Strategy Development Manager Jobs in Schenectady, NY

Description

Employment Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt 

Practice Group/Team: Operations

Organization Information

Empire Justice Center, a diverse and highly respected statewide legal services organization, seeks a Development Manager for our Operations team. This is an opportunity to join and grow in one of the most influential organizations serving marginalized low-income individuals and families in New York State. 

Empire Justice Center attracts and employs a diverse team of dedicated, determined, and passionate advocates who significantly impact the lives of low-income New Yorkers. We succeed through direct legal representation, high-impact litigation, and legislative and administrative advocacy. As an organization, we provide top-notch training and technical assistance to other advocates to ensure fairness and justice for New Yorkers. We thrive on our commitment to supporting justice for populations that have historically experienced severe oppression. These populations include racially diverse individuals and families experiencing poverty, housing insecurity, immigration issues, and domestic violence. Additionally, the organization advocates for people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, and school-age children facing discrimination and violations of their civil rights in schools.

Our offices in Rochester, Albany, Westchester County, and Long Island offer staff an exciting, dynamic, inclusive working environment with a solid commitment to work/life balance, teamwork, diversity, wellness, and personal/professional development. 

Position Summary 

Empire Justice Center is pleased to announce an opening for a Development Manager. The Development Manager will support the implementation of Empire Justice Center's fundraising strategy around unrestricted donations and grant funding. They will split their time between foundation work/grant writing, individual donors, and fundraising campaigns and appeals. The Development Manager will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts, leadership donors, annual donors, corporate sponsorships, and private foundations supporting the organization's funding priorities in New York State, outside Monroe County.

Salary

The referenced pay range/scale represents this job's estimated minimum and maximum compensation. Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within the job's compensation range and determined by factors including, but not limited to, education, experience, qualifications, the individual's expertise, market data, and internal equity considerations.

The salary for a Development Manager with 2 years of experience is $56,999, and for a Development Manager with 10 years of experience, it is $64,996. 

Benefits

We are an organization that supports and promotes a healthy work-life balance. Empire Justice Center offers a generous benefit package, including:

35-hour full-time work week.

Comprehensive health insurance plan.

403(b) eligibility - immediately eligible to begin contributing from your paycheck.

Immediate vesting upon hire - ALL contributions (both employee and employer).

o 1% employer match is eligible after 12 months of employment. 

o 3% non-elective annual contribution made by employer after 12 months of employment.

Generous vacation, sick, personal, and holiday time

o 14 Paid Holidays

o Vacation: 10.5 hours/month; Sick: 7 hours/month; Personal: 35 hours/year

Loan Repayment Assistance Program for qualifying employees.

Bilingual salary enhancement for qualifying employees.

Generous Bereavement Leave.

Employee Wellness Activities.

Voluntary Supplemental Disability.

Dental Insurance (employee paid).

Vision Insurance (employee paid).

$150K Group Term Life Insurance.

NYS Short-Term Disability.

FSA Eligibility.

Empire Justice Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and strongly desires a diverse and inclusive workforce. Empire Justice Center provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. It prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type, specifically - race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, disability status, genetics, neurodiversity, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. 

Requirements

 Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

Travel to and work in the Albany office is required to meet client and organizational needs.

o Hybrid. If the position is filled locally, it is eligible for a hybrid work request under the organizational policy.

Support the implementation of comprehensive fundraising strategies that align with the organization's mission, vision, values, and strategic plan.

Amplify the organization's mission/story and programs by gathering stories, testimonials, and photographs to create compelling and engaging outreach and fundraising campaigns that raise revenue and awareness.

Identify, cultivate, and solicit individual, corporate, and private foundation gifts.

Cultivate and maintain relationships with donors, corporate partners, and representatives from foundations.

Identify and draft proposals for corporate and foundation funding and manage report writing and submission for awarded grants. 

Develop and manage the organization's comprehensive individual giving strategy.

Provide strategic coaching, briefing materials, and solicitation guidance to program and executive staff, ensuring they are fully prepared to cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors. 

Serve as a direct relationship manager for select prospects and donors, taking the lead on cultivation and solicitation when appropriate and modeling best-in-class donor engagement practices.

Design and execute targeted email campaigns and appeals aimed at broadening and strengthening the base of small and mid-level donors.

Use data-driven insights to segment audiences, tailor messaging, and optimize donor conversion and retention.

Develop and manage stewardship plans across giving levels to ensure long-term donor satisfaction, retention, and growth.

Serve as lead administrator for the donor database, including developing a process for ensuring data is accurate and remains clean.

Serve as the point person for migration to a new CRM platform.

Assist in preparing reports for the External Relations Committee and Board of Trustees meetings and engage board members in development-related initiatives.

Lead and/or support the planning and implementation of special events, including friend-raisers, fundraisers, and annual galas. 

Prepare development-related content for social media and other publications.

Acknowledge all donations in a timely fashion.

Local travel may be required several times per month, including some evenings and weekends.

Work closely with the assigned supervisor and participate in regular supervision meetings, including the development of a work plan.

Ability to work in the office and the community, as determined by the supervisor.

Please note that all positions will supervise other practice group members if needed.

Due to limited resources, all staff are expected to perform administrative and other support-related duties to serve our clients and fulfill our mission as a non-profit legal services organization.

Other duties as assigned by your supervisor and/or to meet the organization's needs. 

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) 

Minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience in development, preferably in a nonprofit organization.

Proven self-starter with keen organizational, analytic, and project management skills.

Exceptional writing, editing, and project management skills.

Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and multitask while maintaining strict attention to detail.

Solid relationship-building skills; ability to interface with donors, trustees, volunteers, and colleagues throughout the organization professionally and effectively.

Excellent verbal communication skills; ability to create persuasive messages to multiple diverse audiences, both internal and external.

Self-starter and self-directed, with the ability to perform as a team player.

Proficiency in utilizing the Microsoft 365 Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, PowerPoint), Canva, and Adobe, with the ability to learn and adapt to other applications quickly. 

Familiarity with CRM and online donor platforms.

Experience with foundation proposal and report writing.

Flexibility and willingness to take on new responsibilities as the development program evolves.

Strong written communication skills, including proficiency in technology that facilitates the delivery of communication, documents, and other materials. 

Must demonstrate a high level of comfort and commitment to working with people from marginalized communities.

Practice effective time management and demonstrate an ability to meet deadlines. 

Administrative skills, including database and file management, and the ability to schedule appointments and manage calendars.

Skilled in problem management. 

Strong organizational and project management skills.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

This position requires extensive use of computers and phone/virtual meetings. As such, the person in the position must be able to remain stationary 50% of the time. The position requires constant computer operation and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer. The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand is crucial. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations. 

Our office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The ability to work additional hours during events and the year-end fundraising season is critical, but flexibility is key for the rest of the year. Some minimal travel may be required throughout New York State.

TO APPLY: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. If interested, please visit our "Work With Us" employment page on our website at www.empirejustice.org. Please submit a complete application, including a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and contact information for three professional references (one supervisor is required). Please refrain from making phone calls or sending hard copies. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

If reasonable accommodations are needed, please contact Mercedece Love, Human Resources and Compliance Manager, at mlove@empirejustice.org. Empire Justice Center is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Empire Justice Center ensures that persons with disabilities and/or communication barriers have reasonable accommodations.