California Chief Development Officer

The California Chief Development Officer (CDO) leads California staff in planning and implementing a comprehensive development program that secures significant philanthropic resources from California foundations, corporations, and individuals to support the Conservancy’s conservation priorities within California and around the world. The California CDO recruits, develops and inspires a team of 40 high-performing fundraising professionals. The California CDO carries out these specific duties and others as needed:

• Works with staff in the California Chapter and across the Conservancy to raise critical funding for the Conservancy’s high-priority conservation projects in California and around the world.
• Works with senior staff in California to establish fundraising goals for the California chapter and is accountable for meeting them.
• Provides senior leadership in California for fundraising campaigns and, in collaboration with other senior philanthropy staff leaders, participates in the design of organization-wide campaigns.
• Leads, inspires, and manages the California Philanthropy Team to achieve relationship-building and funding objectives:
  • Sets and meets fundraising objectives, evaluates results and develops effective strategies as needed.
  • Develops and administers budget.
  • Recruits, develops, and retains high-performing Philanthropy staff and nurtures effective team collaboration.
  • Directly manages a portfolio of high-level donors and/or fundraising volunteers.
• Serves on the California Chapter’s Executive and Management Teams.
• Works closely with the California Board of Trustees to maximize their role in major and principal gift fundraising, and collaborates with the executive director and Trustees in the recruitment and development of new volunteer leaders.
• Plays a leadership role in shaping the Conservancy’s fundraising systems to meet the organization’s long-term conservation objectives.
• Actively fosters collaboration between the Worldwide Office and the field and other with other field-based fundraising programs to achieve the Conservancy’s goals.  

RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE

• Accountable for fundraising goals of over $30 million a year.
• Conceive and sponsor high-level and interdepartmental projects and new long-term programs/initiatives that will ensure organization-wide goals are achieved, setting goals, allocating staff and budget, and ensuring program accountability. 
• Conceive, design, and lead strategic programs, initiatives, and goals through collaboration with executive and senior-level stakeholders in order to enhance overall performance in accordance with short and long-term objectives.
• Direct negotiations for complex, high profile or sensitive agreements.
• Ensure multiple programs meet commitments and are managed for ethical compliance with TNC policies and procedures, financial standards, and legal requirements. 
• Exercise leadership in strategic and tactical manners, works with fellow leaders to formulate, establish, and evaluate policies and/or long-term programs.
• Maintain confidentiality of frequently sensitive and emotionally charged information.
• Superb communications and presentation skills; ability to persuasively convey the mission of TNC to diverse groups including major donors, corporate executives, Board members and others who are critical to the organization’s overall prosperity.
• Ability to communicate effectively with influential people. Commands attention. Can change tactics midstream and manage group processes during presentations or discussions.
• Leverages constructive and effective relationships with development team and organizational leaders.
• Ability to diffuse high-tension situations comfortably and maintains composure under pressure.
• Travel frequently and on short notice, work long hours and weekends.
• Work environment involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain.