Director of Development - Roland Park Country School

Roland Park Country School is an independent, college preparatory, school for girls in Grades K-12, with a coed preschool for children 6 weeks through 5 years. Founded over 100 years ago, Roland Park Country School cultivates creativity, independence of thought, tenacity of purpose, self-discipline, and emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being in our students. We maintain high academic standards, uphold tradition, and promote innovation. We nurture a cooperative, resilient spirit within an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. In a diverse, inclusive, and joyful community, Roland Park Country School strives to instill in its students a lifelong love of learning, as well as the responsibility to look within and beyond themselves to contribute to and serve as stewards and leaders of their communities.

With more than 580 students, we are a school under one roof on a beautiful campus in the historic Roland park neighborhood of Baltimore, MD. The school has an operating budget of $23 million and an endowment of $75 million. Our annual fund contributes approximately $1.45 million to our operating budget. Having finished a successful $15 million campaign in 2021, the school is at an exciting point in time and about to launch a new five-year strategic plan. The goal of the Development Office is to continue to grow and develop our culture of philanthropy and cultivate meaningful relationships within our school community as we look to prepare for our next capital campaign.

Director of Development

The Director of Development will report to the Assistant Head of School for Strategic Finance and Advancement to support the School's mission, values, and goals while growing the culture of philanthropy. The Director of Development will be the day-to-day leader of the Development Office and will design and implement a strategic and comprehensive plan that will enhance parent and alumnae engagement, increase major and annual giving, and improve donor stewardship and relations. In addition to managing two direct reports, the Director of Development will collaborate with and oversee the entire Development Office team of six.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Assistant Head of School for Strategic Finance and Advancement to strategize, design and implement the School's advancement priorities and goals. Establish structured metrics and other systems to measure progress toward team and individual goals.
• Create and execute development initiatives to grow annual, major, endowment and planned gifts.
• Lead day-to-day activities of the Development Office; run weekly staff meetings; manage the Development Office budget.
• Supervise and collaborate with the Development Office staff, encourage professional development and provide regular performance reviews.
• Work with the business office and advancement services to develop, document and ensure policies and procedures are implemented correctly and consistently.
• Work closely with the Director of Annual Giving to ensure that the school meets or exceeds its annual fund goals.
• Work closely with the Director of Alumnae and Parent Engagement to grow and continue to develop ties with alumnae, parents of alumnae, current parents and friends of RPCS.
• Work with the Development Office and the Events Manager to develop and implement strategies for fundraising events and donor and stewardship events.
• Maintain responsibility for a portfolio of leadership, major and planned giving prospects; create strategies to cultivate, solicit and steward them.
• Develop and direct an effective donor relations and stewardship program that promotes consistent recognition of donors and provides timely endowment reports; also work with the Director of Communications to produce of our annual report, Illuminations and our annual community magazine, Connections.
• Manage the planned giving program to include marketing, conducting research to find prospects, stewarding planned giving donors and cultivating and closing new planned gifts.
• Maintain and revise as nessecary office policies and procedures for gift entry, including the school's gift acceptance policy.
• Evaluate technology solutions that align with our development initiatives and goals.
• Support the Head of School, Board of Trustee members, and volunteers in preparation for donor visits and fundraising efforts.
• Interface regularly with the business office to ensure accurate gift, financial and endowment reporting.

Minimum Qualifications

• A minimum of 8 years of experience required in the development field
• Bachelor's degree required
• An experienced and talented fundraiser with demonstrated ability to personally and effectively identify, cultivate, and close gifts from annual, planned and major gift prospects
• 3-5 years of strong management and supervisory experience
• Goal and results-oriented
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively within a team environment
• Demonstrated ability to create fundraising programs that align with fundraising goals
• Detailed oriented and strong analytical skills
• Highly skilled in Raiser's Edge, as well as Google Suite and Microsoft products, especially Excel
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, and the ability to be effective in communicating and engaging with internal and external constituents
• Commitment to single-sex independent school education
• Experience partnering with and leading volunteer programs
• Strong time management skills, with a proven ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to work evenings, weekends and travel local and overnight

  Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in an independent school
• Master's degree in marketing or business
• Experience with cultivating and soliciting gifts in a capital or comprehensive campaign

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• Requires ability to sit at a desk and use standard office equipment, such as computer and phone, for prolonged periods.
• Must be able to ascend/descend stairs in an office building.
• Ability to turn, bend, reach, squat, push, pull, and occasionally lift up to 25lbs.
• Occasionally work outdoors.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation dependent on experience. RPCS offers competitive salaries and an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, disability insurance, a generous retirement program, and paid time off.

Interested Persons Contact:

Jonathan K. Ball

Managing Associate

Carney, Sandoe & Associates

617-933-3450 (dir.)

jball@carneysandoe.com

All inquiries and nominations are kept confidential.

RPCS is an equal opportunity employer. The School is committed to equal employment opportunities in all employment practices and decisions including but not limited to: recruitment, hiring, promotion, training, compensation, and disciplinary action. RPCS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, familial status, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition resulting from pregnancy or childbirth, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law ("Protected Categories").