Director of Advancement, Nonprofit performing arts

ABOUT SYMPHONY SPACE

Symphony Space is a multidisciplinaryperforming arts center where bold programming, presented in auniquely warm and welcoming environment, forges indeliblerelationships between artists and audiences. Our fundamentalmission is to connect art, ideas, and community through ourprograms and our commitment to literacy and education through thearts. On our New York City stages, through our national broadcasts,and in the classrooms and communities we serve throughout thecountry, we foster access to the arts through all the disciplines.Our embrace of the audience and the arts is wide, and theexperience of our patrons is deep and enriched.

Symphony Space has arrived at a pivotal moment in its 46-yearhistory and is launching an ambitious campaign that will strengthenthe foundation, secure the future, and usher Symphony Space into anew era. An era where the vibrancy, excitement, and originality ofour programming will be seen and felt throughout the entirebuilding, and the building itself will serve as an invitation toall to come explore, engage, and stay awhile.

Symphony Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitmentto diversifying our workforce extends to all who join us increating and presenting art. We strongly encourage people fromunderrepresented groups to apply. The more inclusive we are, thebetter our work will be. To learn more about Symphony Space’smission, vision, values, and programs, please visit symphonyspace.org.

ABOUT THE POSITION
As we embark on thistransformative journey, Symphony Space is actively seeking to buildcapacity and hire a Director of Advancement. A newly created role,the Director of Advancement will play a crucial part inspearheading our campaign efforts, building robust relationshipswith key stakeholders, and ensuring the successful realization ofour goals. As such, we seek a creative, dynamic, and highlymotivated Director of Advancement to develop and lead all aspectsof our $45 million fundraising campaign. With a seasonedprofessional leading our advancement initiatives, we will harnessour current momentum to secure vital resources, expand our reach,and solidify Symphony Space's legacy for future generations.

In partnership with the Executive Director and Board ofDirectors, the Director of Advancement will be a key member ofSymphony Space’s senior leadership team. The primary focus of theDirector of Advancement will initially be the capital campaign,working closely with our team of external fundraising consultants,senior leadership, and Board. Concurrently, the Director ofAdvancement will collaborate with the development department todesign a strategic vision for a multi-channel fundraising programthat identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards individual andinstitutional donors, and strengthens our annual fundraisingprogram. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities of the Director ofAdvancement include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Strategy & Leadership
  • Serving as a member of the leadership team, contribute to thegrowth of Symphony Space in accordance with its mission, vision,and values
  • Overseeing the organization’s $45 million campaign for theinstitution’s building, endowment, reserves, and programinnovation
  • Crafting a strategic annual fundraising plan with diverserevenue streams from individuals, foundations, corporations, andplanned giving 
  • Building a robust pipeline of board prospects in collaborationwith the Executive Director, Board Chair, and Nominating &Governance Committee Chair

• Fundraising
  • Securing major gifts for both campaign support and annualgiving
  • Steering a robust pipeline of donors at all points of the donorexperience cycle
  • Articulating and meeting monthly and annual goals for dollarsraised, donor contacts, and visits
  • Supervising the institutional giving strategy with a focus ongrant proposals and reports that are timely, accurate andcompelling
  • Overseeing the fundraising event strategy that cultivates andengages donors and supporters
  • Working in close collaboration with the Executive Director andSenior Director of Strategy & Engagement to craft inspiringfundraising campaigns, collateral, proposals, appeals, andstewardship events and materials
  • Providing exceptional donor engagement to Symphony Spacepatrons at events, performances, and programming 

• Team Building
  • Guiding the development team in elevating cultivation,solicitation, and stewardship practices across all fundraisingactivities
  • Steering the development department budget and assessingongoing progress towards departmental and organizational objectivesto achieve successful outcomes
  • Committing to the personal and professional growth ofdevelopment staff members through mentorship and the strategicdeployment of personal and professional goals

QUALIFICATIONS

A successful Director of Advancementwill have:

• A minimum of 10 years of nonprofit fundraising experience, withdemonstrated job advancement
• A deep understanding of and connections to the arts and culturephilanthropic community in New York City and nationally
• Experience fundraising for a major capital campaign
• A proven track record of setting, achieving, and exceedingfundraising goals
• A strong background in cultivating, soliciting, and stewardingmajor gifts from individual, corporate, and foundationaldonors
• Exceptional interpersonal skills to relate to Board members,patrons, artists, and fellow Symphony Space staff members
• An ability to represent Symphony Space positively to patrons,external stakeholders, and the public at large
• An ability to think strategically, work collaboratively, andcommunicate plans and ideas clearly and effectively
• Deep knowledge of fundraising tools, including CRM, MicrosoftOffice software, Zoom, email marketing platforms, and mailingstrategies
• A commitment to and passion for the arts

SALARY/POSITION TYPE

$175,000-$200,000 annually, commensuratewith experience and qualifications. Full-time, FLSA exempt. Weoffer a benefits package that includes health insurance, life andlong term
disability insurance, flexible spending plan (FSA), annuity plan,and three weeks of vacation time.

TO APPLY

Please send your resume and a coverletter outlining your vision for fresh perspective, creativestrategy, and energy for fundraising to support one of New YorkCity’s premier performing arts centers tosearch@symphonyspace.org.