Development Manager

The American Philosophical Society (APS) seeks a highly organized, proactive, and service-oriented Development Manager to provide critical operational and administrative support to the Development team. This role is ideal for a detail-driven professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys managing complex projects, and takes pride in helping fundraising efforts run smoothly and effectively. The Development Manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the team and providing a wide range of high-level, administrative support to the Director of Development, and the Development team of the APS.

This role will serve as a key partner across development operations, donor stewardship, Friends/Members/Alumni events, scheduling, database management, and executive support. The successful candidate will bring exceptional organizational skills, sound judgment, discretion, and a collaborative spirit, along with a commitment to excellent donor and constituent service.

• Provide administrative and operational support to the Development team and Director of Development.
• Manage calendars, scheduling, meeting logistics, travel coordination, and expense reporting.
• Prepare donor correspondence, acknowledgments, briefing materials, reports, and presentation decks.
• Maintain accurate donor and prospect records in the Salesforce/database; lead gift processing, assist with reporting, and data integrity.
• Coordinate fundraising events, donor meetings, and stewardship activities with cross departmental event colleagues.
• Track timelines, deadlines, and follow-up for fundraising initiatives and campaigns.
• Support donor cultivation and stewardship efforts through research, communications, and logistics.
• Assist with committee materials, meeting preparation, and follow-up.
• Collaborate across departments to ensure smooth execution of development activities and institutional priorities.
• Handle confidential information with professionalism and discretion.

• Education and Experience
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience preferred.
• Mininum of 5 years of administrative or development support experience, preferably in a nonprofit, cultural, or educational organization.

• Exceptional organizational and project management skills with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with office systems and donor databases.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, anticipate program needs, work independently, and meet deadlines with accuracy and professionalism.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative, can-do approach.
• High level of professionalism, resourceful, polished and deeply reliable.
• Strong customer-service skills. Comfort and ability to relate to APS Members (average age 75), Friends, grantees, staff, and volunteers with grace and poise.
• Background Qualifications and Training Requirements (licenses, programs, or certificates):
• Proficiency in office systems and software
• Demonstrated working knowledge of fundraising databases
• Knowledge of development process and scope of work

• Special Information (Travel required, physical requirements, on-call schedules, etc.)
• Flexibility to support occasional evening and weekend events, as needed
• Willingness to travel occasionally, if required
• Position is primarily onsite and includes shared office space
• Other duties as assigned
• This is a full-time position with benefits. The society offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, short-term and long-term disability, 403b with employer match, and a generous policy of paid days off.

Background check required after a conditional offer is made.

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of thisjob. This position operates in a professional office environment within the organization.

The role frequently interacts with Members and grant and fellowship recipients, requiring extended periods of standing, often for multiple…