Associate Director, Development Operations
- Full-time
Employment Terms: Full-Time, One-Year Contract
Start Date: ASAP
Join a dynamic and vibrant community where you're not just working, but are inspired to grow, create, and make a difference every step of the way! At Branksome Hall, a leading IB World School for girls in Toronto, you'll be surrounded by more than 900 bright students and 230 passionate colleagues, all in an atmosphere that thrives on innovation, collaboration and creativity. Our core values — Sense of Community, Inclusiveness, Creativity, and Making a Difference — will ignite your passion and inspire you to reach new professional heights.
Get ready to embark on a truly rewarding career where your impact will help shape a better, brighter future!
An Unprecedented Campaign with Unprecedented Success
Branksome Hall is building on an extraordinary period of achievement. The school recently
closed its historic Make Way campaign, raising $46 million—approximately 53% above its
original $30 million goal—and securing the largest gifts in the school’s history. This
unprecedented success reflects the generosity of our community and a shared commitment to
advancing girls’ education.
As we look ahead to future campaigns and advance the school’s most important priorities, strategic campaign planning, strong development operations and close collaboration across the Advancement team will be central to sustaining this momentum and translating philanthropic ambition into lasting impact.
We are looking for an Associate Director, Development Operations who will be a key member of a collaborative, mutually supportive and high-performing team to build on our success and help cement Branksome’s position as an exceptional, accessible and innovative leader in girls’ education.
The Opportunity:
We are seeking an experienced leader to play a key role in developing strategy and overseeing its execution—building on the success of Make Way, helping to shape the next phase of philanthropy at Branksome Hall, and strengthening the operations that support the continued growth of the school’s Advancement program as we prepare for our next campaign.
Reporting to the Director, Campaign and Development, the Associate Director will play a pivotal role in strengthening and growing every aspect of fundraising by leading the team that supports prospect-facing fundraisers. With oversight of key areas including stewardship, communications, and prospect research this role ensures the systems, strategy, and support are in place to successfully secure gifts and steward them with care. Working closely with the Director, the Associate Director will help develop and implement the overall fundraising strategy and execute both strategic and tactical plans that support giving at all levels—from annual fund through to transformational gifts.
Key Accountabilities include, but are not limited to:
Collaborate with the Director to develop and implement the overall strategy, including detailed business plans and KPI’s for the fundraising team
Manage direct reports in stewardship, fundraising communications and prospect research, providing direction, guidance and support to ensure timely delivery and advance fundraising priorities.
Execute the comprehensive Donor Experience Program business plan and calendaring timelines across Major Gifts, Annual Giving and Planned Giving
Lead the development and delivery of impact reports and provide strategic and editorial input to the Donor & Giving Report, ensuring compelling storytelling, clear articulation of philanthropic impact and coordination with colleagues to confirm accurate donor recognition.
Develop and execute fundraising communications strategies, shaping cases for support, donor proposals and appeal messaging that connect the school’s priorities with donor interests and inspire giving.
Collaborate with various stakeholders across the department and organization to ensure preparation and accuracy in execution of fundraising initiatives, communications, and events
Oversee vendor relationships for materials and adhere to budget’s
Assess the effectiveness of fundraising communications through campaign results and donor feedback, recommending refinements to messaging, timing and approach to strengthen engagement and giving
Identify and assess prospective donors through research and collaboration with frontline fundraisers, helping to build a strong pipeline and align donor interests with the school’s philanthropic priorities.
Develop detailed research profiles to inform and cultivate solicitation strategies and develop a pipeline for frontline fundraisers
Monitor local and national news as it relates to the school’s prospects to identify opportunities for support
Candidate Profile:
A university degree in a related field or relevant experience in advancement
5-7 years’ progressive leadership in a successful, fast-paced Campaign, Development or Advancement office
A graduate certificate in fundraising would be considered an asset.
Demonstrated success developing and delivering strategic fundraising communications, with exceptional writing and editing skills and the ability to translate complex priorities into persuasive cases for support, donor proposals and impact stories for varied audiences.
Experience developing and executing Donor Engagement strategies for Major Gifts, Annual Giving and Planned Giving.
Excellent prospecting skills and proven ability to uncover leads from databases and other sources.
Demonstrated awareness of the donor relationship cycle (identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship); principles of moves management.
A successful track record of collaborative teamwork, staff management and development.
Professional presence, sound judgment, diplomacy and tact.
Some evening and weekend work, and event attendance to support development goals will be required.
Why Join Branksome Hall:
Joining Branksome Hall will change your life. Along with highly collaborative, mission-driven colleagues and a stimulating environment, Branksome Hall offers the opportunity to:
Earn a competitive salary and generous vacation, taxable lunch benefit, health & dental benefits and pension plans, including contributions to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) for eligible employees;
A hybrid work environment after 6-months of employment;
Join a strong community with a commitment to students and to the growth and development of employees through ongoing professional development and mentorship;
Engage with a network of internationally renowned industry experts, leaders and entrepreneurs;
Access state-of-the-art facilities and resources to support wellness, such as the Athletics and Wellness Centre.
Target Hiring Range: $100,691 - $125,808