Director of Development & Communications

KIPP St. Louis Public Schools•St. Louis, MO

1d•$85,000 - $120,000

About The Position

KIPP St. Louis has unveiled an ambitious five-year Strategic Plan 2030. The Director of Development and Communications serves as the region’s fundraising leader and chief architect of external positioning in service of this plan. The Director is accountable for achieving the annual philanthropic revenue goal (currently $1.75M+) and for ensuring that communications directly advance revenue, enrollment stability, talent recruitment, and Board engagement. The Director owns outcomes. The Manager owns execution.

Requirements

Managing complex cross-functional projects with precision and follow-through
Leading people and projects to drive results
Clear, compelling, concise written and verbal communication
Driving clarity in ambiguous environments
Maintain emotional comportment in tough situations
Exceptional communication and influencing skills; both written and verbal
Strong strategic planning, project, and budget management skills, and
Self-starter with the ability to effectively backwards plan, juggle multiple priorities with great attention to detail, and deliver consistent and timely results.
Effective fundraising and cultivation strategies
Creating and refining rapid response messaging
Planning and hosting exemplary events and fundraisers.
Bachelor’s degree
5–7+ years of leadership experience in fundraising, development or external affairs
Demonstrated success managing or contributing to $1M+annual fundraising goal
Exceptional communication, strategic planning, and project management skills.
Demonstrated success in developing and implementing effective fundraising strategies multiple revenue streams
Proven track record of developing successful partnerships with organizations, businesses, and public sector agencies.
Strong strategic planning, project, and budget management skills.
Experience developing external messaging, donor communications, or brand narrative

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with CRM systems and pipeline management
Experience in K-12 education or youth serving non profits

Responsibilities

Strategic Fundraising & Revenue Leadership Develop and execute a multi-year philanthropic roadmap aligned to Strategic Plan 2030 priorities.
Establish annual and multi-year fundraising goals across foundations, corporations, major gifts, and events.
Personally manage a defined portfolio of high-capacity donors and foundation prospects.
Develop and lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for major gifts.
Lead overall grant strategy and approve major submissions.
Ensure grant budgets align with broader financial planning.
Conduct quarterly revenue forecasting and variance analysis.
Provide monthly fundraising performance reports to the CEO and Board quarterly.
Board Fundraising Activation Design and implement a Board fundraising engagement plan.
Conduct individual giving-and-getting conversations with Board members.
Provide clear dashboards and fundraising tools to support Board engagement.
External Narrative & Organizational Positioning Set the region’s external narrative and positioning strategy.
Ensure storytelling aligns directly with fundraising priorities.
Align messaging across fundraising materials, impact reports, website content, and public statements.
Serve as liaison to the KIPP Foundation for external affairs.
Lead revision of the regional internal communications strategy to prioritize impact over volume, ensuring clarity, consistency, and strategic alignment.
Define clear standards and templates for schools and regional teams to maintain brand integrity and reduce duplication.
Design and implement organization donor event strategy Set revenue goals and strategic objectives for signature events.
Evaluate event ROI and strategic alignment.
Delegate logistics and execution management to the Manager.
Tier work into 'must hit,' 'seasonal,' and 'capacity-permitting' priorities, with fundraising outcomes taking precedence when trade-offs arise.

Benefits

$0 deductible healthcare plan option, including medical, vision, and dental.
Employer Paid Short-Term Disability.
$50,000 life insurance policy at no cost to the employee.
Retirement plan through PSSRSSL with an employer match up to 14% and an optional 403b as a supplement to our pension program
Employee Recognition: When we succeed together, we celebrate together with our annual gala award ceremony, holiday party, and more!
Public Service student loan forgiveness program qualified employer.
Ongoing professional development.
Paid leave for illness, personal days, bereavement, jury duty, and military-related leave
Paid parental leave for new families
Paid holidays, as well as a one-week Thanksgiving break, a two-week winter break, a week-long spring break
Wellness days provided throughout the year