Director of Development

ORGANIZATION:
Vancouver Opera

DEADLINE:
Until Filled

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
Vancouver Opera creates extraordinary experiences that engage, inspire, and entertain our community through voice, music, and theatre.

Vancouver Opera is regarded worldwide for its fine mainstage productions; for its country-leading education programs, which have reached more than 1.6 million children and their families in more than 65 years; for its innovative and award-winning community programs; and for ground-breaking cross-cultural creative partnerships that have brought opera to generations of Canadians.

WEBSITE:
https://www.vancouveropera.ca/

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Proactive, dynamic, resilient, self-motivated, detail and people-oriented, the Director of Development will have exceptional social and verbal communication skills and value frequent interaction and collaboration with others. The Director of Development will be an experienced and entrepreneurial professional with the vision to actively pursue Vancouver Opera’s ambitious goals with creativity and determination and will have a high degree of personal accountability and a commitment to exceeding expectations. A self-sufficient and self-managed professional with a highly organized approach, the Director of Development will have the ability to achieve organizational objectives with staff, board members, volunteers, donors, and prospective supporters. You have proven strategic fundraising expertise that drives revenue and engages audiences. If this sounds like you, Vancouver Opera is looking for a strategic development leader with an affinity for the arts to lead the fundraising team for this established yet evolving organization.

Under the direction of the General Director, the Director of Development provides the best possible support to the organization by overseeing the cultivation, establishment, and maintenance of all donor relations; planning and directing all fundraising policies and activities, including the annual drive, capital campaigns, grants, sponsorships and underwriting, public funding and government relations, planned giving, capital and multi-year project giving, and fundraising for the Vancouver Opera Foundation.

Regular office hours are Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm. A flexible work schedule is required during production times and for special events and activities, including evenings and weekends.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collaborate and partner with the General Director and senior leadership team in the development of strategic goals, objectives, and metrics, including budgets and goals for all programs

• Determine contributed revenue needs for long-term programs and projects

• Plan and execute long-term fundraising activities in support of the company’s strategic goals

• Develop and oversee appropriate tracking and reporting mechanisms and systems

• Work closely with development staff to craft all short-term and long-term fundraising plans, including possible future capital or endowment campaigns

• Work with internal and external advisors to develop case statements, materials, and prospect lists

• Identify and implement strategies for prospect and donor research, identification, cultivation, and stewardship

• Personally solicit major gifts; coach leadership team members, board members, and volunteers on donor cultivation and solicitation; and manage the donor and prospect pipeline

• Work with the development team to create appropriate donor and sponsor recognition

• Oversee special events and participate in all relationship-based events

• Prospect, cultivate, and solicit donors at all levels

• Implement Board and major individual giving components

• Oversee the development and maintenance of donor acknowledgement procedures

• Ensure effective systems and accurate donor records are captured in the Tessitura database, and reports are generated for analysis

• Provide leadership in developing donor retention strategies

• Collaborate strongly with the Marketing team on donor identification, cultivation, conversion, and activation programs

• Cultivate, solicit, and follow up with planned and foundation giving prospects and their advisors

• Develop corporate and foundation funding strategies and prospect management

• Ensure timely application, reporting, and compliance with grant requirements

• Ensure fulfillment of sponsorship benefits

• Provide direction in the production of customized proposals, case statements, and solicitation materials

• Collaborate with the Director of Finance and Administration on grants, proposals, deeds of gifts, and significant contracts

• Establish public funding budgets and goals

• Ensure timely and appropriate grant requests and reporting to all funding agencies

• With the General Director, develop and implement advocacy, public information, and government relations strategies

• Supervise development staff and inspire success

• Develop performance plans based on metrics and industry best practices

• Evaluate, hire, and lead staff on an ongoing basis

• Identify training needs and provide professional development

• Cultivate, recruit, and motivate the Board of Directors in fundraising efforts

• Attend meetings and report regularly to the Board of Directors and committees

• Foster volunteer participation and relationships across development committees and special events

• Own the Development budget and projections

• Create, manage, and monitor annual development budgets and cash flow projections

• Develop and monitor expense plans and contributed revenue goals

• Provide timely information to Finance to ensure accurate projections

• Collaborate on CRA compliance for tax receipting

• Act as key sponsor for Tessitura within the Development department

• Encourage full utilization of Tessitura for data consolidation and reporting

• Participate in the broader community to further Vancouver Opera’s mission

• Assure legality and confidentiality of all solicitations

• Attend performances and events as required

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in a related field and/or equivalent experience required

• Five or more years of experience working in Development preferred

• Familiarity with donor management systems and relational databases; Tessitura knowledge is an asset

• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office

• Superior attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects under pressure

• High degree of integrity, ethical decision-making, and sound business judgment

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to maintain productive relationships

• Ability to work independently and proactively with minimal supervision

• Passion for opera and/or classical music and the arts preferred

HOW TO APPLY:
Vancouver Opera strives to provide meaningful employment opportunities that reflect the range of diverse communities in which we live and work. We are committed to building an inclusive, diverse, and resilient organizational culture. Vancouver Opera welcomes and encourages applications from women, persons of colour, Indigenous persons, persons with diverse abilities, and members of other under-represented groups.

To apply, please email your cover letter and resume to wmurgatroyd@vancouveropera.ca with the subject line “Director of Development.” Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis. The posting will be removed when the position is filled.

REMUNERATION:
$125,000 – $140,000