Senior Director of Development

Ascend seeks a Senior Director of Development (DoD) to help support and lead Ascend’s plans for philanthropic support. This is a unique opportunity for a seasoned, knowledgeable and innovative fundraising leader to serve as an active member of the Advancement team, who can support in building and execute a fund development strategy to meet current and future opportunities for the organization. Ascend has built and launched their first multi-year development strategy and campaign. The DoD will be charged with amplifying revenue generation and enhancing brand visibility to achieve Ascend's multi-year fundraising plan and goals. The DoD will support the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in fostering and cultivating constituent relationships (both public and private) to convert prospects into champions and investors.

Responsibilities

• Advise the Chief Advancement Officer on the NYC Charter landscape
• Assist with analyzing the New York City funder landscape and conduct relevant, actionable prospect research
• Provide ownership and primary oversight of pipeline and Moves Management process for individual and private institutional prospects and donors
• Facilitate introductions to prospective or potential individual and institutional supporters for both the Chief Advancement Officer and the Chief Executive Officer
• Lead and manage production and submission of grant proposals and reports for private foundations
• Support with connecting Ascend Network stories to funding priorities and advancement strategy
• Liaise with the Ascend Network to identify unique funding opportunities, gathering input, data, and feedback from relevant Schools-based stakeholders
• Other duties related to building the Advancement function, as assigned

Ascend Staff and Reporting Relationships

The Senior Director of Development reports to the Chief Advancement Officer and works closely with the Chief Executive Officer.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Master’s degree in education preferred
• A minimum of five years in a leadership position in a complex organization; proven leadership skills including ability to attract, develop, and inspire engagement from a team
• Experience developing and executing short- and long‐term strategic plans for a core organization area

Skills and Traits

The Senior Director of Development must demonstrate:

• Passion and commitment to education and Ascend’s ultimate goal of closing the achievement gap
• Keen insight and strategic mindset for designing and executing a fundraising plan and outreach campaigns to prospective donors and partners
• Superb organizational, project management, self-management, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to proceed in the absence of clear and immediate answers to problems
• Strong leadership and management skills, including the ability to motivate and lead teams in fast-paced, high-stakes projects
• Superior analytical skills and comfort with data
• Excellent collaborative and communication skills
• A hunger for feedback and an openness to engage in a process of self- improvement
• Alignment with the educational philosophy and core beliefs of Ascend Learning