Director of Development

Job Posting: Development Director

Location: Currently remote, will be based in our Harlem, USA office

Status: Full-time/Overtime Exempt

Salary: $100,000 per year plus health benefits, generous paid time off, and professional development opportunities

Reports to: CEO

National Black Theatre invites an experienced and highly-motivated storyteller to champion the efforts of a Black performing arts space in its sixth decade. This position will oversee year-round donor relations and day-to-day development operations, including grants administration, with support from our growing team of development staff and supplemental consultants. They will serve as a key liaison with core stakeholders and play an influential role in shaping organizational growth. The ideal candidate will be a charismatic project manager whose stellar communication skills allows for flawless transitions between major donor cultivations and team huddles. Long term visioning, design, and execution are a must. 

The position will join the executive team, which currently includes the CEO, Executive Artistic Director, and Chief Operating Officer. The Director will join NBT’s time at a critical juncture, and will be the conductor of executing a comprehensive fundraising plan for contributed income that supports NBT’s growth—fit for its new building. The budget is expected to grow from approximately $1.7M to $5M over the next few years. 

Institutionally, NBT is excited to welcome this position to its staff, and we are looking for someone eager to chart the course for NBT’s fundraising approach in order to extend our artistic reach for years to come. Our priorities, which we hope will become the director’s priorities, include: 

maintaining and growing our roster of foundation funding  creating a strategy to cultivate and steward a pipeline of individual donors  with the CEO, reinvigorating NBT’s board of directors 

Key Responsibilities: 

Leadership & Supervision

Manage strategic operations of the development team, including budgeting, contracting, calendar planning, and supervising staff, consultants, and interns Work closely with the CEO and senior leadership to design and implement a robust fundraising plan with measurable objectives for institutional advancement Steward growing portfolio of active and prospective stakeholders, including individual donors, corporate and foundation funders, board members, and industry partners who will contribute to both the ongoing Capital Campaign as well as the annual fund 

Funder Relations

With executive leadership and development staff, year-round drive individual giving activities, including prospect research, moves management, and stewardship Plan and produce quarterly touchpoints and campaigns, including cultivation and fundraising events, personal follow-up, and multi-channel direct appeals Work closely with the marketing and communications team to produce consistent and compelling stakeholder collateral, including invitations, newsletters, and campaign assets

Operations & Administration

Oversee day-to-day grants administration and ensure timelines and expectations are clearly communicated with consultants and program staff With Development Manager, manage and maintain Donor Database, including ensuring clean and updated data, regular reporting to lead sound financial and fundraising decisions, and ensure data remains clean and consistent across constituencies Work across the organization to amplify institutional storytelling, with an eye to improve workflows and information management, and overall increasing NBT’s pool of supporters

Qualifications Include: 

Deep appreciation for the mission of NBT, and a core understanding of its significance in the Black arts space, and the NYC arts ecosystem Demonstrated ability to build, cultivate, and sustain relationships over time Supervisory and mentorship experience—someone who can lead and train up a team A self-starter who is independently motivated to take initiative Excellent persuasive writing and editing skills, as well as keen attention to detail Timely and proficient management of routine development team processes such as: prospect research, smooth staff transitions, timely acknowledgment letters, calendar of events

Familiarity with: 

Project management programs (we use Wrike) Cloud-based productivity programs (we use Google Suite, Dropbox) Presentation platforms  Database management 

Classification and Salary: 

This is a full-time, exempt position with an annual salary in the range of $100K, commensurate with experience. NBT’s comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, and disability coverage, paid time off and public holidays, a 401(k) retirement plan with employer contributions, and wellness fund. 

The position is headquartered in Harlem, USA but will be remote until further notice and pending health and safety protocols during the global pandemic. NBT is open to candidates who are not currently based in New York City, provided they can be on site for donor meetings, events and performances as needed.