What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Business Development, SITC position at Executive Director, Inc.?
Director of Business Development
CLIENT ASSOCIATION(s): Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
POSITION REPORTS TO: Executive Director
DIRECT REPORTS: Senior Development Manager (2), Development Manager
EMPLOYEE STATUS: Exempt, Full-time (Minimum of 37.5 hours/week)
ROLE TYPE/LEVEL: Senior-Level
CLIENT/DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is a non-profit medical professional society of influential scientists, academicians, researchers, clinicians, government representatives, and industry leaders from around the world dedicated to improving cancer patient outcomes by advancing the science and application of cancer immunotherapy.
JOB OVERVIEW:
The Director of Business Development serves as SITC’s senior staff leader responsible for developing, implementing, and managing a comprehensive strategy to secure financial support for the society’s programs, initiatives, and long-term growth. This position plays a pivotal role in cultivating partnerships and financial support across industry, academia, foundations, major donors, and individual gifts to support SITC’s programs and services.
Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Director of Business Development will lead all aspects of business and fund development, including the corporate and biotech membership programs, sponsorships, educational grants, exhibits, and strategic alliances, while ensuring alignment with the society’s strategic plan and governance priorities. The position is a member of a staff leadership team of Directors that collaboratively leads the organization.
This is both a strategic and hands-on leadership role requiring a blend of relationship-building acumen, business insight, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit fundraising expertise.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES (minimum of 37.5 hours/week):
- Strategic Leadership & Planning
- Liaise directly with the Executive Director and SITC Leadership to develop fundraising goals and objectives;
- Internally work with other SITC staff to effectively meet and develop program goals;
- Translate the Society’s strategic objectives into actionable revenue-generation strategies that support programs, education, research, and member initiatives.
- Identify new market and partnership opportunities to expand SITC’s reach and financial sustainability.
- Corporate & Industry Relations
- In collaboration with the Executive Director, serve as the primary point of contact for industry partners, cultivating strong, mission-aligned relationships.
- Lead the development, negotiation, and management of sponsorship and exhibit agreements, ensuring mutual value and compliance with regulatory and other standards.
- Organize and facilitate industry engagement opportunities, including the annual corporate roundtable and stakeholder site visits with SITC leadership.
- Grant & Fundraising Development
- Direct the creation and submission of grant proposals and funding requests; oversee prospect research, proposal development, compliance with CME and other regulatory standards, and post-award reporting.
- Collaborate with program staff to develop compelling proposals that align funder interests with SITC priorities.
- Monitor, track, and report on proposal outcomes, deliverables, and performance metrics.
- Revenue and Program Oversight
- Oversee all sponsorship, exhibit, and grant-related budgets and reconciliations, ensuring accurate tracking of income and fulfillment of obligations.
- Work cross-departmentally to integrate sponsor and grant deliverables into program planning and implementation.
- Supervise the development and maintenance of systems for managing proposals, contracts, and reporting.
- Leadership & Collaboration
- Lead strategic discussions with SITC volunteers and staff to identify new sources of funding.
- Liaise with the Forward Fund Council and SITC staff to build major giving relationships.
- Mentor and support staff team, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and collaboration.
- Serve as a senior representative of SITC at external meetings and events, advancing the organization’s mission and partnerships.
- Operations & Administration
- Manage vendor relationships and RFP processes as needed.
- Ensure compliance with relevant fundraising regulations, ethical standards, and reporting requirements.
- Perform additional duties as assigned.
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Excellent organizational and verbal and written communication skills required. Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships across corporate, academic, and nonprofit sectors. Word processing and spreadsheet skills in MS Office environment essential.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or Certified Association Executive (CAE) or Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) designation preferred. Experience in business development, fundraising, or corporate relations, ideally within a scientific, healthcare, or nonprofit association setting preferred.
TRAVEL REQUIRED:
Approximately 4-6 weeks per year.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
This is a full-time position located in our office in downtown Milwaukee, WI and a minimum of two-days onsite in the office (including Wednesday as an all-staff-in-office day) are a requirement for the role.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: (lifting, packaging, etc.)
Occasional lifting of up to 50 lbs. may be required.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Early morning, evening and weekend work may be required to meet client needs.
Attendance at the annual meeting and at industry meetings is required.
