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Please email your resume to auditions@orsymphony.org. 

Mail a $100 deposit check to Leah Ilem, Oregon Symphony, 921 SW Washington St. Suite 200 Portland, OR 97205

The Oregon Symphony is a proud partner orchestra of:

SUMMARY:

As the Senior Director of Development, you will play a pivotal role in our organization, serving as the right hand to the Vice President for Development. In this influential position, you will lead a dynamic team, oversee departmental operations, and provide direction for our major gifts program while managing a personal portfolio of valued donors.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Strategic Leadership:

   • Collaborate closely with the VP for Development to shape and execute the department’s strategic vision.

   • Serve as a thought partner with VP for Development and CEO’s portfolio for annual gifts as well as the organization’s multi-year $25M Bridge Fund effort.

   • Provide mentorship, guidance, and leadership to team members.

   • Lead by example, ensuring that our team maintains a donor-centric approach in all interactions.

   • Oversee board committees and work groups as needed.

2. Team Management:

   • Foster a collaborative and innovative team culture that drives results and excellence.

   • Serve as “chief of staff” for the VP for Development, managing three full time direct reports (Director of Development, Director of Foundation & Corporate Relations, Director of Events and Stewardship) and provide guidance for the positions they manage.

   • Create and share reports to VP for Development on the Development team’s metrics.

3. Operational Excellence:

   • Maintain vigilant oversight of quality management processes to guarantee thoughtful cultivation and stewardship of donor relationships.

   • Implement and refine operational efficiencies to optimize the department’s productivity.

   • Establish and maintain complete, timely, and accurate records in Tessitura of portfolio work plans following established data guidelines, and oversee direct reports in doing so.

   • Take responsibility to ensure accurate gift entry, acknowledgments and pledge invoices for donors in assigned portfolio, and oversee direct reports in doing so.

   • Ensure full compliance with IRS practices and ethics within the field.

4. Donor Management:

   • Manage personal portfolio of assigned donors, valued at approximately $2M of prospects at $10k+.

   • Develop individual strategies for each donor to ensure regular contact with appropriate Symphony representatives. Emphasis on face-to-face contact during 1:1 meetings, but also leveraging intermission receptions, pre-concert dinners, events, and phone/email conversation.

   • Work with donors on planned giving opportunities.

   • Reevaluate team member portfolios annually and strategically move prospects through the donor pipeline. Other duties as assigned. Position requires the flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree and 5-7+ years’ experience in Development with progressive leadership roles. Demonstrated success in closing major gifts; working with boards and committees; and setting/achieving goals. Experience with planned giving instruments, methods, and strategy. Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

• Demonstrated ability to inspire and motivate a team, and to collaborate effectively across teams. Ability to effectively manage and grow relationships.

• Exceptional leadership and organizational skills; self-starter; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously; adept at working in a fast-paced arts environment.

• Knowledge of and experience in implementing best practices in philanthropy as well as knowledge of current and emerging fundraising approaches that will broaden the base of philanthropic support and engage new constituencies;

• Outstanding communication skills, both interpersonal and written; excellent customer service focus and skills; ability to interact effectively and empathetically, and build rapport with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

• Familiarity with the use and applications of a donor database software, and of Excel and other programs in the Microsoft Office suite, are essential. Experience with Tessitura a plus.

• Quantitative and logic skills; ability to budget and forecast with accuracy. Positive, imaginative, and pragmatic approach to problem-solving.

• Passion for live symphonic music a plus.

COMPETENCIES: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies.

• Ethics - Treats everyone with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values; Maintains confidentiality.

• Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service.

• Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.

• Leadership - Exhibits confidence in self and others; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.

• Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs work flows and procedures.

• Problem-Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem-solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

• Communication – Speaks and writes informatively, clearly and persuasively; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.

• Managing People and Delegation - Includes volunteers in planning; Takes responsibility for subordinates' activities; Makes self available to staff; Provides regular performance feedback; Develops subordinates' skills and encourages growth; Solicits and applies customer feedback (internal and external); Fosters quality focus in others; Improves processes, products and services; Continually works to improve supervisory skills; Delegates work assignments; Matches the responsibility to the person; Gives authority to work independently; Sets expectations and monitors delegated activities; Provides recognition for results.

• Change Management and Adaptability - Develops workable implementation plans; Communicates changes effectively; Builds commitment and overcomes resistance; Prepares and supports those affected by change; Monitors transition and evaluates results; Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

• Technical Skills - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; Pursues training and development opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others.

• Business Acumen and Fiscal Management - Understands business implications of decisions; Displays orientation to profitability; Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Aligns work with strategic goals; Works within approved budget; Contributes to profits and revenue; Develops and implements cost saving measures; Conserves organizational resources.

• Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports organization's goals and values; Observes safety and security procedures; Respects diversity.

