Development Director

Application deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Open until the ideal candidate has been identified.

Anticipated start date: April or May 2024

About the position

Do you have the strategic vision and leadership skills to secure vital funding for the Grand Canyon's future? 

As the Grand Canyon Trust's director of development, you'll lead a dynamic team to secure the Trust’s annual budget, to help safeguard this natural wonder for generations.

This role focuses on stewardship, partnerships, and strategic fundraising. You'll collaborate with major donors and foundations to ensure the Trust’s vital work continues into the future.

What does this position entail?

• Strategic fundraising: Manage the entire Development Program, from annual gifts to grants, using best practices and data-driven decisions.
• Secure major gifts: Build relationships with high-net-worth individuals and foundations, securing principal, major, and planned gifts.
• Communicate and cultivate: Engage donors and inspire a culture of giving within the team.
• Lead and develop the team: Mentor and nurture your fundraising team, champion a transformative program, and collaborate with the board and executive director.

Do you have what it takes?

• Experience conceiving and implementing a wide range of core fundraising functions, with strong project management skills and the capacity to use data and analysis to set strategy, execute plans, and deliver financial outcomes.
• Proven success in asking for and closing principal ($1M+), major ($10K - $999K), and planned gifts and building and maintaining long-term relationships with individuals and foundations.
• A proven ability to transform a fundraising team into a unified force, igniting passion and driving collective success.
• Preferred but not necessary: Experience working in conservation or similar spaces where the appreciation for the outdoors, public lands and the environment are relevant.
• Understanding of best fundraising and nonprofit management practices and knowledge of current and evolving trends in philanthropy, including major gifts, planned giving, and fundraising campaigns.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire and motivate varied audiences through exceptional written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Experience cultivating and nurturing mutually beneficial relationships across diverse teams and departments, fostering a culture of respect and appreciation that increases donor engagement, satisfaction, and long-term support.
• Experience using technology and applications like Zoom, Microsoft Word, Excel, Asana, and Salesforce.

No candidate will meet every requirement. If you're excited about the position and think you may be a good candidate, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't check every box.

The nitty gritty

Flexibility and paid time off

• Flexible scheduling and option to work from home
• 12 paid holidays
• Two weeks paid vacation in year one (three weeks in year two, and four weeks in year four) 
• Two weeks paid sick leave
• 12-14 weeks of paid parental leave

Benefits

• 100 percent employer-paid employee medical and dental insurance (50 percent employer-paid for qualified dependent premiums)
• 4 percent automatic employer contribution to 401K retirement plan, plus up to 2 percent match
• Employer-paid long-term disability insurance and life insurance
• Professional development opportunities
• Paid community service time, sabbatical leave, and more

Location

This position is based in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, or Utah with the ability to travel at least once a month to Flagstaff, Arizona. Relocation to one of these states is required.

Compensation

Up to $100,000 - $145,000 annual salary, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

COVID-19 precautions

COVID vaccination is required for this position. If you need a reasonable accommodation, contact careers@grandcanyontrust.org

How do I apply?

To apply, please send an email to careers@grandcanyontrust.org with the subject: [Your Name] Development Director.

Please answer the following questions in the body of your email and attach a resume as a PDF.

1. Have you reviewed the job description and are you comfortable with the salary range? 
2. Where do you currently live? Are you comfortable traveling to Flagstaff, Arizona once a month in addition to various yearly meetings, such as donor meetings or philanthropic events in other parts of the country?
3. Can you send us a link to a blog, article, newsletter, or campaign you have written? 
4. What amount of experience do you have in asking for and closing major gifts?
5. What software, programs, and processes have you used to manage development teams, donors, and gifts? 
6. Why are you interested in working at the Grand Canyon Trust, and why do you think you would be a good fit? What personal and or professional experiences make you a good candidate? 
7. Briefly describe a successful major gift campaign you've led in the past. Provide details on the strategies you employed, the challenges you encountered, and the ultimate outcomes of the campaign. 
8. What is your approach to managing a team? Can you provide an example of a situation where you had to adapt your management style to meet the needs of your team or a specific project?

A cover letter is completely optional as the answers above serve as a cover letter.

Our hiring process is being done in collaboration with Chicha Collective. For more information on our hiring process or any additional questions you may contact them at hello@chichacollective.com.

We encourage applications to be submitted as soon as possible, as we will be evaluating applications as they come in. However, we intend to keep the application process open until the ideal candidate has been identified. Please email careers@grandcanyontrust.org and copy our partners hello@chichacollective.com for further information or assistance.

If you need a reasonable accommodation, contact careers@grandcanyontrust.org.

EMAIL YOUR APPLICATION

The Grand Canyon Trust is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in every aspect of our organization. We work actively to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the basis of identity including but not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender, parental status, national origin, age, religion, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We actively seek diversity in our candidate pools. Applicants of all identities are encouraged to apply.