Senior Director of Advancement

SSP International, Inc. • Wilmington, DE

5d • Remote

About The Position

SSP International, Inc. (SSPI) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing transformational opportunities in science education. The organization, founded in 1959 with the Summer Science Program, now engages young people, scientists, educators, and alumni through scientific inquiry, collaboration, and a sense of belonging. SSPI's 10-year strategic plan focuses on Scale, Diversify, and Transform, aiming to expand access to its programs, support students through mentorship, and introduce new science teaching approaches. The organization is also fostering deeper partnerships and increasing its international reach. The Senior Director of Advancement will be SSPI’s senior fundraiser and a key member of the leadership team, responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive advancement strategy to support a $1 million annual fundraising goal and build infrastructure for future growth. This is a hands-on role requiring strategic thinking and daily execution, involving direct cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donors and institutional partners. The Senior Director will oversee a small team and work collaboratively on all aspects of fundraising. They will also engage with the CEO, Board of Directors, program leaders, alumni, scientists, educators, and other ambassadors to expand SSPI’s philanthropic community. The ideal candidate will have experience as a senior advancement leader in a large national non-profit, science, or education organization, with a proven ability to shape strategy, lead teams, and close significant gifts. This role is crucial for building SSPI’s advancement and alumni functions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, philanthropy, business, communications, marketing, public relations, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible fundraising or advancement experience, preferably in organizations with national reach.
• Strategic leadership and systems thinking, with demonstrated ability to translate organizational priorities into actionable fundraising and alumni engagement strategies partnering with the Senior Director of External Affairs where appropriate.
• Strong people leadership and coaching skills, with demonstrated ability to lead and support staff, set expectations, provide constructive feedback, and foster accountability and professional growth.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing annual and multi-year fundraising strategies that produce measurable revenue growth, including significant experience directly cultivating and soliciting five- and six-figure gifts.
• Proven record of cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts and establishing lasting relationships with individuals, institutional funders, and corporate partners in the science, technology, pharmaceutical, higher education, or related sectors.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with executive leaders and board of directors to develop fundraising priorities, engage funders, and advance organizational objectives.
• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and relationship-building skills, including the ability to communicate a compelling case for support to varied audiences.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing and effectively leveraging fundraising and CRM systems (such as Raiser’s Edge or comparable platforms) to inform strategy, support pipeline management, and ensure accurate reporting and data integrity.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and the ability to learn and effectively use the technology required to lead.
• Self-motivated with a demonstrated ability to work independently in a fully remote environment, effectively managing time, prioritizing tasks, and meeting deadlines while staying responsive and communicative.
• Demonstrates commitment to SSPI’s Mission and Values in their daily work and interactions.
• Authorization to work in the United States.
• Background clearance.

Nice To Haves

• An advanced degree and/or CFRE credential is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Translate organizational strategy into a clear, actionable fundraising strategy, identifying emerging revenue opportunities and assessing their potential and alignment.
• Move fluidly between strategy and hands-on execution, developing multi-year fundraising plans while remaining actively involved in the day-to-day work required to carry them out.
• Translate advancement data and donor trends into strategic recommendations.
• Directly manage a portfolio of significant donors and prospects and be comfortable cultivating relationships, making the ask, and closing gifts.
• Create mutually beneficial partnerships between companies and SSPI, with an understanding of corporate priorities including workforce development, STEM education, scientific innovation, and community investment.
• Work closely with the CEO as a strategic partner and equip Board members with clear, specific, and achievable engagement opportunities.
• Build and lead a high-performing advancement and alumni relations team in a fully remote environment, coaching staff, setting expectations, and creating a collaborative culture.
• Adapt and improve SSPI’s advancement strategy and implement a comprehensive annual and multi-year strategy, with a near-term goal of $1 million in annual fundraising while building the pipeline required for future growth.
• Develop and execute a balanced and sustainable revenue strategy across major gifts, foundations, corporations, government funding, annual giving, events, and other opportunities.
• Align fundraising priorities with SSPI’s 10-year strategic plan, programmatic goals, and growth objectives.
• Establish revenue targets, forecasts, and performance measures, using results and emerging trends to guide decisions and adjust strategy.
• Build a national corporate partnership strategy and cultivate relationships with corporate giving teams, foundations, and CSR/ESG leaders.
• Develop compelling partnership opportunities that connect SSPI’s mission with corporate or foundation priorities.
• Support and partner with the Director of Corporate and Foundation Giving to identify, prioritize, cultivate, and solicit high-value prospects, directly engaging senior institutional partners and supporting significant solicitations.
• Ensure proposals communicate clear outcomes, compelling evidence of impact, and a strong case for investment.
• Increase the proportion of multi-year, unrestricted, and strategically aligned institutional gifts.
• Develop an integrated fundraising and engagement strategy for alumni, individuals, families, faculty, and friends of SSPI.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospects, including high-capacity alumni, individuals, and families.
• Create a clear pipeline and meaningful pathways for alumni to become donors, ambassadors, mentors, connectors, and advocates through annual and planned giving.
• Build a consistent stewardship program that recognizes donors, demonstrates the impact of their support, and encourages continued and increased giving.
• Partner closely with the Alumni Relations team to support and enhance a comprehensive engagement framework for alumni, providing executive oversight for regional meetups, localized chapters, and virtual programming to deepen lifelong affinity and donor conversion.
• Spearhead the expansion of SSPI’s newly launched membership program by identifying market trends, setting member acquisition and renewal goals, designing high-value member benefits, and executing data-driven recruitment campaigns to sustainably increase annual recurring revenue.
• Ensure cross-departmental coordination on marketing and communication needs for the membership program.
• Serve as the advancement liaison for the External Affairs Committee of the Board, working closely with the Committee Chair and CEO to advance fundraising priorities.
• Provide Board members with clear, specific opportunities to open doors, cultivate prospects, solicit gifts, and steward donors.
• Equip Board members with the information, materials, and coaching needed to participate confidently and effectively in fundraising.
• Oversee and ensure effective use of SSPI’s CRM and other systems for prospect management, donor engagement, alumni relations, gift processing, and reporting.
• Optimize standards for prospect research, gift recording, acknowledgements, and reporting.
• Manage the advancement budget, fundraising calendar, and departmental priorities to ensure the team remains focused and follows through on commitments.
• Ensure advancement practices comply with organizational policies, donor restrictions, and applicable legal and ethical standards.
• Directly supervise and develop the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Development Coordinator, and Alumni Engagement Manager while indirectly providing leadership to the Events and Alumni Programs Coordinator.
• Establish clear annual goals and measurable performance expectations for the team.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, coaching, feedback, and professional development conversations with direct reports.
• Build effective remote workflows and communication practices for the team.
• Create a culture of accountability, collaboration, experimentation, and continuous improvement within the advancement team.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Salary: $180,000 annually commensurate with experience
• Full-time, exempt schedule
• Remote, United States location
• Approximately 15-25 days per year travel required
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Opportunity to work with a mission-driven organization focused on science education and transformational opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior