students annually with their relevant, hands-on learning experiences. With the launch of JA Finance Park this school year, we are looking to add an additional 10,000 students through this program once we reach capacity.

National Network:  Junior Achievement has over 100 local JA Areas across the nation, and together we are the nation's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their futures, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA's programs—in the core content areas of work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy—ignite the spark in young people to experience and realize the opportunities and realities of work and life in the 21st century.

OPPORTUNITY

Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed.  Our JA Team and Volunteers help build the confidence and knowledge base to encourage every student to dream big and take control of their future.  As we emerge from the impacts Covid-19 had on education and our students, the work of Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee is more important than ever and we are uniquely positioned to serve the youth in our communities. There are currently over 400,000 students in Middle Tennessee, and the Senior Director of Development will be instrumental in shaping how the organization moves forward financially and expands, effectively increasing the number of young lives impacted for years to come.  With expanded funds, we can bridge gaps to inclusion and expand access to education and community volunteers and in doing so, support more students and families to own their economic future.

Supported by great leadership, an involved Board, and a national network, this development leader will utilize their fundraising skills to help Junior Achievement Middle TN achieve their goals to reach many thousands more students across Middle Tennessee. This is a chance for a passionate development professional to lead and grow a development program and contribute to building a better community for our youth and empowering the next generation.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

We at Junior Achievement are dedicated to providing a positive, enriching learning experience free of bias that promotes greater economic opportunity and equity. Junior Achievement welcomes K-12 students, volunteers, educators, staff, and other partners and stakeholders, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or any other legally protected characteristic.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Director of Development will have a strategic role in engaging Middle Tennessee’s growing business community by raising the revenue to enable programming to expand both in the classroom and through our Capstone Programs: JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. Reporting to the President, this new role will serve on the leadership team and work in collaboration with the entire Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee team to elevate the fundraising program and expand revenue sources, allowing JA of Middle Tennessee to deepen key partnerships and provide experiential programming to an increasing percentage of our youth.

As a key member of the senior management team the Senior Director of Development leads the development of strategic partnerships supporting the organization’s long-term strategies around

growth, learning outcomes, and financial stability. The Senior Director oversees the entire development operation for the Middle Tennessee office including but not limited to annual campaign, major gifts, general giving and special projects. The position develops and executes a board individual giving campaign, provides timely and accurate reports to the President and the Board of Directors regarding the progress of all fund raising activities, and handles all interdepartmental cooperative efforts involving development. This position is also responsible for acknowledgement, stewardship and donor recognition for the organization. The Senior Director of Development directs the development department efforts in alignment with organizational strategic plan goals.

Job Responsibilities

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• The experienced candidate is strategic and a sales-oriented individual, who has a keen understanding of best practices in fundraising, a proven track record of securing individual and corporate major and annual gifts, as well as event experience.
• In collaboration with the senior leadership team, develops fundraising goals for campaigns and yearly revenue and assures that the dollar goal for all fundraising activities is met.
• Develops and implements strategies to identify, cultivate and solicit individuals, foundations and organizations whose philanthropic interests are similar to Junior Achievement.
• Coordinates with Staff and Board on their roles in donor engagement plans and timelines. 
• Provides timely and accurate reports to the President, Board of Directors and appropriate committees on progress of all fundraising and stewardship activities.
• Develops budget for all development related activities. Manages Development department records in line with organizational standards and objectives. Develops a yearly calendar that includes timetables, procedures and responsibilities to be accomplished.
• Collaborates with the Senior Director of Programs/Operations and Special Events Manager to ensure special event and fee for service financial goals are met.
• Collaborates with the Senior Director of Programs/Operations and Special Events Manager to ensure effective and accurate use of Constituent Management System (BCRM) for accounting, fundraising, reporting and other department needs.
• Develops and oversees donor acknowledgement and stewardship plan to ensure partners are recognized in a timely manner.
• Serves as administrative staff liaison to the Fundraising & Board Development Committee to ensure meetings and materials required by the President and Board Committees meet organizational goals.
• Serves as staff leadership to Junior Achievement Associate Board.
• Dotted line management role with President to support efforts of Events and Marketing Manager.

Qualifications

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Required: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Seven years of experience in development. Proven history of successful fundraising abilities. Ability to manage multiple priorities. Self-starter. Strong interpersonal and oral/written communication skills. Staff development and leadership skills. Computer literacy.

 Desired: CFRE certification. Master’s degree or other advanced work.

This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job related duties required by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an "at-will" relationship.

 

Additional Information

Benefits

How to Apply

Junior Achievement of Middle TN has retained the services of ThinkingAhead Executive Search. Interested applicants should send a resume and statement of interest to Chris Spagnola, Partner: cspagnola@thinkingahead.com or Heather Campbell, Senior Recruiter: hcampbell@thinkingahead.com.

 

Contact Information

Chris Spagnola

Partner

ThinkingAhead Executive Search

T: 615-316-5436

E: cspagnola@thinkingahead.com

 

Heather Campbell

Senior Recruiter

ThinkingAhead Executive Search

T: 615-316-7089

E: hcampbell@thinkingahead.com

Details

• Date Posted: June 7, 2022
• Type: Full-Time
• Job Function: Fundraising / Revenue Development
• Service Area: Children / Youth