Associate Director of Development Operations

The Evergreen School in Shoreline, WA has engaged Dovetail

ED to lead a search for an Associate Director of Development Operations to start as soon as possible. Interested candidates should review the Opportunity Statement and submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references as a consolidated PDF to Zack Lehman, President at Dovetail

ED Talent Sourcing, at

The Associate Director of Development Operations plays a central role in the successful execution of the School’s campaign and serves as the operational backbone of campaign activity within the Development Office. Reporting to the Director of Development, this position is responsible for managing the campaign’s prospect pipeline, coordinating volunteer and leadership engagement, and ensuring that campaign activity is executed and advanced according to established timelines.

This role is highly project‑management‑driven and requires someone who can work independently, manage up, and thrive in the nuance and complexity of an independent school environment. The Associate Director of Development Operations is accountable for translating strategy into action—ensuring that plans are executed, meetings are productive, follow‑ups occur, and progress is visible and measurable.

This position is expected to evolve into a broader development role following the completion of the campaign, with responsibilities aligned to the School’s long‑term advancement priorities. The ideal candidate is exceptionally organized, donor‑centered, detail‑oriented, and confident leading meetings, managing data, and holding themselves and others accountable to next steps.

• Campaign and Prospect Management
  • Serve as primary owner of the campaign prospect pipeline, maintaining a comprehensive, accurate, and up‑to‑date prospect matrix and moves management system.
  • Act as project manager for all campaign prospect activity, including scheduling donor meetings, preparing briefing materials, tracking follow‑ups, and advancing prospects through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship phases.
  • Maintain a clear, high‑level view of campaign progress at all times, ensuring leadership has access to accurate, real‑time information.
  • Proactively identify stalled prospects, missing information, or gaps in activity and prompt next steps.
  • Prepare regular campaign progress reports and dashboards for the Director of Development, campaign leadership, and committees.
• Moves Management and Meeting Leadership
  • Clear agendas
  • Focused discussion on key prospects
  • Assigned ownership for next actions
  • Documented outcomes and deadlines
  • Lead and prepare for prospect check‑in and moves management meetings, ensuring:
    • Capture detailed and accurate meeting notes from donor meetings and internal campaign discussions.
    • Follow up consistently to ensure commitments are met and timelines are adhered to.
• Donor Communications and Stewardship
  • Draft thoughtful, donor‑centered correspondence including invitations, solicitations, briefings, acknowledgments, and updates.
  • Tailor messaging based on donor history, interests, family context, and prior engagement with the School.
  • Regularly refresh correspondence to reflect current campaign priorities, progress, and project details.
  • Oversee the drafting and execution of gift agreements and donor recognition plans in partnership with the Director of Development.
  • Ensure all donor interactions reflect professionalism, care, confidentiality, and attention to detail.
• Volunteer and Leadership Coordination
  • Support and manage campaign volunteer leadership in partnership with the Director of Development.
  • Coordinate calendars, meetings, materials, and communications for campaign committees and cabinet members.
  • Ensure volunteers are equipped with accurate information, clear messaging, and timely materials to support solicitations and outreach.
• Campaign Communications and Events
  • Manage the campaign communications plan, including coordination of print and electronic collateral materials.
  • Collaborate with colleagues and external vendors on the design and production of campaign materials.
  • Coordinate campaign‑specific activities such as cultivation events, donor meetings,…