Senior Director of Development

The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1996 that partners with indigenous and other local communities to protect tropical forests and strengthen traditional culture. ACT works across Latin America, with a focus in Colombia, the Guianas, Brazil, and Costa Rica. ACT’s headquarters is located in Falls Church, Virginia.

Specifically, ACT seeks to steadily increase the number of local communities in the Amazon who are able to monitor, sustainably manage and protect their traditional forestlands and significantly increase the area of Amazonian rainforest with improved protection.  ACT’s strategic approach to conservation, focusing on sustainable land management and protection, secure and sustainable livelihoods, and strengthening community governance and culture, supports our vision for the Amazon and provides a clear, unified and long-term direction for how our organization operates.

In order to achieve the goals laid out in our strategic plan and to continue meeting emerging requests in the field and programmatic growth, ACT needs to attract additional funding.

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Development will play a key role in maintaining current supporters while strategically increasing and diversifying ACT’s annual revenue. To this end, the SDD will update and implement comprehensive fundraising and marketing strategies aligned with the mission and core values of the organization.

In addition, the SDD serves as a member of the ACT-US Executive Team and is strongly involved in the organization’s strategic direction. The position interacts directly with the President, Executive Vice President, Board of Directors, CFO, and Program Directors in ensuring the organization’s effective operation. Outside ACT, the position interacts with prospective and existing funders, strategic partners, government officials, and other high-level relationships relevant to the ongoing operation and growth of ACT.

The essential duties and responsibilities of the position will include but are not limited to the following.

Fundraising

• In collaboration with Executive Team, updating and implementing a comprehensive development and fundraising strategy to support the organization’s growth in accordance with ACT’s strategic plan.
• Securing major gifts (including multi-year gifts) from individuals, family foundations, institutions, and corporations (a major gift for ACT is defined as a six-figure gift).
• Ensuring appropriate levels of unrestricted funding and indirect cost recovery while maintaining and growing current operating reserves.
• Co-creating and managing a donor and stewardship plan using ACT’s CRM system for prospective, current, and lapsed donors, with a focus on ensuring renewals and increases to annual gifts.
• Overseeing a comprehensive funder research function within the development area.
• Overseeing the execution and tracking of all funding proposals or applications from diverse donor channels.
• Working with the Board of Directors, Executive Team and Country Program Directors to identify short-term and long-term fundraising goals and priorities. As needed, developing associated fundraising campaigns.
• Supporting the Executive Team with donor relationship management.
• Ensuring regular communications with Country Program Directors and relevant in-country staff toward establishing revenue pipelines aligned with the annual and multi-year strategic plans, coordinating targeted proposal development accordingly.
• In coordination with the Executive Team, developing strategies to leverage each Board member’s individual skills and ensuring personal solicitation of each Board member to attract leadership contributions and increase participation. 
• Working with Board members to identify individual major prospects; making contact and introducing prospects to leadership throughout the organization as appropriate.
• In coordination with the Executive Team and Country Directors, coordinating, planning and executing impactful field visits with donors, showcasing organization projects and impact on the ground.
• Staying current on trends in philanthropic giving.

Marketing and Communications

• Overseeing the effective implementation of marketing and external communication strategies in accordance with ACT’s strategic plan, and measuring the effectiveness of these strategies.
• Strategizing marketing and external communications campaigns to ensure messaging is consistent with the organization’s mission, public image and strategic goals while supporting fundraising efforts.
• Overseeing the effective production and publication of ACT’s audiovisual products and collateral materials.
• Helping to determining communications project priorities and providing input on how to effectively and efficiently allocate human resources.

Management of Development and Communications Team

• Building a cohesive, focused and goal-directed development and communications team that is strategically oriented and data-driven.
• Ensuring that the development and communications team collaborates effectively with other departments across the organization.
• Planning and evaluating department policies, processes, priorities, and performance goals.
• As necessary, recruiting, training, supervising, and evaluating qualified personnel for the development and communications team.
• As necessary, supporting the ACT-wide annual planning process.
• Attending ACT-wide planning meetings.
• Supporting the preparation of Board meetings, and attending Board meetings, if required.

Reporting and Supervision

• Reports to: Executive Vice President
• Supervises: ACT-US development and communications staff

Skills and Attributes

Highly qualified candidates will bring a variety of experiences and attributes, including the following.

Required/Desired Experience and Education

• Minimum 20 years of professional experience in nonprofit fundraising with proven track record in cultivating, soliciting and securing six-figure gifts from individuals, family foundations, funding institutions, corporations, and governmental entities, with substantial practice in cultivating and expanding donor relationships.
• At least five years of demonstrated successful experience in a management role, leading a team of five or more staff members.
• Experience in planning, leading, and managing fundraising strategies, campaigns, and proposals, including coordinating with different departments within an organization.
• Experience in overseeing the implementation of communications, marketing, and branding strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to compose and manage comprehensive grant proposals, government contracts, and corporate contracts.
• Preference for candidates that have contacts and proven track record of fundraising in the international conservation arena.
• Preference for candidates with a Master’s degree or those who have pursued continuing education and professional development opportunities related to fundraising, communications, and branding.

Competencies

• Mastery of spoken and written English.
• Professional working fluency in Spanish (speaking, writing, and reading); additional Portuguese and Dutch language skills preferred.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills to effectively lead the development and communications team and foster a collaborative work culture.
• Proficiency with MS365 and Office applications, donor CRMs, online platforms and mass email applications.

Other Requirements

• Deep concern for the health of the Amazon biome, and understanding of the critical role that indigenous communities play in conservation.
• Must be willing to travel domestically and internationally.
• Must be able to occasionally work nights, weekends, and holidays as necessary to carry out key job functions.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.
• Must be able to pass a criminal background check.

Compensation

The organization offers an excellent benefits package and a salary that is commensurate with education and related work experience.

Disclaimers

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. The preceding job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, qualifications, and responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The Amazon Conservation Team is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, ethnic background, religion, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin or disabilities.

Application Procedures

Please email cover letter and resume to careers@amazonteam.org; use Senior Director of Development and Marketing in the subject line.