Director of Development & Communications

Status: Full-time, salaried

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Supervises: Associate Director of Marketing (full-time); Development & Communications Coordinator (part-time)

Schedule: Mondays – Fridays, with occasional evenings or weekends

Location: In-office, with some remote work possible

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Development & Communications manages individual, foundation, and corporate giving for the Museum as its primary fundraising staff position. They will build and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects to build ongoing support for the Museum, as well as provide guidance and structure for stewardship and giving strategies at the Museum. This will require conceiving and implementing solicitation strategies for new and increased gifts; leading identification, writing, and submission of grant applications and reports; and identifying opportunities to connect prospects and donors with the programs and leadership of the Museum, leveraging their passions and interests to increase their giving. Building and cultivating relationships will be imperative to maintaining their portfolio, and they are responsible for meeting with donors in-person, making phone calls, stewarding donors, and achieving fundraising goals. They embed the best practices and ethics of both development and/or museum/non-profit professionals in their work as they rebuild fundraising efforts at the Museum.

This role leads a small but growing team. It supervises two other positions, including the Associate Director of Marketing, and with that role’s expertise and efforts, oversees SCM’s marketing and communication work. In total, this Development and Communications team will be responsible for outward-facing efforts that elevate the Museum’s brand and drives engagement with families, supporters, partners, and the community.

This role is an essential member of the Leadership Team focused on serving Seattle’s children and their adults through play-based learning experiences. Since reopening in April 2022, we’ve been rebuilding and growing all aspects of the Museum’s operations, including setting ambitions to being a leader in the community and the field. We are a mission-driven and values-centered organization dedicated to playful learning, children, and our community. We dream big and are committed to doing impactful work – this position will build and expand important funding streams and relationships essential to the Museum’s sustainability.

An ideal candidate will:

• Be a creative, action-oriented, and strategic with demonstrated fundraising experience.
• Demonstrate outstanding donor relations, customer service, attention to detail, and strong collaboration skills.
• Have a proven record of meeting project and fundraising goals.
• Be inspired by the mission, goals, and values of the Seattle Children’s Museum.
• Enthusiastically champion an approach that centers community, sustainability, access, and equity in their work.
• Be a collaborative and respectful team member with excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and a growth mindset.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Plan development: Develop, implement, and lead organizational fundraising plan; implement  and update stewardship plans, with support from the CEO and Board of Trustees; set and work toward strategic fundraising goals and benchmarks; use and lead diverse fundraising strategies to meet institutional financial goals (such as campaigns, sponsorships, annual fund, events); conceive of and implement strategies for gift solicitation and donor engagement.
• Oversee and nurture donor portfolio: Build, cultivate, and sustain a portfolio of active and prospective donors and use strategic moves management to nurture relationships; collaborate with staff, board members, and community volunteers as appropriate to maximize philanthropic outcomes.
• Manage the Museum’s grant-writing initiatives: Research and identify potential grants that support Museum projects and needs; collaborate with Museum staff, partners, and consultants to plan, write, edit, and submit grant applications; track deadlines; manage relationships with program officers; and track, plan, write, and submit grant reports with support from colleagues.
• Develop donor strategies: Create and implement strategies for donor recognition, growth, and engagement that also align donor interests with institutional priorities.
• Prospect development: Continually identify individuals and organizations as new donor prospects; prepare tailored solicitation proposals.
• Collaborate for major gifts: Partner with Museum’s staff Leadership Team, team members, board members, and consultants to build out a more robust major gifts program.
• Ensure donor stewardship & engagement: Maintain and enhance long-term relationships with donors and prospects through proper stewardship; strategize, plan, and track donor engagement events and opportunities and collaborate with colleagues to develop implementation plans.
• Oversee and lead Museum’s Marketing efforts: Via supervision of Associate Director of Marketing, provide thought partnership and accountability mechanisms for Museum’s digital platforms (social media, website, email communications), advertising and promotional efforts, and public relations to lead the Museum’s brand and drive engagement.
• Budget management: Create, implement, adjust, and manage annual division budgets to meet annual goals; manage vendor contracts; and steward the Museum’s resources responsibly.
• Utilize and maintain systems and records (digital and physical) to track development activities and coordinate with colleagues, including a record management and report generation with a donor management database system (SCM currently uses Altru).
• Strategize, draft, and edit written fundraising pieces, such as appeal letters, donor acknowledgements, or other fundraising collateral.
• Support team and mission: Work collaboratively within the SCM team to grow support, uphold the mission and values, and contribute to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace; actively uphold our Culture Charter in all work; participate actively in team meetings, staff trainings, and Museum-wide projects; cross-train to gain first-hand experience of our mission in action, as well as providing occasional front-line support in the Museum.
• Track, interpret, and utilize relevant data to inform decisions, allocation of resources, and strategic adjustments.
• Maintain current knowledge of professional best practices, trends, and ethics related to museum/non-profit fundraising.
• Represent the Museum and its mission in the community.
• Provide excellent customer service for internal and external stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:

• 5-7 years of experience in fundraising or development work in the museum, cultural, or non-profit field, including securing major gifts, meeting goals, and donor stewardship – or equivalent experience
• Excellent writing/editing skills (development of content and/or adding spark to content provided) including the ability to generate original writing for grants or solicitations
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills
• Comfort and demonstrated experience with CMS or donor management software (ex: Altru), as well as standard workplace software (especially Microsoft Office suite)
• Demonstrated experience related to marketing and communications work and strategy
• Demonstrated experience successfully managing projects, including ability to lead and track project components, set and track progress toward goals, and manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines
• Demonstrated experience supervising and managing other staff
• Comfortable using data to inform and adjust strategy
• Ability to work both self-directed and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment

Desired Qualifications:

• Passion and commitment to arts, culture, children, and/or education
• 7+ years fundraising or development work in the museum, cultural, or non-profit field, especially in fundraising, advancement, and/or marketing roles.
• Knowledge of the Greater Seattle Area philanthropic community
• Exceptional skills in fostering relationships, establishing trust and rapport with diverse individuals, and engaging in skillful conversation with tact and sound judgement
• Demonstrated experience with donor research, cultivation, and stewardship
• Demonstrated experience with grant research, writing, and reporting
• Experience working with board trustees and other community volunteers
• Demonstrated and effective experience in a Marketing or Communications position
• Excellent customer service skills

Benefits:

This position’s compensation package currently includes the following benefits:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Starting at 15 days accrued paid time off annually, paid sick and safe leave, 12 paid SCM-observed (including 2 floating holidays), infectious disease leave, bereavement leave
• Annual merit-based bonus program
• ORCA commuter benefit
• Access to Employee Assistance Program
• Professional development opportunities
• Staff discounts on Museum offerings

TO APPLY

Submit both a letter of interest (2-page max) and resume, via email, to: jobs@seattlechildrensmuseum.org

• Letter of interest: In your letter, let us know how you can help the Seattle Children’s Museum meet our goals; align with our mission and values; and serve our purpose through this position.
• Interview Process: Candidates selected for interviews will be asked to participate in a 20-minute phone screening conversation, followed by up to 2 rounds of in-person interviews with Museum staff or board members.
• Selected candidates must complete a background check before beginning employment.
• Timeline: Hiring team will begin reviewing applications April 15, 2026 and continue on a rolling basis. Each applicant will be notified of decision on or before June 1, 2026.

For more about Seattle Children's Museum or to see the full posting, visit http://www.SeattleChildrensMuseum.org/contact/job-opportunities