Vice President of External Relations

Vice President of External Relations and Development, providing strategic and operational leadership for its philanthropic initiatives. The Vice President of External Relations and Development will join the Museum's Executive Team at an exciting time, as the Museum is poised to undertake an ambitious capital campaign and execute a new strategic plan. The Museum plans to diversify its revenue sources through the engagement of individuals and by increasing support from major foundations and corporate partners. The key to the Museum's success will be heightening its public image and broadening its circle of support. The successful candidate will have a full commitment to the Museum's mission, the growth of its resources through support from diverse sources, the management of capital campaigns, and the strategic advancement of its brand. The candidate must be a dynamic self-starter with the ability to provide leadership support the realization of the Museum's long-term development vision.

The Vice President will partner with the President & CEO and Board of Directors and will work closely with other members of the Executive Team to increase philanthropic support and sustain it at a level that will enable the Museum to continue to achieve its mission and vision. Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the Vice President of External Relations and Development will provide leadership and strategic oversight for the Museum's comprehensive fund development program to continue to build annual support and to ensure the success of its campaigns as well as cultivate, solicit, and steward transformational gifts to further secure the Museum's future.

The Vice President is responsible for leading the Museum's annual, capital, and endowment fund development efforts to secure financial and in-kind support from key donors and prospects at the local, regional, and national levels. The incumbent will have oversight responsibility of the fund development function and will provide leadership in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-end major individual, corporate, and foundation gifts.

Collaborating closely with the President & CEO, the Vice President will implement a comprehensive and multifaceted donor-communication and stewardship strategy ensuring donor satisfaction. The Vice President will lead the Museum-wide commitment to fully utilize technology and software systems to increase and monitor fundraising opportunities. The Vice President will work closely with the President & CEO to forecast the Museum's potential development revenue capabilities and project strategic long-range fund development plans and specific strategies to successfully secure these resources. S/he will have strong working relationships with the Board of Directors and Executive Team colleagues.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Spends approximately 60% of time cultivating high-end individual, corporate, and foundation donors and prospects; manages a portfolio of prospects and donors, with primary responsibility for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding these relationships using a high level of visibility.
• Creates, implements, and refines a Museum-wide action plan for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors and prospects that allows the Museum to actively achieve the strategic initiatives set forth in annual, capital, and endowment campaigns, along with any informal campaign plans.
• Effectively staffs the President & CEO in his role as chief fundraiser for the Museum, matching the President & CEO with the Museum's top donors and prospects in an appropriate strategy for engaging these donors and prospects in the Museum's mission and vision.
• Provides strong leadership to the Development Coordinator, Grant Manager/ Special Projects Coordinator and other development staff and volunteers, ensuring that individual responsibilities are well-defined and communicated while also encouraging a team environment. Identifies and mentors key Museum staff as development resources in presenting their areas of expertise to donors. As needed, identifies underperforming members of the Development Team staff and designs corrective strategies including corrective action plans, exit strategies, and terminations.
• In collaboration with the President & CEO, works closely with the Board of Directors, Executive Team, and Campaign leadership to identify funding priorities in order to plan and implement comprehensive campaign strategies and accomplish team goals. Establishes a communications plan to keep the Executive Team and Board of Directors current on fundraising strategies, activity, and results.
• Creates, implements, and refines audience development plans for acquiring, renewing, and upgrading donors, members and prospects with and through the Museum's software.
• Oversees special events and cultivation activities to raise funds, engage donors and partners, and build the Museum's image.
• Oversees the development of a comprehensive portfolio of communication materials for donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship support.
• Conducts business-related travel as needed.

Candidate Profile:

The Vice President of External Relations and Development will be a bold thinker and a strategic, yet "hands-on" executor, who will establish and lead a best-in-class development program. S/he will be results-oriented with exceptional strengths in communication and relationship-building. S/he will have earned a reputation for effectiveness in partnering with a CEO and Senior Executive Team and will be able to guide and lead others. The Vice President of External Relations and Development will have significant and proven leadership and management experience in a complex organization with multiple internal and external constituencies.

The ideal candidate will have the following personal competencies and characteristics:

Expertise in Development: The Vice President of External Relations and Development will be an experienced leader in the field of development with a measurable track record of success. S/he will have demonstrated expertise in the cultivation, solicitation, and closing of high-end gifts tied to a multi-year fundraising strategy, with a particular focus on capital campaigns. To succeed with her/his responsibilities, s/he will flourish in a diverse and high-achieving environment and will be energized by the prospect of leading the Development Team, designing and implementing processes, and integrating best practices. S/he will have strong data and analysis orientation and a proven ability to use metrics to drive development decisions and achieve strategic objectives.

Relationship-building and Communication: The Vice President of External Relations and Development will be skilled at building and sustaining excellent relationships at multiple levels and with varied constituencies including individuals, Board of Directors, members, administrative colleagues, donors, and volunteers. S/he will be a confident and articulate communicator with the ability to work fluidly across all levels. The Vice President of External Relations and Development will have an inspirational approach to building collaboration and buy-in and generating support from stakeholders. S/he will be a charismatic, high-energy leader who can talk with anyone and successfully convey the Museum's objectives to express the mission and fund-raising goals with clarity, passion, and persuasion. As a proactive communicator, s/he will engage with the President & CEO, Board of Directors, and the Executive Team regularly for collaborative planning and implementation.

Executing for Results: This leader will be skilled at building the Museum's reputation for high performance and accountability for results. S/he will be committed to development leadership with a broad knowledge of institutional advancement, major gift identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. S/he will utilize proven management strategies and best practices to build the Museum's Development Department, manage its staff members, measure results and report outcomes.

Brand Development: The Vice President of External Relations and Development will help the Museum build its brand and reach through the development of collateral materials, special events, and cultivation activities.

Qualifications, Skills and Abilities Required:

A bachelor's degree in fund development, business, education or related field is required. The Vice President of Development will have at least eight years of fundraising/advancement experience. Management experience is preferred.

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions:

Must be able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time operating a computer and other office productivity devices such as a calculator, telephone, and copy machine. Must be able to adapt to high pace environments occasionally moving/lifting lightweight equipment and other work-related objects up to 25lbs. May have to work late nights, weekends and in outdoor weather.

Expected hours: 37.5 per week

A bachelor's degree in fund development, business, education or related field is required. The Vice President of Development will have at least eight years of fundraising/advancement experience. Management experience is preferred.