At Teach For America-St. Louis, our mission depends on our ability to produce culturally responsive teachers and leaders who consistently work alongside our students and communities to prove what is possible. Our product must be corps members, alumni, and partners who hold personal clarity and conviction about their role in the work for educational equity in our city and our nation.
To this end, Teach For America St. Louis is seeking a Managing Director, Development (MD, D) who will develop vision and strategy for our campaign to raise $8M over the next three years. The MD, D will work to build an engaged, informed, sustainable base of regional donors and champions to impact our region for years to come. This position will not only develop vision and strategy for regional development, but also learn from and invest individuals, foundations, and corporations in the narratives of our students and the work for equity in our city.
This high-impact leadership position will work closely with the St. Louis Executive Director. The MD,D will be interested in not only continuing the practices that have thus far garnered consistent support from our current base of supporters, but also in creatively diversifying our donor base and sharing the experiences of our students through entrepreneurial, game-changing strategies. The MD,D will work in close collaboration with other members of the St. Louis regional team. The MD,D will report to the Executive Director.
(50%) Donor Engagement, Fundraising, and Relationship Building
- Lead our regional development efforts in all funding streams
- Strategically broaden and diversify our fundraising base
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of donors
- Listening exceptionally well and demonstrating the ability to understand the needs and motivations of others, find common ground and build trust with internal and external stakeholders
- Manage State Funding
- Support the Executive Director in managing the Regional Board of Directors
- Work closely with the MD, Partnerships to build strong, authentic external relationships with partners, including, school districts, nonprofit organizations, political training programs, local organizations, and community leaders, specifically at the state and local government level to ensure public support for Teach For America-St. Louis
- Synthesizing a wide range of information into compelling narratives
(15%) Vision and Strategy
- Create the long–term regional development strategic and operating plans for all development streams in line with the St. Louis Regional Vision and Priorities
- Set ambitious goals around revenue, donor retention, diversity, and acquisition. Develop benchmarks to achieve both immediate (current fiscal year) and long-term (next 3-5 years) development goals
- Articulate and execute core strategies that will propel the Development team forward in achieving long-term vision and shorter-term benchmarks
- Act as a gatekeeper of Development vision and action alignment
- Vet all decisions and strategies through the lens of equity and inclusiveness and insuring actions are toward equity
- Analyze the interests of donors and prospects to develop compelling fundraising campaigns, pitches, engagement strategies, and stewardship activities
- Conduct research and analysis on the local landscape to inform vision, goals and strategies for all aspects of external affairs work
(15%) Team Management
- Coach and develop Manager, Development (M,D) and support his/her professional development and growth as a culturally responsive leader through providing regular feedback, meeting weekly to track progress-to-goal, and serving as a thought-partner and coach
- Manage team execution toward goals around revenue, donor retention, diversity, and acquisition
- Design and execute meaningful team meetings and development experiences for the Development Team
- Developing a strong, outcomes-focused, culturally responsive, culture within the Development Team
- Work with team to develop a process/system for intra-team as well as inter-team communication and tracking donor/prospect engagements via Salesforce
- Design and provide professional development opportunities to grow skill and knowledge in Culturally Responsive Leadership and role-specific needs
- Serve on the regional leadership team with Executive Director and other functional leads
(10%) Self-Development
- Continued work, via weekly check-ins, personal reflection, and other structures as needed, rooted in the performance management system and Culturally Responsive Leadership competencies
(10%) Regional and National Activities
- Attend All-Staff meetings, retreats, and step backs
- Engage in on-going staff development and experiences
- Participate in selection and/or selection check
- Attend national conferences
- Manage a portfolio of St. Louis alums to complete the Alumni Survey
- Support in regional onboarding of incoming CMs
- Update and ongoing use of TFACT
- Organization stewardship (including time sheets, AMEX, reimbursements, etc.)
Prior Experience
- 7-10 Years Professional Experience
- Prior experience and/or proficiency with SalesForce preferred
- Experience in the K-12 sector or a desire to quickly become knowledgeable about the key issues and players in education reform preferred
- Knowledge of the education and philanthropic landscapes in St. Louis preferred
Skills
- Visionary Leadership: Ability to compel others to follow and embodies domains of culturally responsive leadership to catalyze our impact, both individual and collective, in the St. Louis Region. Desire to continually grow and learn as a leader.
- Team Management: Ability to build and manage a team toward excellence and execution; ability to build authentic relationships, motivate, and also offer direct, critical feedback when necessary.
- Demonstration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness: Demonstrates an orientation to placing individual’s identity at the center of all work and a commitment to individual and collective growth in Racial Identity Development and Sociopolitical Cultural Consciousness. Evidence of Culturally Responsive Leadership in previous work.
- Building Relationships and Influencing Others: Strong interpersonal and talent identification skills, as well as a proven ability to develop and leverage relationships toward achievement of concrete goals. Demonstrated success aligning diverse stakeholders around a common vision or objective.
- Organization and Communication: Excellent organizational and management skills and Microsoft Office skills. Comfort with financial budgets and spreadsheets. Excellent writing and communications skills.
- Strategic Thinking and Strategic Action: Ability to analyze data to draw accurate conclusions that inform management strategy and take action toward them.
- Mission/Metrics Balance: ability to balance/manage toward the many numerical goals we have while keeping front-and-center the spirit by which they are designed.
- Conducting Analysis: Analyzing data to draw accurate conclusions that inform management strategy in a way that is equitable and engages marginalized voices and perspectives.
- St. Louis Context: Demonstrate active engagement in the community we serve and actively seeking out perspectives of marginalized groups within the St. Louis community.
- Innovation: Ability to think outside of the box to capitalize on new opportunities.
- Positive Attitude and Adaptability: Approaches challenges with a positive attitude and a sense of possibility.
Work Demands
- Some weekend and evening work required
Salary for this position is competitive and depends on prior experience. In addition, a comprehensive benefits package is included.