• Strategic Thinking and Innovation - Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; Understands organization's strengths & weaknesses; Analyzes market and competition; Identifies external threats and opportunities; Adapts strategy to changing conditions; Displays original thinking and creativity; Meets challenges with resourcefulness; Generates suggestions for improving work; Develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.

• Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.

• Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans.

• Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.

• Quality and Quantity - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality; Meets productivity standards; Completes work in timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly.

• Dependability - Is consistently at work and on time; Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan; Plans in advance for time off.

• Motivation and Initiative – Requires minimal supervision; Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence; Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals; Volunteers readily; Undertakes self- development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts such as printers. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This position is currently following a weekly hybrid work model (working remotely and in-office).

DOWNLOAD POSITION DESCRIPTION AS PDF

SUMMARY:

The Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations is responsible for developing and administrating grant proposals and associated reports on an annual basis. This role encompasses strategic grant planning, data collection, research, and stewardship of relationships with various foundations, and other grant-making entities. Within this capacity, the Director actively identifies new avenues for funding and skillfully crafts persuasive messaging that effectively conveys the Oregon Symphony’s mission, programs, and impact to ongoing and potentials funders. The primary responsibilities are two core areas: portfolio management (assigned portfolio of institutional sources valued at $1M+) and prospect coordination (coordination of assigned institutional sources to CEO/VP for Development valued at $2M+).

The Director works in close collaboration with the development, education/community engagement, operations, finance, and marketing departments to develop projects for funding, produce project budgets, and coordinate required attachments for proposals. The position works in close collaboration with the VP for Development and the President/CEO on key funding strategies and submission of grant timelines.

Position requires the flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed during concert season.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provide leadership for developing the foundation, corporate, and government giving program pipeline, collaborating as needed with the VP for Development on goal-setting, campaign strategies, timeline, and prospect identification methods.
2. Prepare grant applications, proposals and reports to foundations, corporate, and government funders. Establish and maintain strategic relationships with key foundation and corporate staff, providing site visits as appropriate.
3. Create, maintain, and implement a robust calendar of internal and external deadlines related to institutional funding—letters of inquiry, proposals/applications; interim and final reports.
4. Conduct ongoing and relevant research of funding sources to identify new or increased funding opportunities for programs, concerts, or events. Identify and maintain research tools (online sources, directories, etc.) necessary to maintain appropriate level of research.
5. Establish and maintain complete, timely, and accurate record in Tessitura database of portfolio work plan, following established data guidelines. Provide forecasts of portfolio to VP as required. Maintain current electronic records for all grantmaking organizations including all supporting documentation related to grant applications, proposals, and reports.
6. Take responsibility to ensure accurate gift entry, acknowledgments and pledge invoices for donors in assigned portfolio, and for institutional funders in other portfolios.
7. Provide additional writing support for major gift proposals, campaign materials, gala script and other institutional strategic initiatives.
8. Create the organization’s Annual Report.
9. Additional projects and job functions as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree plus 3+ years’ experience in Development, specifically with grant management and proposal writing; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Evidence of ability to achieve goals.
• Working knowledge of key Oregon institutional funding environment. Experience with federal grants including NEA a plus.
• Outstanding organizational skills; self-starter; ability to manage multiple/competing projects and deadlines.
• Outstanding and versatile written communication skills. Ability to read, analyze and interpret complex documents including budget information.
• Collaborative team player; enjoys strong, positive relationships within and across functional teams.
• Robust knowledge of use and applications of Excel and other programs in the Microsoft Office suite.
• Experience with tracking work in a donor database; experience with Tessitura a plus.
• Positive, imaginative, and pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
• Sense of humor required. Passion for live symphonic music a plus.

COMPETENCIES: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Ethics – Treats everyone with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values; Maintains confidentiality.
• Customer Service – Displays courtesy and sensitivity; Meets commitments; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service.
• Teamwork – Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed; Shares expertise with others.
• Analytical – Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs work flows and procedures.
• Problem-Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem-solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Communication – Speaks and writes informatively, clearly and persuasively; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings; Varies writing style to meet needs; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
• Change Management and Adaptability – Develops workable implementation plans; Monitors transition and evaluates results; Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Business Acumen and Fiscal Management – Understands business implications of decisions; Displays orientation to profitability; Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Aligns work with strategic goals; Works within approved budget; Contributes to profits and revenue; Develops and implements cost saving measures; Conserves organizational resources.
• Organizational Support – Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; Supports organization's goals and values; Observes safety and security procedures; Respects diversity.
• Judgment – Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.
• Planning/Organizing – Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time effectively and efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans.
• Professionalism – Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.
• Quality and Quantity – Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality; Meets productivity standards; Completes work in timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly.
• Dependability – Is consistently at work and on time; Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan; Plans in advance for time off.
• Motivation and Initiative – Requires minimal supervision; Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence; Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals; Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus for use of computer monitor.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts such as printers. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This position is currently following a weekly hybrid work model (working remotely and in-office).

DOWNLOAD POSITION DESCRIPTION AS PDF