Development Director

The Development Director leads the day-to-day management and strategic coordination of Erlanger Health Foundation's fundraising and operational activities. This position is responsible for ensuring excellence across major gifts, donor stewardship, CRM / data infrastructure, and corporate partnerships - all in service of delivering a seamless, donor-centered experience and maximizing philanthropic outcomes. This individual oversees key operational and relationship-driven staff and plays a hands-on leadership role in cultivating internal alignment, optimizing systems, and advancing a culture of transparency, and donor trust. As a member of the Director Leadership Team, the Development Director serves as a cross-functional collaborator and internal advocate for the Foundation's mission, strategy, and impact.

Key Job Responsibilities :

Directly supervise the Major Gifts Officer, Corporate Donor Relations Manager and Development Operations Manager, ensuring clarity of goals, accountability, and professional development.

Foster a high-performance culture focused on donor satisfaction, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

Coordinate day-day operations, workload balance, and cross-team alignment within the Foundation.

Partner with the VP, CDO to implement annual and multi-year fundraising plans focused on major giving, planned giving, and corporate support.

Guide portfolio development, pipeline, strategy, and donor cultivation efforts led by the Major Gifts Officer.

Support external donor engagement, campaign strategy sessions, and stewardship planning.

Ensure high-functioning development infrastructure including gift processing, data entry, reporting, and campaign tracking through oversight of the Development Operations Manager.

Oversee design and execution of stewardship plans, including acknowledgments, impact reports, legacy society communications. and recognition programs.

Collaborate with Communications and Creative teams to develop donor-facing materials that reflect the Foundation's voice, mission, and gratitude.

Ensure donor journeys are meaningful, personalized, and consistent across giving levels.

Serve as a collaborative peer on Erlanger's Director Leadership Team alongside Marketing, communications, Creative, Digital & Web Strategy, and Community Relations leaders.

Coordinate across departments to integrate fundraising efforts into brand campaigns, service line strategies, internal communications, and digital engagement.

Participate in strategic planning sessions, quarterly retreats, and system-wide leadership initiatives.

Work closely with hospital departments, service line leaders, and physician champions to align fundraising opportunities with organizational priorities.

Serve as a resource and partner to internal teams seeking philanthropic support, stewarding relationships and helping set expectations.

Help model a system-wide culture of philanthropy and shared responsibility for donor stewardship.

Education : Required :

Bachelor's degree in Nonprofit Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field.

Preferred : Experience :

Required :

Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in nonprofit development, operations, or donor stewardship.

Experience managing teams and leading performance-based fundraising or advancement programs.

Demonstrated proficiency in CRM / database systems and donor-centric operations.

Preferred : Experience :

Healthcare or higher education fundraising experience.

Familiarity with Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, or other fundraising platforms.

Certifications such as CFRE or date / operations certifications (e.g., Blackbaud)