Director of Development

The Director of Development is the senior staff leader responsible for designing, executing, and owning Greenville Symphony's fundraising strategy. This role holds direct accountability for meeting annual revenue targets across individual giving, corporate sponsorship, grants, and planned giving, while managing a robust personal portfolio of donors. The Director will be the relationship-builder-in-chief, building sustainable systems, donor pipelines, and a high-performing team culture oriented toward measurable growth.

This role leads a team of three (Donor Relations Coordinator, Development Events Coordinator, and a contract Grant Writer) and partners closely with the Executive Director and Music Director, both of whom play active roles in fundraising. The Director of Development is responsible for coordinating these efforts into a unified, strategic, and accountable development operation.

This is a strategic leadership position reporting to the Executive Director, with regular reporting to the Board of Directors on progress against revenue goals.

The Greenville Symphony Orchestra (GSO) is a cornerstone of Greenville’s vibrant cultural ecosystem—engaging the community through exceptional musical performances, education, and outreach. As the Symphony approaches its 80th year, the Greenville Symphony is seeking an accomplished development professional to lead fundraising efforts that will support the next chapter of the Symphony’s performances and community impact.

At the heart of the GSO’s mission is the belief that music has the power to bring people together through shared experiences. The Symphony’s programming highlights the exceptional talent of a core roster of 67 musicians, presenting more than 30 public, ticketed concerts at the Peace Center and venues throughout the region each year.

Reaching audiences of every age and background, the GSO also presents more than 100 free events annually, engaging approximately 25,000 people across the South Carolina Upstate.

· Executive Director — Maintains their own major gifts portfolio and is actively engaged in solicitation; the Director of Development will coordinate closely with the ED to ensure a unified major-gifts strategy, avoid donor-cultivation overlap, and align messaging and targets.

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Music Director — A key fundraising asset, particularly for donor cultivation events, major-gift visits, and donor stewardship touchpoints where artistic vision and personal connection drive giving. The Director of Development will work closely with the Music Director to strategically deploy their time and relationships for maximum fundraising impact.

• 36 hours office work week, plus concerts, special and community events
• Full time, exempt
• Because this role involves close collaboration and on-site activity, it is primarily based on location. Limited remote work opportunities and flexible schedule arrangements are available.

• Own and achieve the annual development revenue target, broken down across:
• Individual/major gifts
• Corporate sponsor ships
• Grants (foundation/government)
• Planned giving
• Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy with clear quarterly and annual benchmarks
• Build and manage a qualified major-gift pipeline, personally cultivating and soliciting gifts at the $3,500 level and above
• Coordinate a unified major-gifts strategy across the Director of Development's own portfolio and the Executive Director's portfolio, ensuring clear donor assignment, no duplication of outreach, and shared visibility into pipeline…