Chief Development Officer

Job title: Chief Development Officer

About the Role

We are seeking a Chief Development Officer who is ambitious, experienced, and creative. The position sits on the executive leadership team and the candidate will serve as a thought partner on strategy and execution of the organization's fundraising plan during a critical period. The CDO will guide the growth of funding through thoughtful stewardship, proactive prospecting, and strategic leveraging of our networks to build a sustainable, high-impact organization.

What You'll Do

• External Leadership and Donor Engagement: Guide and direct all fundraising efforts, including major gifts from individuals and foundations and a digital membership program.

• Growth Strategy: Build a growth plan, engaging national donors and donors in cities and regions where we seek to establish or expand operations.

• Donor Stewardship: Guide and oversee donor stewardship program, including events and committee participation as well as Board and Donor Relations, and maintain relationships with top donors and prospects.

• Data Infrastructure: Develop a foundational donor data infrastructure in Salesforce to translate our strategy into segmentation, tracking and reporting systems that scale with growth.

• Persuasive Proposals: Review marketing materials and top-level grant proposals and reports, articulating a persuasive case for support.

• Team Management: Oversee, inspire and lead a team of development professionals responsible for major gifts, mid-level supporters, membership, grant-writing, and operations; assess and build out the development team's organizational structure; hire for vacancies; define role scope; identify gaps in capacity or expertise; advocate for the team's needs with senior leadership.

• Performance and Culture: Establish clear performance metrics, annual goals and accountability structures; oversee professional development plans and strengthen fundraising competencies; foster a collaborative, mission-aligned, respectful and high-performing culture; ensure deadlines are met, acknowledgements are sent, and potential supporters are engaged.

• Organizational Leadership: Work with the CFO to set annual budgets and fundraising goals; collaborate with teams across the organization to leverage insights from editorial, product, and audience departments; work with the CEO to plan board meetings, build strategy and execute board development activities, and deepen board members' engagement; attend industry conferences and events across the US and collaborate with others in the nonprofit media field to share experiences and learning.

• Who You'll Work With: The CEO, CFO, Chief Strategy Officer, Publisher of The Marshall Project Inside, the Board of Directors, the Editor-in-Chief and editorial staff, and the development team. The team includes: Senior Development Writer; Director of Major Gifts & Strategy, East; Director of Major Gifts & Strategy, West; Membership Manager; Development Operations Manager.

What We're Looking For

• Ambitious, experienced, and creative leader with executive experience on a leadership team.
• Strong communication and management skills; ability to balance leadership, board, funders, donors, and team.
• Proven track record in fundraising (major gifts from individuals and foundations and digital membership), donor stewardship, and building data infrastructure (Salesforce).
• Ability to build strategy, set budgets and fundraising goals, collaborate across editorial/product/audience teams, and engage a broad donor network.
• Excellent people, project, and time management skills.

Nice to Have

• Entrepreneurial mindset; ability to operate as an inspiring, strategic, and transformational leader.