Director, Professional Development

The Association for Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is looking for a Director of Professional Development.  This permanent, full-time position is located in Arlington, VA. The incumbent is required to come to AFP headquarters located in Arlington, Virginia two days/week – Tuesday and Wednesday.

Position Summary:  

The Director of Professional Development is a key member of the Professional Development team, which is responsible for providing relevant quality education to AFP’s network of fundraising professionals.  The Director will be responsible for leading and managing the development and delivery of leading edge, transformative, research-based professional development programs and organizational effectiveness interventions that support AFP’s mission and vision, meet membership and stakeholder needs. In this role, the Director will ensure delivery of impactful, high-quality programs (new and existing). The Director ensures the successful design, delivery, management and evaluation of AFP’s professional development programs and products.  Reports to the Vice President of Professional Development (PD), works closely with AFP staff, contractors, volunteers, vendors and service providers.

Major Duties & Responsibilities:

• Supports the Vice President of PD and collaborates with the Sr. Director of PD to provide strategic direction and hands-on planning, implementation, and management of AFP’s professional development programs and products, including current and future conferences (e.g., ICON, LEAD), workshops, courses, and programs and products in multiple modalities (e.g., face-to-face, digital/virtual, blended, synchronous, asynchronous, etc.).
• Ensures development of programs and products in support of/alignment with the learning pathway, including but not limited to fundraising skills and techniques, trends and innovation, leadership development, non-profit management, career development, and credentialing.
• Supports the ongoing design, delivery, maintenance and evaluation of AFP’s learning pathway that provides professional development opportunities to members and constituents at every stage of their career.
• Drives synergies and integration with other current and future strategic professional development priorities (e.g., leadership development, mental health wellness and self-care, industry verticals, ethics, IDEA – inclusion, diversity, equity and access, and anti-racism.)
• Develops and manages budgets related to professional development programs and products, and ensures financial accountability and stewardship. Analyzes expenses and makes recommendations for changes to vendors and service providers, as appropriate.
• Works with AFP marketing/communications and membership teams and other stakeholders to develop effective sales and marketing strategies, tactics, copy, creative, and other collateral to promote AFP’s professional development programs and products as appropriate. Helps to ensure the professional development-related content on the AFP website is update and presented in accordance with industry standards.
• Stays abreast of current trends, best practices, and technologies related to professional development, education and training, and adult learning. Ensures that knowledge and insights inform continuous improvement of AFP professional development programs and products with the goal of delivering innovative learning solutions, tools, and processes and to accelerate our members’ effectiveness in their roles as fundraisers and nonprofit leaders.
• Other duties and special projects as assigned.
• May require occasional travel and weekend work.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• The ideal candidate will be able to seamlessly interact with and navigate various leadership levels to grow and develop increased leadership opportunities.
• The Director will focus on implementing digital education programs infused with current research and best practices in culturally focused programming.
• Knowledge of concepts and principles related to program management, adult learning, and instructional design.
• Outstanding oral and written communication, collaboration and interpersonal skills.
• Strong project management skills, detail and deadline-oriented, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, creative and innovative.
• Self-starter with ability to prioritize and multitask many priorities simultaneously.
• Strong business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit and team player.
• Working knowledge of MS Office, databases, LMS, registration systems, etc.
• Comfortable with complexity, change and ambiguity.
• Fiscal responsibility for keeping programs on budget.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 8-10 years of progressively responsible experience in professional development program management and/or adult learning.
• Non-profit/association background preferred.
• Experience working in the design of programmatic content for conferences.

Impact on End Results:

This position plays a significant role in supporting AFP’s strategic goal to provide relevant, quality leadership, development, education and strengthen AFP’s capacity and connectivity.

About AFP

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is the professional association of individuals and organizations that generate philanthropic support for a wide variety of charitable institutions. Founded in 1960, AFP advances philanthropy through its 26,000 members in more than 240 chapters throughout the world. AFP has inspired global change and supported efforts that have generated over $1 trillion. AFP’s individual and organizational members raise over $115 billion annually.