Economic Development Director Jobs in Gilbert, AZ

Description/Duties The current vacancies are for the Development Operations Assignment and Corporate Relations and Sponsorship Assignment; however, this recruitment will be used to establish a list for future vacancies in all assignment areas. The first review of all applications will be on Monday, June 1, 2026. An Arts and Culture Resources Developer is responsible for managing the development and fundraising across multiple sources for the Arts and Culture Department (including the Mesa Arts Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the idea Museum, and the Arizona Museum of Natural History); researching; developing grants for programs; and performing related duties as required.

Responsibilities include developing funding sources; implementing a broad number of fund-raising programs including corporate, foundation, state, and federal government grant applications; donor cultivation and stewardship events; supervising assigned volunteers; and coordinating development and fundraising efforts for exhibitions and programming through the Arts and Culture Department. An Arts and Culture Resources Developer will, at the direction of the Deputy Director for Development, serve as liaison to various Fundraising Committees through various venue Foundations. Duties also include coordinating fundraising programming for organizations, cultivating relationships with donors, researching topics, and planning and coordinating donor initiatives to complement the Department's mission and vision.

Working as a member of the Arts and Culture Development team, duties also include working with and collaborating with other managers on fundraising initiatives for the Department and other venues, as needed. Participate in internal meetings with a positive attitude that adheres to the City of Mesa and Arts and Culture Department values. This class may supervise office/clerical staff.

Development Operations Assignment: This assignment is responsible for coordinating the systems, processes, documentation, donor information, and reporting that support development and fundraising efforts for the Arts and Culture Department. The position will support the Development team by maintaining fundraising calendars; tracking proposals, reports, sponsorship benefits, acknowledgements, donor communications, campaign timelines, and other deliverables; and ensuring deadlines are met and work is completed accurately. Responsibilities include maintaining internal documentation, templates, procedures, and shared resources; supporting regular donor database review, gift documentation, and donor record accuracy; preparing gift, campaign, donor, sponsorship, grant, and fundraising activity reports; and assisting with analysis of fundraising progress, donor retention, campaign results, and stewardship efforts.

This assignment will coordinate with the Development team to support budgets, outcomes, supporting materials, donor records, grant and sponsorship documentation, benefit tracking, mailing lists, donor communications, and reporting requirements. The position will also serve as a liaison with the department's Finance and Marketing teams, as well as other City departments as needed, to support accurate gift documentation, reporting, acknowledgements, gift reconciliation support, donor communications, and compliance with City and Foundation procedures. Corporate Relations and Sponsorship Assignment: This assignment is responsible for developing, coordinating, and growing corporate relationships and sponsorship support for the Arts and Culture Department, including the Mesa Arts Center, the Mesa Contemporary Art Museum, the idea Museum, and the Arizona Museum of Natural History.

The position will work with the Deputy Director for Development to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate donors, business partners, and sponsorship prospects in support of exhibitions, festivals, programs, events, educational initiatives, and departmental priorities. Responsibilities include developing sponsorship strategies and proposals; coordinating sponsorship packages, agreements, recognition opportunities, and benefit fulfillment; maintaining accurate records of corporate prospects, commitments, deliverables, and communications; and ensuring that sponsorship deadlines and partner expectations are met. This assignment will work with the Development team, Marketing, venue staff, and other City departments, as needed, to translate sponsor goals and interests into appropriate recognition opportunities, collateral materials, donor communications, web content, social media content, publications, signage, event materials, and other sponsorship deliverables.

The position will also support sponsor stewardship by preparing reports, acknowledgments, renewal materials, and customized communications; coordinating sponsor participation in cultivation and stewardship activities; evaluating sponsorship performance and partner satisfaction; and coordinating partnerships with associated nonprofit foundations to retain, renew, and grow corporate support in alignment with City and foundation procedures. This class is supervised by the Deputy Director of Development, who reviews work through conferences, meetings, written reports, and overall results achieved. The position requires the ability to work non-standard hours including evenings, weekends, and some holidays.

This class is FLSA exempt-professional. Please refer to the link below for the full job description and additional information regarding assignments, preferred qualifications, and essential functions. Qualifications & Requirements Employee Values: All employees of the City of Mesa are expected to uphold and exhibit the City's shared employee values of Knowledge, Respect, and Integrity.

Minimum Qualifications Required. Any combination of training, education, and experience equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree in Arts Administration, Business Administration, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Philanthropy, Art Education, Fine Arts, Museum Studies or related field with considerable (3 - 5 years) experience in development, philanthropy, and/or fundraising. Special Requirement.

Must possess a valid Class D Arizona Driver's License within 30 days of hire or promotion date. Preferred/Desirable Qualifications. Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's Degree in Arts Administration, Business Administration, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Philanthropy, Art Education, Fine Arts, Museum Studies, or related field.

Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) Certification. Museum experience is desirable. Link to Job Description https://apps.mesaaz.gov/JobDescriptions/Documents/JobDescriptions/cs4638.pdf