Director of Development (Chicago)

Compensation is based on experience and the posted range includes both base salary and a bonus opportunity.

Students who attend Chicago Jesuit Academy (CJA) will be the next generation of leaders in the City of Chicago. Talented people who wish to be employed by Chicago Jesuit Academy must demonstrate a past and continued commitment to academic excellence, professional development and the Jesuit ideal of being people for others. Strong candidates are disciplined workers, compassionate listeners and tireless advocates for the children they serve. Most importantly, they recognize that Chicago Jesuit Academy will ask them to approach their work as a vocation and make substantial contributions of their time and talents in the service of the students, alumni and families of CJA.

Reporting to the Vice President of Development, the Director of Development plays a critical role in the strength, effectiveness, and sustainability of the organization’s fundraising efforts with a strong emphasis on managing and developing the team. They are a strong leader who understands and is passionate about the mission of Chicago Jesuit Academy and is willing to creatively ideate and collaborate to grow the level of support currently in place across the CJA community. They partner with the Vice President of Development, President and other leadership to cultivate and accompany team members to raise over $14 million annually through stewardship, new business development, communications, events and operations, while also contributing to strategic planning and creative initiatives to ensure effectiveness of the Development team.

Essential functions:

• Lead, manage, and develop a team of Major Gift Officers, supporting their effectiveness in cultivation and stewardship strategies to sustain and grow meaningful benefactor relationships, generate new business, and consistently meet or exceed annual fundraising goals
• Support VP of Development and President in strategic planning to meet annual goals and shape long-term progress of the department, proactively identifying and implementing improvements to strategy and practice
• Support team best practices for efficient and effective use of database and team-wide project management in partnership with Development Operations Manager
• Guide strategy and execution of donor cultivation through annual communications and events, ensuring alignment to fundraising goals and centering of a personalized, thoughtful donor experience
• Lead and formalize Development Team fundraising roles, responsibilities, and processes, including onboarding plans, performance evaluation, and ongoing professional development to strengthen team effectiveness
• Collaborate with the VP of Development to recruit, hire, and retain top talent, ensuring a focus on thoughtfully shaping and evolving the team to best support our work and long-term growth
• Cultivate and steward a portfolio of major donors, building meaningful relationships, identifying new prospects, and driving institutional support toward achieving annual fundraising goals
• Serve as a senior leader and culture bearer for the Development Team, modeling and reinforcing the highest values, standards, and expectations of the fundraising function of the organization as well as the broader CJA community

The ideal candidate should:

• Have a sincere commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion with a belief that all children deserve equitable access to a high-quality education
• Possess impeccable attention to detail and accuracy and strong organizational and project management skills
• Exhibit credibility and professionalism when presenting materials to external audiences and demonstrate experience and confidence in stewarding donor relationships and resources
• Possess strong written and oral communication skills including the ability to support team communication to donors in a clear and concise manner
• Possess strong relationship-building skills including the ability to navigate challenging conversations across lines of difference and to listen sincerely and effectively
• Have a strong understanding of data utilization and management for strategic fundraising operations and decision making
• Possess a professional and resourceful style including an ability to work independently and as a team player, to take initiative and to manage multiple tasks and projects at a time
• Actively engage in the life of the school and larger CJA community
• Climb over, dig under or go through obstacles that would otherwise keep CJA students, alumni and families from having the resources they need to navigate a path out of material poverty
• Expect to execute other duties as assigned. This position occasionally requires non-traditional work hours to run evening or weekend events and best support our team’s success

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5+ years professional experience and demonstrated success in nonprofit organization, business development, direct sales or a related function
• 2+ years experience managing others and fostering individual growth, strengthening performance and creating a positive, supportive and collaborative environment
• Experience utilizing Salesforce or a similar fundraising database
• All candidates must submit a resume AND cover letter to complete an application for this role.
• This is a full-time, largely on-site and in-person role.
• All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

Salary and Compensation:

• $75K-$90K (includes base salary and bonus potential)
• Employee benefits include:
• 403(b) & 403(b) employer match
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Chicago Jesuit Academy Mission Statement

Mission: Chicago Jesuit Academy is a loving and academically rigorous tuition-free Catholic elementary school for students and families from resilient communities impacted by historical disinvestment. We accompany our students and alumni from enrollment through the start of their careers as they develop their gifts and grow as men and women for others.

Means: Located in Austin on Chicago’s West Side, CJA admits students to all grades in our lower and middle school without regard for their race, ethnicity or religion, and CJA enrolls 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-grade students without regard for their past levels of academic achievement.

We use small class sizes, extended school days and an 11-month school year to give personal care to our students and help them develop as whole persons.

We accompany our alumni on their unique paths to meaningful employment and support them throughout high school, their post-secondary education and the start of their careers, always welcoming them back as leaders at CJA and in the broader community.

CJA students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, volunteers and benefactors listen to and learn from one another and make disciplined sacrifices to accomplish our shared mission.

We partner with other schools and the broader community to create access to better educational resources, confront systemic racism and remove obstacles to educational equity.

We call one another to find God in all things and be men and women for others who are open to growth, loving, religious, seeking intellectual excellence and committed to doing justice.

Chicago Jesuit Academy, in accordance with our Jesuit tradition, is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs and activities, without regard to an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex , gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristic or military status. Employees, students, applicants or other members of the CJA community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law, or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected identity.