Director of Development & Partnerships

Position: Director of Development & Partnerships

Starting Salary: $125,000 - $130,000 (exempt, salaried position) plus benefits

Position Salary Range: $125,000 - $150,000

Reports To: President & CEO

Location: In-person at DSFP offices in downtown San Francisco, California

Deadline: July 9, 2025

To be considered for this position, you must send a resume, brief cover letter, and relevant work

samples to Robbie Silver, President & CEO at careers@downtownsf.org with “Development” in the

subject line. Resumes without a cover letter and work samples will not be considered.

Who We ARE

The Downtown SF Partnership (DSFP) is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing supplemental and enhanced cleaning and safety services, marketing and events, public realm improvements, and economic development to support a clean, safe, vibrant, and memorable downtown San Francisco. Founded in 2020, DSFP services 43-blocks of San Francisco’s traditional Financial District and the Jackson Square through property assessments ($4.8M/year), supplemented by grants and sponsorships ($1-2M).

DSFP’s a leading voice in reimagining downtown San Francisco as mixed-use urban environment comprised of office, entertainment, arts and culture, and hospitality uses, with emerging AI technology and venture capital firms moving into the district. Downtown San Francisco is an economic powerhouse for the city, State, and country. It is small in geographic size accounting for approximately 4% of San Francisco’s total land area but generating up to 70% of the city’s GDP.

What We’re Seeking

As the Director of Development & Partnerships, you’ll join an award-winning organization leading transformative, high-profile initiatives to revitalize downtown San Francisco. Reporting to the CEO, you’ll play a key leadership role in shaping the future of the city’s economic and civic core by building meaningful partnerships with corporate sponsors, philanthropic institutions, and civic leaders. We’re looking for a strategic, relationship-driven professional with proven fundraising experience, a collaborative mindset, and a passion for urban regeneration. You thrive in dynamic environments, are comfortable managing complex initiatives, and bring an entrepreneurial approach to building a culture of investment in downtown’s recovery.

This is an exciting opportunity to work alongside a high-performing team of professionals across planning, public realm activation, communications, and economic development — all committed to advancing the resurgence of San Francisco’s downtown.

How You Will Spend Your Time

The Director of Development & Partnerships will lead three major work streams:

1. As Lead, sponsorship sales of signature events, beginning with Let’s Glow SF.
2. As Support, project management of a capital campaign for a transformational public park revitalization.
3. Cultivate individual donors and philanthropic foundations to support placemaking and activation.

Strategic Leadership & Public Engagement (25%)

• Develop and execute a yearly individual giving, philanthropic foundation engagement, and corporate sponsor strategy and plan.
• Serve as a key thought partner to the President & CEO and Board in setting fundraising and partnership priorities.
• Track and report on fundraising performance, pipeline activity, and prospect engagement using CRM and donor management tools.
• Represent DSFP in high-profile civic settings including donor briefings, public meetings, and corporate presentations.
• Provide fundraising counsel and on-going training for board members and lead development committee/working groups.
• Lead fundraising and sponsorship messaging with the organization’s broader economic development and placemaking mission and amplify impact.
• Identify new revenue streams and support mission-aligned earned income opportunities.

Sponsorship Sales & Grants (50%)

• Build and execute a sponsorship strategy for signature events such as Let’s Glow SF, Front Street Entertainment Zone and other signature events that activate downtown.
• Identify, pitch, and secure new corporate sponsors while maintaining long-term relationships with existing partners.
• Identify, pitch, and secure philanthropic foundations and individual givers to support DSFP’s implementation of the Public Realm Action Plan.
• Submit grant proposals and create compelling pitch decks with benefit packages.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of sponsor deliverables including brand visibility, on-site activations, hospitality, and post-event reporting.
• Work closely with events, marketing, and leadership teams to ensure consistent sponsor representation and experience

Capital Campaign Project Support (25%)

• Collaborate with the CEO and outside fundraising consultant to provide support for day-to-day management for a multi-million capital campaign to revitalize a signature public park in the downtown core – Embarcadero Park.
• Manage campaign timelines, work plans, prospect pipelines, and fundraising materials.
• Coordinate donor cultivation efforts, campaign committee meetings, and strategic communications.
• Partner with executive leadership on solicitation strategy and major gifts.
• Ensure strong coordination with the project team, such as city agencies, landscape architects, campaign counsel, and internal teams.
• Track milestones across capital planning, fundraising, permitting, and community engagement.

Requirements/Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree
• 6+ years of experience in nonprofit development, capital campaign management, or sponsorship fundraising.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-million-dollar fundraising efforts or securing six-figure corporate partnerships.
• Familiarity of San Francisco-based philanthropic, corporate, and civic giving landscapes.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and confidence engaging with C-suite executives, major donors, public officials, and community stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills across written proposals, decks, and in-person presentations.
• Deep organizational and project management skills, with the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and competing priorities.
• Comfortable operating as a department of one (with administrative support and strategic guidance) with a can-do spirit and the ability to see projects through from strategy to day-to-day execution and production tasks.
• Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States.

Hours & Work Environment

Work hours are typically 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday in-person. Enthusiasm and willingness to represent DSFP during evening and weekend functions are required. work environment is highly-collaborative, fast-paced, evolving, and dynamic, offering exposure to impactful projects and decision-makers shaping downtown San Francisco.