Director of Development

The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) protects people from toxic chemicals and promotes business products and practices that are safe for public health and the environment. Our scope is national, with headquarters in Oakland and an office in New York City. CEH has a fifteen-year track record of protecting communities from the health impacts of toxic pollution and has uncovered toxic health threats to children from wood playground structures, toys, vinyl baby bibs and lunchboxes, imported candies, children's jewelry, children's medicines, and many other products.

CEH also works with major industries and leaders in green business to promote healthier alternatives to toxic products and practices. In 2010, the San Francisco Business Times bestowed its annual "Green Champion" award on CEH for its work to improve health and the environment in the Bay Area and beyond. CEH works in pursuit of a world in which all people live, work, learn, and play in healthy environments.

Position Overview:

The Center for Environmental Health seeks a skilled and experienced Director of Development to provide fundraising expertise and leadership to the organization. Serving as the senior member of the three-person CEH philanthropy team, the Director of Development will provide strategic and management leadership on all development duties, including special events, foundation funding, government/corporate partnerships, individual giving/annual fund, and major gifts.

In addition to the dedicated philanthropy team, the Director of Development will provide strong leadership for other staff who are active in development, including the Executive Director and Eastern States Director. The Director will maintain and grow the current funding of the organization as CEH enacts its new strategic plan. The ideal candidate will be a charismatic, communicative, and organized leader who excels at relationship management within a collegial, collaborative workplace, as well as externally.

The Director of Development will report to the Executive Director and serve as an active member of CEH's management team. This is an excellent position for a motivated, passionate development professional seeking to contribute to a high-impact, growing environmental organization.

Responsibilities:

The Director of Development will perform the following and other duties as assigned:

• Create, review, revise, and implement the annual and long-term development strategy for the organization, providing insight and direction on each pillar of development (individual giving/major donors, planned giving, foundations, government, corporations, and special events) and defining a strategy for ongoing growth of the donor base.
• Manage the development staff, providing leadership, feedback, performance evaluations, and additional guidance as needed.
• Manage the annual fund, overseeing donor management and stewardship.
• Play a strong leadership role in our major donors program.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and close new funder and major gift prospects.
• Develop and manage foundation relations, overseeing proposal development and grant management.
• Plan and lead funder meetings and special events, engaging other staff and board members as needed.
• Drive development-related publications such as newsletters, annual reports, fundraising appeals, and email based communications. Manage external vendors, including printers, designers, etc. Much of this work will be done in coordination with the Marketing Director.
• Oversee the management of funder/donor data and internal reporting systems.
• Serve as an articulate, enthusiastic, and visible spokesperson for the organization.
• Serve actively as a member of the management team, working collaboratively with program staff on fundraising tasks.
• Engage, train, and support the board in carrying out development tasks as appropriate.
• Support other, related organizational and program work as appropriate.

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will have the following minimum qualifications:

• 10+ years of work experience with 3+ years in a development leadership role
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field
• A commitment to the mission of the Center for Environmental Health
• Demonstrated experience and success leading a development program, or significant components of a development program
• Strong experience with major donors
• Past experience managing development professionals, ability to delegate and supervise
• Expert knowledge of current and evolving trends in philanthropy/major gifts
• Superb communications and presentation skills, ability to persuasively convey the mission of CEH to diverse groups including major donors, foundation executives, board members, and others
• Experience with annual and long-term fundraising, budgeting, strategic planning, goal setting, and performance management
• Demonstrated success partnering with board and staff leadership on development, past success "managing up"
• Expert relationship management skills and the ability to close deals
• Excellent organizational skills with past experience creating new development systems and protocols
• Charisma, an entrepreneurial spirit, and self-motivation
• Initiative, energy, creativity, a sense of humor, and a collaborative spirit
• Astute financial management skills
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and fundraising database management
• Ability to travel regularly (approximately 10 trips per year)

Compensation: The Center for Environmental Health offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience. This position will be located at the organization's headquarters in downtown Oakland, CA.

To Apply:

To be considered for this position, interested candidates must follow this link to submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and salary requirements. CEA Recruiting is assisting the Center for Environmental Health with this search. Please direct all applications and inquiries to CEA Recruiting. This position will remain open until filled.  

The Center for Environmental Health is a promoter of Equal Opportunity and encourages women, LGBT, people of color and diverse backgrounds to apply.

CEA Recruiting works with leading environmental nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to recruit top talent and design effective organizational staffing strategies. For more information, visit CEA.