Associate Director of Development

Position:
Associate Director of Development

Location:

Seattle, Washington, United States

Employment Type:

Full-time (1.0 FTE)

FLSA Status:
Exempt

The Associate Director of Development advances the mission of The Bush School by planning, organizing, and implementing strategies that deepen personal engagement and inspire philanthropic support from current and former Bush families, alumni, and friends. This role places a strong emphasis on securing and stewarding major gifts, including leadership of capital campaign operations.

• Lead major gifts program strategy, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-capacity donors.
• Manage operations of the capital campaign, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and campaign milestones.
• Identify, qualify, and develop a pipeline of leadership gift prospects; collaborate on solicitation strategies and timelines.
• Manage a portfolio of annual and major gift prospects, building meaningful relationships through in-person engagement and personalized communication.
• Oversee planning and execution of fundraising initiatives and events that support major giving and campaign goals.
• Collaborate with team members to produce timely and accurate endowment and development reports.
• Partner with Alumni Relations to design and implement a cohesive alumni giving strategy, including senior class engagement and education.
• Partner with the Director of Marketing and Communications to develop compelling, mission-aligned solicitation messaging across digital, print, and direct-mail platforms.
• Ensure consistent, strategic communication with all constituencies to enhance engagement and giving participation.
• Maintain data integrity, and ensure timely and accurate reporting on fundraising results, trends, and projections.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Head of School for Advancement to monitor progress toward goals and inform strategic decision-making.
• Lead and continuously refine stewardship program to ensure donors are meaningfully recognized and engaged.
• Oversee production of the annual gratitude report.
• Ensure timely professional follow-up with donors and stakeholders.
• Serve as an ambassador fostering a culture of philanthropy, inclusion, and appreciation.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the Advancement Office and school priorities.

• Minimum 3 years of experience in development, fundraising, or advancement, preferably including capital campaign experience.
• Demonstrated success in major gift fundraising and relationship management.
• Knowledge of fundraising principles, ethics, and best practices.
• Experience with donor databases and fundraising systems (Raiser’s Edge preferred), including data segmentation and reporting.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills.
• Bachelor’s degree.

• Experience leading capital campaigns.
• Experience in an independent school, nonprofit, or educational setting.

• Adult and Children CPR, First Aid, and AED certification (or obtain within 90 days of hire).
• Pass background screening per school standards.
• Physical stamina to stand and walk extended periods, manage long days, and support body core muscles.
• Fine motor skills for small object handling.
• Clear hearing and vision for distinguishing sounds, color, shade, and brightness.
• Capacity to sit and keyboard up to 8 hours per day and lift up to 30 pounds.

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The Bush School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or genetic information. The school does not offer visa sponsorship for this position and will only consider applicants who are legally authorized to work in the United States.