Chief Development Officer

Job Title: Chief Development Officer

Department: Development

Location: Hybrid/Virtual within Washington D.C. Metro area

Reports to: President

Direct Reports: Yes

Classification: Exempt

Position Type: Full-time 

Pay Band: $159,000 - $238,000

General Description

The Chief Development Officer is a senior executive responsible for building and leading the infrastructure that supports a $35M+ fundraising operation. This role is primarily focused on enterprise-level strategy and operational leadership rather than direct frontline fundraising. While the CDO serves as a key thought partner to the President, CEO, Board of Directors, and Executive Leadership Team on major donor strategy and high-level engagements, the core responsibility of the role is to design, implement, and continuously strengthen the systems, structures, and capabilities that enable a high-performing development function.

The ideal candidate is a systems-oriented leader and organizational builder who excels in creating operational clarity, scalable processes, and data-informed decision-making frameworks. They bring a strong focus on executional excellence, pipeline discipline, and cross-functional alignment. This leader will oversee a comprehensive Development function that includes major and principal gifts, capital campaigns, corporate and foundation partnerships, direct marketing, planned giving and endowment, donor operations, and stewardship. They ensure each area operates with clear goals, defined accountability, and consistent performance measurement aligned to organizational priorities.

The Chief Development Officer must be able to travel overnight several times per year to attend leadership retreats, staff off-sites, and organization-wide events. Participation in these gatherings is an essential function of the role.

*The Chief Development Officer must reside in Washington D.C. Metro area.

See full job description here.