Immediate Opening for Development Director

The New Press seeks an experienced and highly motivated Development Director to oversee all contributed revenue efforts. This full-time, exempt position reports to the Executive Director and is responsible for overseeing foundation grants and major gifts, as well as related development and institutional communications efforts at The New Press. The Development Director is responsible, together with the Executive Director, for creating a departmental budget and for devising and implementing strategies that will allow the department to reach its contributed revenue goals of more than $1.8 million annually. 

The Development Director supervises a two-plus-person development staff of a Manager of Foundation Relations, Development Assistant, and part-time consultant; oversees foundation giving and institutional communications; and coordinates and implements all major gift efforts, including an annual gala. The Development Director also has responsibility, together with the Executive Director and the Manager of Foundation Relations, for ensuring that the organization fulfills all terms of grant commitments.

Job Responsibilities

Supervision: The Development Director supervises a development team of the Manager of Foundation Relations, Development Assistant, and, together with the Executive Director, a development consultant and an executive editor with a dual development role. The Development Director has oversight responsibility for foundation-related fundraising. The Development Director also works closely with the Executive Editor and any other staff members involved in fundraising activities, including those staff members whose positions and/or book projects are specifically underwritten by funding.

Fundraising: 

Major Gifts - In addition to overseeing all departmental activities, including mailings, appeals and related fundraising campaigns, the Development Director has the additional responsibility of running The New Press’s major gifts program. Together with the Executive Director and other senior staff members as appropriate, the Development Director develops and implements donor cultivation activities, meets with prospects personally, and strategically deploys the Executive Director and other staff members for fundraising purposes. The Development Director plans and executes donor-related events including the annual Social Justice Awards gala, Ladies Who Play Hooky events, Freedom of Expression dinners, and a range of other outreach activities designed both to elicit gifts and to raise the profile of the organization.

Board Development and Liaison – The Development Director serves as the primary contact for The New Press Board of Directors, regularly working with the Chair on board-related activities, including fundraising strategies and initiatives directed at building board support; prospective new member cultivation; and, with the assistance of the Development Assistant, managing all Board reporting and meeting preparation.

Foundations - The Development Director works closely with the Executive Director and the Manager of Foundation Relations to set institutional fundraising strategy consistent with editorial goals and needs, helping to increase existing – and identify diverse – revenue streams to further build programmatic and organizational capacity.  The Development Director reviews all written materials prepared for grant applications and reports, helping with these as needed.

Annual Appeal – The Development Director develops and executes The New Press’s online and print annual appeal to supporters and authors.

Institutional Communications: The Development Director develops institutional communications strategies that clarify and convey The New Press’s mission and impact to diverse constituencies.The Development Director works closely with publicity, marketing, editorial and partnership staff, to build external relationships and expand opportunities for raising the visibility of The New Press, often serving as proxy for the organization at external or partner events and happenings.

Budgeting: In conjunction with the Executive Director, the Development Director establishes a fundraising budget prior to the start of each calendar year and submits this to the Finance Director for inclusion in the overall organizational budget. This budget includes contributed revenue, restricted funding, and “incremental” expenses required to fulfill the terms of grant agreements. The Development Director is responsible for weekly benchmarking against the budget, for periodic departmental reports for circulation to the full staff and board, for providing a revised forecast mid-way through each year, and for a year-end fundraising summary that ties out with the Finance Department’s accounting.

Compliance: The Development Director is expected to work collaboratively with different departments at the organization to meet all commitments to funders made in the course of fundraising. The Development Director, together with the Executive Director, has responsibility for ensuring compliance with all terms of all gifts to the organization.

Skills and Qualifications

• Significant development experience, with a focus on major gifts

• Excellent verbal, writing, and interpersonal skills

• Diplomacy and discretion

• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and deadlines

• Attention to detail, pro-activeness, and high energy level

• Familiarity with publishing is a plus

Benefits

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

The New Press is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The New Press is affiliated with the Technical, Office, and Professional (TOP) Union, Local 2110 UAW, AFL-CIO; this position is not covered in the bargaining unit.

How to Apply

Please email your resume, a cover letter, and salary requirements to careers@thenewpress.com. Please reference the title (Development Director) in the subject line. A writing sample will be required for candidates invited to interview. Submissions without a thoughtful cover letter will not be considered.