Director of Development

Yeshiva Har Torah seeks a dynamic and strategic leader with superior relationship skills and demonstrated success in major gifts fundraising and growing donor bases. The successful candidate must have an authentic passion for our mission, demonstrated success in development operations and as an engaging fundraiser, and be a highly articulate communicator skilled at making a compelling case for school support. The successful candidate will be the principal architect of a development program that supports the organization’s mission and programs, both current and future. The Director of Development will guide all of the school’s fundraising efforts, working closely with lay leaders (including staffing the Development Committee) and professional colleagues, while also cultivating and stewarding relationships with donors, grant funders, and volunteers. It is important to note that this is a newly created position; a successful candidate will need to be a self-starter who has the ability to create systems to support development functions while simultaneously raising new dollars. This is a 12-month, salaried position, with competitive compensation and benefits.

The ideal candidate will have a proven history of major gift and other fundraising successes. He or she will possess excellent strategic thinking, relationship-building and communication skills. S/he will have experience in a collaborative work environment, and must be comfortable in working across an organization, with hands-on responsibilities. The candidate must be results-oriented, taking initiative and able to work in a fast-paced, competitive environment. The successful Director will bring a command of fundraising best practices, fundraising tools, and enthusiasm for fund development. S/he must have an authentic commitment to the strategic goals of YHT. A superior project manager, the Director of Development will contribute to significantly raising the bar on the efforts to shift the development needle. S/he will be an intuitive planner with a demonstrated ability to set priorities and to develop and implement thoughtful, clear, action-oriented growth strategies for YHT.
• An established paid professional or volunteer leader, with at least 5 years of demonstrated experience in asking for philanthropic gifts and broad knowledge of fundraising;
• Demonstrated ability to build a comprehensive and effective development and communications program, aligning all aspects of revenue development, including: annual, major, and capital giving;
• Strong management skills, both strategic and operational, and a demonstrated ability to build, manage, mentor and motivate a team;
• Demonstrated experience training and working with lay and professional leadership in development-related activities, providing them with quality support, and increasing their comfort with and success in fundraising;
• Proven ability to personally develop strategies, cultivate, solicit and steward major and institutional donors;
• Creative, innovative, entrepreneurial and independent self-starter with strategic inclinations;
• Outstanding stewardship and relationship management skills;