SES Seeking Qualified Candidates for the Position of Director of Development, Institutional Advancement, and Alumni Relations

Southern Evangelical Seminary is seeking qualified candidates for the full-time position of Director of Development, Institutional Advancement, and Alumni Relations.

Overview 

The Director of Development will manage a portfolio to identify, qualify, cultivate, and steward existing and potential major gift donors with a focus on increasing the pipeline of donors for the support of Southern Evangelical Seminary and Bible College (SES), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Charlotte, NC.

The Director of Development must think strategically to implement a comprehensive and results-oriented development plan that includes goals and strategies for major, planned, and annual gifts. This position will also build and foster critical relationships for SES with alumni and faculty.

The Director of Development reports directly to the President of SES and will work collaboratively and collegially with the SES Board of Trustees, CEO, staff, faculty, and outside consultants. This position’s metrics are based on documented meaningful engagement with qualified prospects, proposals, and secured gifts based on fundraising goals.

The Candidate

The Director of Development, like all SES staff, is expected to live a life that reflects a personal walk and relationship with Jesus Christ. The selected candidate will have a record of active involvement in a Christian ministry and local church life. The candidate must believe in the inerrancy of Holy Scripture and is Evangelical in doctrine and theology as set forth in SES’s doctrinal statement.

We are looking for an optimistic, gifted, and results-oriented leader, not merely an effective manager, who feels called to serve the next generation by strengthening the Seminary through fundraising excellence.

This person will bring a high level of initiative, have a track record of productivity, a compelling vision for what the Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations Department office can look like in the future, and a deep commitment to serving others. The Director of Development will have

• an innovative spirit of entrepreneurship, possessing the ability to address challenges creatively and to create opportunities for SES
• proven experience of a fund raiser with the ability to aggressively secure financial resources on behalf of SES. Experience with major gifts is preferred.
• a flexible, motivational innovator who can successfully adapt and recalibrate, as needed, to meet evolving priorities
• a resourceful outlook that stretches limited resources for maximum impact
• administrative gifts with the ability to operate in a high-volume, fast-paced environment
• a marketer’s intuitiveness and knows how to communicate value to prospective donors
• self-managed leadership, ability to lead by example reflecting godly character, excellent work ethic, outlook, humility, and high integrity
• a minimum of a bachelor’s degree
• a minimum of 5 years’ experience in a Development/Fundraising role at a non-profit

Responsibilities

The Director of Development will 

• develop and implement a fundraising strategy, building a road map for cultivating strategic relationships with new and existing donors and partners to ensure sustained growth of resources and impact.
• work effectively to strategically direct SES fundraising priorities and carry out the fundraising vision as set by the SES President.
• work with the Database Administrator to
  • create and maintain an ongoing strategy performance reporting method
  • track the latest transaction activity to quickly identify and respond accordingly to potential opportunities with specific donors
  • ensure all necessary notes are recorded in a complete, accurate, and timely manner
  • ensure all giving recognitions are extended promptly
  • identify inefficiencies within the team’s workflow and then find and implement solutions to help achieve the overall effectiveness and growth of the department
• when needed, recruit and cultivate volunteers or interns to help with the department’s organizational efforts
• create meeting opportunities and fundraising engagement in a live and virtual environment
• monthly communicate to leadership the status of the donor development strategy efforts and provide feedback concerning the department’s effectiveness while recognizing trends in performance.
• work closely with the President of SES, arranging meetings or calls with donors to help celebrate gifts and ensure high-priority requests of donors are handled efficiently
• provide input for leadership to set goals and align daily job duties and practices to adhere to and achieve monthly, fiscal, and calendar year-end goals
• create and maintain documentation of processes as it relates to this position and purse best practices by appropriate benchmark procedures
• perform other duties as assigned.

Send expressions of interest to [email protected] or call 704-847-5600, ext 203