Director of Development

• Reports to: Head for Advancement
• Start Date: July 1, 2026
• Status: Exempt (Salaried), 12-Month Administrator
• Pay Scale: $125,000 - $145,000
• Housing: This role does not come with housing
  
  

To apply: Please visit our Employment page to submit your cover letter, resume, and a list of all previous school or educational institution employers in accordance with CA SB 848

For more than 115 years, Cate School has blended the best of East Coast tradition with West Coast energy and innovation to serve highly motivated, independent-minded students. Residential life is purposefully designed to foster well-being and leadership through the practice of self-discipline and service. Complementing an inquiry-driven curriculum that challenges each student to reach their fullest potential, Cate offers a dynamic extracurricular program encompassing athletics, the arts, community service, and an expansive outdoor program.

Cate School has a long history of philanthropic support from alumni, parents, and friends. The School’s advancement program reflects a comprehensive approach to fundraising, encompassing capital priorities, endowment growth, annual giving, and planned giving—supporting access and financial assistance, faculty excellence, and programmatic innovation.

The Role

Job Description

The Director of Development is a senior advancement leader and trusted strategic partner to the Head for Advancement, responsible for leading and advancing Cate’s culture of philanthropy. This individual will lead a comprehensive and integrated fundraising program spanning major gifts, annual giving, and planned giving, while positioning the School for sustained long-term growth. The Director will personally manage a portfolio of leadership and principal gift prospects and oversee a high-performing, mission-aligned advancement team.

This is a highly relational role requiring a visible, engaged leader who can build trust across the Cate community, collaborate closely with senior leadership and trustees, and articulate a compelling case for support that inspires transformational giving.

All Cate Employees live up to the following Essential Expectations:

• Overtly support and act according to the school’s mission and values.
• Foster a safe, predictable, and supportive environment for employees and students.
• Interact with colleagues in a respectful and collegial manner that fosters a healthy culture for living, learning, and working together.
• Demonstrate commitment and courage in service of building our school culture where diversity is affirmed and supported.
• Demonstrate appropriate planning and preparation to meet the complex and evolving needs of your role.
• Uphold professional standards of predictable presence, reliable responses, and relational trust.
• Appropriately steward strategic and special projects associated with the role or team.
• Honor the confidentiality of School, student, and family information.
• Comply with policies and procedures as articulated in the School's Employee Handbook.
• Authentically engage in self-reflection in service to professional growth and adapting to the evolving needs of the school.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Advancement Team Leadership & Program Oversight
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing advancement team
• Oversee and align core advancement functions, including annual giving, alumni engagement, donor stewardship and communications, and advancement operations
• Establish clear goals, metrics, and accountability across all advancement programs and team members
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing, and mission-aligned team culture
• Ensure strong coordination and integration across all advancement initiatives and touchpoints
• Direct Reports
• Cate Fund Director (Annual Giving)
• Alumni Director (Alumni Engagement)
• Director of Advancement Communications (Donor Communications & Stewardship)
• Advancement Associate (Advancement Operations)
• Advancement Leadership & Fundraising Strategy
• In partnership with the Head for Advancement, develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with Cate’s institutional priorities
• Drive long-term advancement planning and philanthropic growth
• Partner closely with the Head for Advancement to develop and execute strategy, donor engagement, and solicitation efforts
• Donor Strategy, Engagement & Stewardship
• Personally manage a portfolio of top donors and prospects
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward major and principal gifts
• Develop and execute individualized strategies for high-capacity prospects
• Provide strategic oversight of the Cate Fund to drive participation and leadership-level support
• Strengthen alumni engagement and volunteer leadership across all class years
• Ensure thoughtful, consistent, and high-quality donor stewardship and communications across all giving levels
• Board & Volunteer Engagement
• Support Advancement Committee and Board of Trustees engagement in fundraising
• Partner with volunteer leaders to maximize peer-to-peer outreach and engagement
• Community Engagement & School Life
• Participate in school assemblies, faculty meetings, and key campus events
• Engage with students, faculty, and families as a contributing community member
• Represent Cate authentically to both internal and external audiences
• Professional Development
• Engage in ongoing professional development and advancement best practices
• Attend relevant conferences and training opportunities (aligned with institutional priorities and budget)
• Bring new ideas and innovation to strengthen Cate’s advancement program
  
The Candidate

Successful candidates will demonstrate their ability to meet these expectations through the following core competencies :

Background Skills


• Awareness of or commitment to learning about Cate’s time, people, space, and program
• Experience in or commitment to mastering Cate’s use of Veracross and Google Suite

Analytical & Organizational Skills

• Strategic and systems thinking; ability to facilitate complex, multi-stakeholder processes
• Logical, analytical problem-solving
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and task-focused
  
  

Interpersonal Skills

• Effective communicator able to work collaboratively with diverse constituents including trustees, alumni, parents, faculty, and students
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• Experience managing teams
  
  

Commitment to Cultural Competence

• Skill in engaging a broad and diverse constituency with cultural awareness and empathy; brings an inclusive lens to donor strategy, outreach, and stewardship.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
• Significant experience in advancement
• Proven track record of securing six-figure gifts
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• Strategic thinker
• Alignment with mission
  
  

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. An employee may also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift 50 pounds, using proper lifting techniques
• Ability to sit, stand, and/or move around the applicable working environment as needed
• Ability to travel safely and comfortably around our campus
• Ability to use a keyboard (or an alternative input device) and other office equipment
• Ability to read information in printed material, on a computer screen, and/or on a mobile device/laptop for extended periods of time
  
  

Job Benefits

This position comes with full benefits that include robust Health/Dental/Life insurance, Retirement and PTO plans.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Cate School is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition including genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender, gender identity, genetic information or any other category protected under federal or local law.

Commitment to Supporting Diverse and Qualified Candidates

Cate School seeks educators who want to live and work in a small, diverse, mission-driven boarding community on California’s Central Coast. We welcome applicants whose priorities align with our pillars of commitment, scholarship, companionship, and service, and we are steadfast in our commitment to Equal Opportunity Employment. Research shows that women and BIPOC candidates may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every listed qualification, so we encourage all who believe they have the skills and potential to thrive to submit an application. Our hiring process is designed to minimize bias by focusing on core competencies and the experiences that best demonstrate them.

To apply: Please visit our Employment page to submit your cover letter, resume, and a list of all previous school or educational institution employers in accordance with CA SB 848