Senior Director, Institutional Advancement

Title: Senior Director, Institutional Advancement

Employment Status:  Exempt

Salary: Annual, commensurate with experience

Supervisor Title: Vice President, External and Corporate Affairs

Date Revised:  September 2023

 Summary of Position:

Meridian International Center, a 60-year-old institution dedicated to public diplomacy and global leadership through exchange, culture and convening activities, is seeking a dynamic, experienced Senior Director of Development to continue growing a diverse, global base of funders and partners.

Working closely with the organization’s leadership, the Director will oversee management of the development office and focus on expanding Meridian’s network for individual and major gift donors and enhancing their engagement, while overseeing the stewardship of foundation donors as well.

The successful Senior Director will have front-line individual donor fundraising experience in either a political or non-profit organization, established relationships in the philanthropic, cultural, international and political communities in Washington, D.C. and across the country and an interest and understanding of international affairs, culture and diplomacy.

This position is located in Washington D.C. and Meridian requires MD, DC, or VA residence for all employees. The position may work partially remotely until further notice.

Position Responsibilities:

Individual Donors + Major Gifts Responsibilities

  • Identifies individual giving prospects, develops personalized outreach and engagement strategies, solicits and closes individual gifts at all levels
  • Manages donor engagement programs including the Meridian Council and designs and implements cultivation and stewardship events and activities
  • Communicates regularly to individual donors and prospects and serves as the central point of contact for philanthropic relationships
  • Designs and writes donor materials, brochures and other collateral as well as specific partnership and solicitation proposals tailored to major donors and foundations focused on Meridian programs and initiatives
  • Works closely with the special events team to successfully implement the annual Meridian Ball and other fundraising and donor events
  • Works with leadership to cultivate new Board members with an eye to growing the culture of philanthropy and major giving
  • Develops and implements giving strategy to support capital campaign

Management Responsibilities

  • Serves as the central coordinator and manager between development staff members and consultants to develop fundraising plans
  • Track overall development budget in close consultation with the finance team
  • Communicates regularly with senior staff on overall development activities, budget goals, fundraising progress and issues
  • Oversees consistent and efficient fundraising processes such as gift-processing, thank you notes, website maintenance, event calendar, donor communications and emails etc.
  • Serves as a cross-organization link between all Meridian divisions to identify and coordinate funding opportunities, sources and strategy and to create strategic partnerships with individuals, foundations and corporations
  • Oversees the implementation and management of Salesforce database for all development related activities
  • Responsible for completing all organizational administrative responsibilities in a timely manner and meeting all organizational administrative deadlines
  • Other duties as assigned

Education/Experience

  • Undergraduate degree in International Relations, Public Policy or related fields
  • 10 years of progressive responsibility in a political or non-profit fundraising environment and an interest and familiarity with international affairs
  • Or any equivalent combination of training, education, and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Confident and accomplished front-line fundraising experience and a proven ability to identify, engage, solicit and close individual major donors independently
  • Demonstrated experience closing complex, multiyear gifts from diversified sources
  • Demonstrated ability to understand priorities of high net worth individuals and foundation decision makers and connect them with organizational priorities
  • Strong experience with major event fundraising and ability to raise sponsorships and develop partnerships for special events and conferences
  • Experience in working on a capital campaign preferred
  • Demonstrated experience in securing Board members and increasing Board giving levels
  • Familiarity with foundation proposal, grant management, and reporting processes
  • Experience managing staff and consultants as well as membership and advisory councils
  • Highly organized and able to handle multiple projects simultaneously
  • Strong inter-cultural communication skills; maturity, cultural sensitivity, and tact suitable for working with individuals from around the world

Technical Requirements:

  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams is necessary for this role
  • Experience with Canvas, Zoom and Salesforce is helpful

Employer’s Statement

Meridian is committed to creating a diverse environment. We believe in empowering global leaders and amplifying voices of a wide variety of backgrounds to create pathways for greater understanding, shared value and respect for all cultures as connecting people has been our foundation for over 60 years. If you share our values and enthusiasm to promote non-partisan collaboration to address global challenges and opportunities, you can find a home at Meridian.

As an equal opportunity employer, Meridian promotes equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, personal appearance, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, family responsibilities, marital, veteran or military status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity will be offered and maintained to all persons at every stage and condition of employment, including recruiting, hiring, training, upgrading, promotion, transfer, discipline, layoff, recall, and termination.

How to Apply 

Qualified candidates should apply here. Only candidates being considered for this position will be contacted. NO PHONE CALLS in reference to this position will be accepted.