Director of Development

Region 1 - Southern California

Ducks Unlimited, Inc., the continent’s leader in waterfowl and wetlands conservation, and 2023 winner for the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation, seeks a Director of Development in Southern California with the following primary fundraising responsibilities:

• Identify, qualify, cultivate, and solicit major and planned gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations that are part of an identified prospect portfolio to support the conservation mission of Ducks Unlimited (DU).
• Coordinate with conservation and development to develop proposals and secure funding for DU’s habitat conservation priorities as defined in DU’s Strategic Plan, to include support for operations, conservation in key landscapes, educational programs and DU’s endowment.
• Partner with the event fundraising staff and volunteers to raise awareness of DU’s major gift program and increase major gift revenue in the region.
• Work with the volunteer leadership to motivate and guide DU volunteers to assist with major gift fundraising.
• Serve as a staff liaison for California State Campaign Committee.
• Achieve goals established in Annual Work Plan.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of four years of fundraising or related experience with an emphasis on personal major gift solicitation and a strong conservation ethic. Additional qualifications include:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship and team-building skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Commitment to and experience with prospect moves management
• Ability to provide leadership and guidance to other fundraising professionals and volunteers
• Goal-oriented and performance results driven
• Computer literacy with a proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet, and database management programs

The successful candidate will be self-starter who can work independently as well as part of a team and are driven to succeed. Familiarity with planned giving, experience with comprehensive fundraising campaigns, relationships in and a working knowledge of the region’s philanthropic community, and an interest in outdoor conservation activities are also desired. The selected candidate should have the desire and ability to travel extensively within the state and will be expected to reside in a mutually agreed upon location within the assigned work area with preference given to the Fresno and greater Los Angeles metro areas.

To apply internally as an employee, log into https://workforcenow.adp.com with your employee credentials, click MYSELF, TALENT, CAREER CENTER and follow the prompts to APPLY: 1) complete application materials and, 2) attach your a) cover letter, b) resume, and c) three professional references. Please direct any questions regarding application materials to DU Human Resources careers@ducks.org.

Resume review will begin on March 15, 2024, and continue until the position is filled.

DUCKS UNLIMITED, INC. IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

It is the policy of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. to afford equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 or over), disability (physical, mental or visual), genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), military and veteran status, immigration status, or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.