Senior Director of Development

WSOS is seeking a seasoned and creative fundraising leader who is passionate about increasing college and career opportunities for historically excluded and under-resourced students. They will have experience with all major fundraising approaches, with specific experience leading campaigns, major giving and corporate strategies. They should be ready to build systems to strengthen and significantly grow WSOS’s fundraising capacity, including hiring, supporting, and leading a talented and effective team.

Successful candidates will share WSOS’s commitment to using an equity lens in all aspects of their leadership.

The Senior Director of Development reports to the WSOS Executive Director and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team. This role builds and scales the WSOS fundraising program toward long‑term, sustainable impact. WSOS is currently on track to raise $4M from private contributions next fiscal year and is committed to scaling that significantly over the next five to ten years.

The role is primarily focused on strategic visioning, relationship building, and supporting the team and infrastructure that will be required to significantly increase the capacity of WSOS’s development efforts. This is a unique opportunity to work in a close‑knit and mission‑driven nonprofit organization, while still planning for and securing large‑scale, multi‑million‑dollar gifts with measurable impact.

This role is highly external‑facing, requiring frequent donor meetings and attendance at strategic events; work hours will vary to accommodate donor and event schedules, including occasional evenings, weekends, and in‑state travel. The Senior Director of Development is a key leader in a collaborative, equity‑focused team. Together, you’ll make a real difference in the lives of the students WSOS serves. The main WSOS office is in Seattle’s Mt.

Baker neighborhood. Most staff work on a hybrid schedule, generally working from the WSOS office two days per week. This role is expected to follow this schedule.

• Partnering with the WSOS Board and Executive Director to hone and lead a strategy that significantly increases the fundraising capacity of the organization and creates a sustainable model for the future
• Planning for and implementing fundraising infrastructure, processes, and metrics to support a more robust fundraising operation
• Leading and growing a highly effective team of 6 FTE of advancement professionals
• Expanding and deepening the donor base and soliciting sustaining gifts
• Building a major individual giving program and a planned giving program
• Managing a portfolio of principal donors including foundation and corporate donors and prospects
• Serving as key major gift solicitor for six‑ and seven‑figure gifts and supporting the Executive Director in the effective management of her portfolio
• Creating consistent, powerful and compelling fundraising messaging in partnership with the External Affairs and Marketing & Communications teams
• Other duties as assigned

We look to the Senior Director of Development to maintain the highest ethical fundraising standards and to approach all their work with an equity lens. They are a key partner in our efforts to navigate the complex power dynamics that are inherent in fundraising to support historically excluded students and they will, at times, be called on to explore these issues with the students, staff, Board, and funders who make up the WSOS community.

We share our preferred qualifications to help candidates understand the experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities we expect the ideal candidate to bring. If you feel you would be a strong fit for the role but do not meet every one of these criteria, we highly encourage you to apply.

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience); graduate degree preferred, ideally in a field related to public service, nonprofit leadership or administration
• Minimum 10 years of work experience in fundraising, community engagement, corporate relations, higher education or related fields. We recognize that experience comes in many forms and encourage candidates who meet…