Senior Director of Development

ABOUT THE PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA

The Paley Center for Media is the world’s leading 501 (c)(3) nonprofit cultural institution whose mission is to preserve our media history and to explore media’s powerful shaping influence on our culture.

The Paley Center for Media owns the iconic, New York Paley Museum where media, sports, gaming, tech, and entertainment come together, and during the year, produces unmatched programs for the public and industry. On the public side, programs celebrate the very best of television, digital content, and interactive entertainment. On the industry side, the Paley Center convenes the most influential business leaders to explore and debate the most critical issues and opportunities within the industry while also fostering a sense of community amongst peers. Through its respected Paley Impact series, programs educate and explore how media impacts culture and shapes public discourse on important societal issues.

At the heart of the Paley Center sits the Paley Archive, which represents the largest public collection of its kind and is often cited as a national treasure, with over 160,000 programs spanning more than 100 years. This collection also serves as an incredible resource for K-12 educators and students nationwide that are served through its respected education classes.

Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator in the industry. For more information, please visit paleycenter.org.

Scope

The Senior Director of Development has a goal of helping to raise $10 million in contributed income annually. The Senior Director will leverage the Paley Center’s existing donors and identify, cultivate, and secure new philanthropic support and sponsorships. The Senior Director will maintain up-to-date pipelines of prospects and manage all communications with existing and potential donors to ensure the highest level of donor engagement and satisfaction. The Senior Director is also responsible for implementing best practices, keeping up to date with fundraising trends, and ensuring that appropriate systems and development procedures are in place.

The Senior Director has primary responsibility in tandem with the VP Development for managing, overseeing and leading all fundraising initiatives, including membership, foundation, corporate and government grants, gala events, sponsorships, major gifts and other sources of contributed income. The successful candidate will be an entrepreneurial, results-driven, senior development professional with a proven track record of success in cultivating relationships. A strategic vision to maximize contributed income.

The Senior Director will help manage the team alongside the VP, Development of fundraising professionals in New York and Los Angeles, who have responsibility for individual giving, membership and patron programs, corporate sponsorships and memberships, galas, foundation, and government grants, third party rentals, client services and database management.

Responsibilities

• Effectively manage and meet revenue goals to support the Paley Center’s operations in New York City and Los Angeles
• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy that identifies, secures, and grows the donor base in New York City and Los Angeles to meet fundraising targets, including
• Corporate, President’s Circle, Patron Circle and Individual Memberships
• Sponsorships
• Private and corporate foundations and government giving
• Two annual fundraising galas (NY & LA) and a fundraising luncheon (NY)
• Other sources, such as major gifts, capital campaigns and planned giving
• Serve as a front-line solicitor to nurture relationships with existing donors and identify and secure new support to increase contributed income from individuals and institutions
• Develop compelling grant proposals and sponsorship decks to secure support for high-profile annual television festivals, exhibits, and a wide array of public programs featuring celebrities and media leaders and innovators
• Research, identify, and secure new support for two annual Paley Honors galas celebrating achievements in television, one in New York in the Spring and one in the fall in Los Angeles, as well as a Paley Honors luncheon in New York
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts, including increasing membership in the Patron Circle and President’s Circle donor groups
• Monitor all donor information and prepare statistical analysis and reports for the VP, Development, President, CEO and executive team
• Manage all logistics to ensure a seamless execution of Development events
• Help supervise and mentor a team of development professionals
• Regularly attend all Paley programs, VIP receptions and donor cultivation events
• Engage as a Paley Ambassador for social media initiatives by actively sharing Paley’s social media posts within one’s own networks, to amplify the organization’s reach and foster community engagement
• Execute on and support other programs and projects as assigned by Paley executive team

Core Competencies

Our successful employees meet the following criteria:

• Highly organized with proven ability to meet deadlines and budgets
• Outstanding leadership skills and ability to lead cross functional teams
• Ability to take ownership of all tasks and manage simultaneously
• Outstanding verbal communication and superior business writing skills
• Positive and professional demeanor with excellent interpersonal, administrative, and managerial skills
• Ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail
• Resourcefulness, creativity, and strong-problem solving, and research skills

Requirements

• 10 years of progressive experience in fundraising, business development, or revenue generating leaderships roles, with a proven track record of securing six and seven-figure commitments
• Knowledge and understanding of the New York and Los Angeles fundraising communities with a strong network of relationships with high-net-worth individuals, program officers, and corporate social responsibility executives
• Knowledge and understanding of issues and key players in the media/communications industry
• Strong network of personal contacts with the ability to extend, develop and nurture donor relationships
• Strategic thinker with in-depth knowledge of fundraising methodology including prospect research, proposal preparation, and the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donors
• Excellent and proven knowledge of fundraising and best practices
• Experience with budget preparation and managing record keeping and fulfillment
• Must have a proactive, energetic, engaging personality with the ability to communicate (verbal and written) with all levels throughout the organization
• Possess the ability to lead, train, motivate, manage, and inspire cross functional teams to their peak performance
• Strong work ethic with desire and preference to work in-person as part of a cohesive, collaborative, high-energy, in-the-office work environment
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish a plus

Total Compensation Range: $150,000 - $250,000

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

The Paley Center for Media maintains a strong policy of equal opportunity in employment. It is our objective to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Our equal employment philosophy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, job benefits, and terminations.