Chief Advancement Officer

• Effective team manager with a track record of mentoring, motivating, and supporting staff

• Proficient with advancement software, database programs, and operational tools

• Familiarity with the Detroit Jewish community is a plus, though not required

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Executive Leadership & Strategic Integration

• Architect of the "Advancement Engine": Lead the integration of marketing, development, and recruitment into a synchronized, multi-year institutional strategy

• Departmental Supervision: Manage, mentor, and set clear professional goals for the three department Directors (Admissions/Recruitment, Development, and MarComm), fostering an aligned team environment

• Board & Committee Governance: Attend all Board of Trustees meetings, staff the Development Committee, and actively support the Development Committee Chair

• Financial & Resource Oversight: Develop and manage the comprehensive annual Advancement budget, directly linked to FJA's strategic and financial priorities

• Data-Driven Reporting: Report to the Board on high-level "confidence indicators" and institutional health metrics

• Development & Capital Campaign Leadership

• Major Gift Cultivation: Move from hitting short-term end-of-year targets to managing multi-year major gift strategies; identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership donors and top prospects

• Executive Solicitations: Accompany and strategically brief the Head of School, Board members, and volunteer leadership during direct, high-net-worth solicitations

• Future-Proofing & Campaign Prep: Design and prepare comprehensive campaign guidelines for capital campaigns and future facility upgrades and renovations

• Endowment & Legacy Giving: Develop and implement an effective planned giving program while fostering close working relationships with the Jewish Federation of Detroit

• Grants (Liaison Role): Serve as a liaison between program staff and grant writers to help steward the school's existing grants portfolio; this is not a grant-writing position

• Alumni Council Activation: Oversee the structural expansion of alumni relations, including activating the Alumni Council and starting an alumni mentor program

• Marketing & Communications (MarComm) Oversight

• The Story Engine: Direct the MarComm team to move beyond simple updates toward building a robust "story engine" that shares concrete proof points of alumni success and student growth

• Brand Placement: Oversee long-range internal and external marketing plans, ensuring high visibility of cultural and academic milestones like the "Portrait of a Graduate"

• Reputation Management: Ensure all electronic communications, school publications, and website strategies advance FJA's reputation for academic excellence and Jewish values

• Admissions & Recruitment Strategy

• Pipeline Expansion: Guide the Admissions team to build a powerful recruitment pipeline through robust community partnerships

• Regional Dominance: Strategize outreach to ensure FJA is the definitive "default option" for Jewishly engaged families within a 60-minute geographic radius

• Event & Data Integration: Align admissions parlor meetings, tours, and recruitment dates with the integrated development and marketing calendar

• Community & Event Presence: While not an event-planning role, the CAO is expected to attend school and community events, engage donors there, and stay connected to broader Jewish community happenings

Qualifications and Experience

• Education: Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred

• Experience: Minimum 7 years senior development and advancement leadership experience, ideally within an independent school or Jewish communal setting

• Campaign Provenance: Significant personal involvement and documented success in capital campaigns, major gift programs, and direct solicitations from high-net-worth individuals and foundations

• Strategic Acumen: Well-versed in high-level strategic planning, operational data analysis, and long-term pipeline development

• Systems Literacy: Proficient with advancement software, operational tools, and donor database ecosystems

• Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with a proven record of motivating and mentoring staff