Development Director

Role Overview:

The Director of Development is a senior leadership role and a key member of TMS's executive team. This individual will own and drive the organization's fundraising strategy, managing a diverse portfolio that includes individual giving, major donor cultivation, grant writing, and industry partnerships. The right candidate brings both the strategic vision to build a sustainable development program and the hands-on drive to execute it.

The Director of Development will bring fresh thinking, entrepreneurial energy, and a genuine appetite for trying new approaches to donor engagement, storytelling, and revenue growth.

Equally important is the ability to connect with people. Our donor community includes patients living with mast cell disease, family caregivers, and individuals who have lost loved ones to these conditions. The Director of Development must be able to communicate with genuine warmth and sensitivity across all of these relationships -- meeting people where they are emotionally while still advancing the mission of the organization. This position reports directly to the Executive Director.

Core Functions & Responsibilities

• Individual Giving & Major Donors
  • Develop and manage a robust individual giving program, including annual fund appeals, recurring giving, peer-to-peer fundraising, and legacy/planned giving initiatives
  • Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors.
  • Build authentic, long-term relationships with donors by maintaining consistent, personalized communication
  • Leverage Little Green Light (LGL) to manage donor records, track interactions, and produce accurate fundraising reports
  • Design and execute donor recognition strategies that reflect TMS's vision, mission, and core values.

• Grant Writing & Management
  • Research, identify, and pursue grant opportunities from foundations, government sources, and other funders aligned with TMS's mission
  • Write compelling, well-researched grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and supporting documents
  • Manage all aspects of the grant lifecycle, from prospecting through reporting and renewal
  • Maintain a grant calendar to ensure timely submissions and compliance with funder requirements

• Industry Partnerships
  • Cultivate and manage relationships with pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare industry partners
  • Develop sponsorship packages and partnership agreements that align organizational needs with partner goals
  • Draw on existing relationships or prior experience with pharmaceutical and biotech partners to accelerate TMS's industry engagement strategy
  • Identify new industry partnership opportunities and serve as a primary point of contact for new corporate supporters
  • Ensure all industry relationships comply with organizational policies and maintain donor intent

• Fundraising Operations & Strategy
  • Bring a proactive, entrepreneurial mindset to fundraising -- regularly proposing and piloting new ideas for donor engagement, campaign strategy, and revenue diversification rather than waiting to be directed
  • Use Donately and PledgeIt to manage online giving campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising, and donation processing
  • Set annual fundraising goals in collaboration with the Executive Director, and track progress against benchmarks
  • Prepare regular development reports and present updates to leadership and the board
  • Stay current on trends in nonprofit fundraising, rare disease philanthropy, and donor engagement best practices
  • Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director

This role grants a lot of flexibility but also may require working outside traditional business hours. Occasional weekend and evening hours will be necessary to meet the needs of the organization. Occasional travel will be necessary as well and could take place over weekends.

Qualifications

• Required:
  • 7+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience, with a demonstrated track record of securing major gifts and grants
  • Proven ability to build and manage donor portfolios and industry/corporate partnerships
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with strong grant writing ability
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate with empathy and emotional intelligence across diverse constituencies, including patients, caregivers, and grieving families
  • Experience with donor management and fundraising platforms (Little Green Light and Donately experience strongly preferred)
  • Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines independently in a remote environment
  • Genuine passion for patient advocacy and rare disease missions
  • Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or CFRE certification a plus

• Preferred
  • Prior development or partnership experience working directly with pharmaceutical or biotech companies, including navigating compliance considerations specific to industry-nonprofit relationships
  • Personal or professional connections to rare diseases or chronic illness, whether as a patient, caregiver, or advocate, is considered a meaningful asset
  • Experience working within a small nonprofit or startup-stage organization where versatility is essential
  • Familiarity with the health nonprofit landscape, in rare disease or patient advocacy is an added plus.
  • Experience in sales or business development, with a relationship-driven approach

The Mast Cell Disease Society employs a job classification policy that includes starting competency levels and salary bands. To advance equity, we have a no-negotiation policy on starting salaries for our positions. Offers are based on placement in our job classification system. We will always make our best offer.

The annual salary for this position is $80,000-$85,000, commensurate with experience.

The Mast Cell Disease Society is an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We value diversity and inclusion and strive to create a welcoming and supportive work environment for all team members.

Join us in making a difference in the lives of mast cell disease patients and their families. Together, we can give our community hope for a healthier tomorrow.

The Mast Cell Disease Society employs a job classification policy that includes starting competency levels and salary bands. To advance equity, we have a no-negotiation policy on starting salaries for our positions. Offers are based on placement in our job classification system. We will always make our best offer.

The annual salary for this position is $80,000-$85,000, commensurate with experience.

We also offer the following benefits:

• a monthly contribution into an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Account (ICHRA)
• 4 weeks of paid time off, 12 paid holidays
• a $30/ month cell phone service reimbursement
• a fully remote work environment with flexible work schedules, to the extent possible
• The opportunity to make a direct, meaningful impact on the lives of mast cell disease patients and their families
• A collaborative, mission-driven team culture