Director, Donor Communications

New York Hall of Science • New York, NY

81d • $95,000 - $100,000

About The Position

The Director, Donor Communications, is a critical member of the Institutional Advancement (IA) team that overall raises $6–$7 million annually to support NYSCI’s work from private and public funders such as individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies. NYSCI is seeking a highly motivated, self-directed professional with superior communication, organizational, multi-tasking and problem-solving skills. This position is ideal for an experienced development grant writer and communicator who thrives working in close collaboration with fundraisers, program staff and organizational leadership in crafting compelling and high quality funding proposals, reports, presentations, etc. Reporting to the Sr. VP of Institutional Advancement, the Director, Donor Communications contributes to and implements the organization’s development-specific communication strategy – with the goal of planning and creating communications that educate, cultivate and inspire philanthropic support for and engagement with NYSCI. The Director’s primary responsibilities are to propose, create and execute new communications for internal and external audiences; evaluate, track, and measure results of communications activities across the department; provide day-to-day management of the communications calendar; and drive cross-departmental collaboration on the scheduling of communications to ensure well-timed engagement with key audiences. The role is designed for a hybrid work schedule, typically involving attendance 2-3 days per week on-site at NYSCI’s museum in Corona, Queens for team meetings, site visits, and special events.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, English, Museum Studies, Non-Profit Management, a related field of study, and/or its work experience equivalent.
• 5+ years of fundraising / advancement experience, with an emphasis on grant writing, record keeping and stewardship systems, and experience working within a complex organization.
• Commitment to the philosophy and mission of the New York Hall of Science.
• Experience collaborating with diverse teams (within department, cross departmental, and with external partners) including the ability to effectively lead and manage projects as well as harness team creativity and translate it into effective fundraising.
• Experience fundraising for a science center/natural history museum/children’s museum or STEM education institution is preferred but not required.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s Degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Write and edit letters of inquiry and funding proposals that build a compelling case for funders to support NYSCI.
• Manage the full-cycle process for grant awards, including the internal tracking of program deliverables and reporting deadlines; coordinate with other teams as necessary to ensure that funder requirements are met.
• Own day-to-day management of development communications plan and calendar, identifying partners and processes that support collaboration; train others in use of the calendar, proactively identifying potential scheduling conflicts and proposed solutions.
• Utilize data to evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies, audience engagement, and messaging, using insights to inform future efforts.
• Partner with NYSCI’s Marketing & Business Development Team to ensure all the materials produced by and for the IA team reflect the organization’s look and feel, as well as its brand guidelines.
• Oversee the writing of briefing notes, talking points, and other prep materials for the CAO and the CEO in advance of key donor / prospect meetings.
• Manage the work of two freelance grant writers who support the IA Team’s communications efforts.
• Assist in generating grant budgets and expenditure reports, in partnership with program and finance staff.
• Build strong working relationships with other teams to collaboratively shape individual funding requests, as well as NYSCI’s overall programmatic fundraising strategy.
• Use a CRM database (Raiser’s Edge) to track past submissions and upcoming deadlines.
• Collaborate with the Institutional Advancement leadership team to design and implement a strategic fundraising plan, focused on expanding contributed revenue to NYSCI.
• Stay informed of trends in philanthropy that may influence NYSCI’s approach to fundraising.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance options
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare, dependent care and commuter benefits
• Pension plan and 401k plan
• Free life insurance coverage
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• 13 paid holidays off
• Flexible work schedules
• Employee Assistance Program
• Free onsite parking

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees