Saint Ignatius College Prep

Job Description

Job Title: Chief Development Officer

Status: Exempt, Full-Time

Reports to: President

Summary: The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is responsible for building and leading the team responsible for advancement of the school in the areas of development, alumni, marketing/communications, and public relations. The CDO is a key member of the President's leadership team and ensures best practices are in place that effectively and efficiently advance the mission, values, and strategic goals of the school through collaborative efforts of the department.

The CDO plays a critical role in stewarding the extraordinary philanthropic support the school has been blessed to receive in recent years. With the support of the President, the CDO will implement a multi-level advancement plan that will include alumni, corporate and business, foundation, endowment, special event, and direct engagement efforts.

The CDO is responsible for strengthening and diversifying the school's funding in an effort to make the school more accessible. Working with the President, the CDO will lead the team responsible for raising awareness and accessibility of Saint Ignatius College Prep and the vital role the school plays in serving the ambitious students and families throughout the greater Chicagoland area and beyond.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Manages the smooth functioning of the development office; provides supervision, leadership, and guidance to the department; reviews and evaluates performance of the department members; and reviews the schedule for development, information systems, and publications and communications staff.
• Provides the President with annual and long-range plans for areas including but not limited to the annual fund, major gifts, alumni relations, planned giving, donor recognition, donor research, and corporate and foundation relations.
• Cultivates and solicits major gifts from alumni, parents, and friends of the school.
• Assigns major benefactors and donor prospects to staff members; reviews cultivation and stewardship strategies.
• Works with trustees to coordinate their involvement in solicitation and acknowledgement of major gifts.
• Helps in school administrative issues such as compensation discussions with employees.
• Serves as the school's liaison on the development and building grounds committees of the board of trustees.
• Oversees community relations with such entities as the neighborhood, the University of Illinois, and City Hall.
• Works with the other principal officers of the school to support the president "of counsel" with them in the administration of the school.
• Acts as the key person in the design process for the rest of the school's improvements in order to sustain the interest of major benefactors.
  
  

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Practicing Catholic in full communion with the Church; appreciation and understanding for Jesuit education
• Bachelor's degree in business, leadership, or other relevant field is preferred
• Successful experience or demonstrated talent in institutional advancement/development and operations management.
• Experience in sound fiscal, facilities, enrollment, and fund-raising management and in effectively leading people in a variety of teams.
• Proven visionary with demonstrated success in addressing immediate school community or similar community needs and long-term goals.
• Experience in strategic planning and implementation.
• Experience in donor cultivation and oversight of a variety of programs and operations.
• Success-centered capabilities for leading advancement and administrative staff in support of students and the campus community, fueled by the desire, energy and professionalism to lead a Jesuit Catholic school with a reputation for excellence.
• Ability to be proactive and resourceful in problem solving in compliance with school policies and stewardship expectations.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and public speaking skills helpful in building relationships that inspire crucial support in the school's philanthropic initiatives.
• Accessible and approachable leadership style while being extremely visible and interactive on campus, at school events, and off-campus functions representing the school.
• Ability to establish rapport and trust with a campus community, board of trustees, parents, alumni/ae communities, and local community partners.
  
  

(NOTE: This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, Administration reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change (e.g. emergencies, changes in personnel workload, or technological developments. Salaried employees are expected to work 40-55 hours weekly with a typical work schedule and events).