POSITION SUMMARY
The Director of Development is the senior staff leader responsible for designing, executing, and owning Greenville Symphony’s fundraising strategy. This role holds direct accountability for meeting annual revenue targets across individual giving, corporate sponsorship, grants, and planned giving, while
managing a robust personal portfolio of donors. The Director will lead the development function from an activity-based operation into a results-driven revenue engine, building sustainable systems, donor pipelines, and a high-performing team culture oriented toward measurable growth.
This role leads a team of three (Donor Relations Coordinator, Development Events Coordinator, and a contract Grant Writer) and partners closely with the Executive Director and Music Director, both of whom play active roles in fundraising. The Director of Development is responsible for coordinating these efforts
into a unified, strategic, and accountable development operation.
This is a strategic leadership position reporting to the Executive Director, with regular reporting to the Board of Directors on progress against revenue goals.
Key Partnerships (not direct reports, but critical collaborators):
- Executive Director — Maintains their own major gifts portfolio and is actively engaged in solicitation; the Director of Development will coordinate closely with the ED to ensure a unified major-gifts strategy, avoid donor-cultivation overlap, and align messaging and targets.
- Music Director — A key fundraising asset, particularly for donor cultivation events, major-gift visits, and donor stewardship touchpoints where artistic vision and personal connection drive giving. The Director of Development will work closely with the Music Director to strategically deploy their time and relationships for maximum fundraising impact.
REPORTS TO: Executive Director
CLOSE COLLABORATORS: Artistic Operations, Accounting, and Marketing
HOURS/WEEK:
- 36 hours office work week, plus concerts, special and community events
- Full time, exempt
- Because this role involves close collaboration and on-site activity, it is primarily based on location. Limited remote work opportunities and flexible schedule arrangements are available.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & OUTCOMES
Revenue Generation & Strategy
- Own and achieve the annual development revenue target, broken down across:
- Individual/major gifts
- Corporate sponsorships
- Grants (foundation/government)
- Planned giving
- Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy with clear quarterly and annual benchmarks.
- Build and manage a qualified major-gift pipeline, personally cultivating and soliciting gifts at the $3,500 level and above
- Coordinate a unified major-gifts strategy across the Director of Development’s own portfolio and the Executive Director’s portfolio, ensuring clear donor assignment, no duplication of outreach, and shared visibility into pipeline status
- Identify and secure new corporate sponsorship and foundation grant opportunities to diversify andgrow the revenue base
Donor Pipeline & Retention
Implement a moves-management system to track donor cultivation and solicitation progress with measurable conversion benchmarks
Team Leadership & Infrastructure
- Directly supervise and manage performance of the Donor Relations Coordinator, Development Events Coordinator, and contract Grant Writer, setting clear individual targets aligned to overall revenue goals
- Ensure the Grant Writer’s proposal pipeline is strategically aligned with funding priorities and submission deadlines
- Oversee Development Events Coordinator’s event calendar to ensure events are designed as donor cultivation/solicitation tools, not solely social gatherings, with measurable fundraising outcomes attached
- Establish and maintain accurate donor database/CRM systems (led operationally by Donor Relations Coordinator) to support data-driven decision-making
- Provide regular revenue-vs.-target reporting to the Executive Director and timely reporting to the Board at meetings
- Develop budgets for each event and campaign; monitor the progress of each, and adjust plans when necessary.
- Work closely with the Executive Director and other designated staff in long-range planning for the GSO; prepare budget projections as needed.
Board & Organizational Partnership
- Equip and support Board of Directors in donor cultivation and solicitation activities
- Strategically engage the Music Director in donor cultivation including donor events, one-on-one major-donor meetings, and stewardship communications to leverage artistic relationships as a fundraising asset
- Partner with the Executive Director on strategic fundraising campaigns, including capital or endowment initiatives as needed
- Staff board committees with development focus
Other
- Develop and maintain internal and external contacts to optimize fund-raising efforts.
- Maintain ongoing contact with contributors, corporate sponsors, and business and community leaders.
- Keep abreast of recent research on fund raising; maintain a collection of current fund-raising resource materials.
- Attend GSO performance events; represent the GSO at other civic and cultural events, as needed.
- Represent the GSO in a manner that demonstrates the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- 5+ years of progressive development experience
- Demonstrated success personally soliciting and closing major gifts (please provide specific gift-size experience in resume)
- Experience coordinating fundraising efforts across multiple stakeholders (e.g., executive leadership, board members, or other non-development staff with donor relationships)
- Proven experience managing a development budget and reporting against measurable targets
- Experience with donor database/CRM systems and data-driven fundraising strategy
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience
Preferred
- Love for classical music and the impact of orchestras in their communities
- Experience in performing arts or cultural nonprofit fundraising
- Experience leading capital campaigns or major institutional giving initiatives
WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Use of an office phone, computer and internet is required
- Must have a valid driver’s license and own transportation
- This job will be based in Greenville Symphony’s offices in downtown Greenville
- A cell phone and remote access to e-mail and office files are required, as many tasks take place offsite
- Ability to occasionally carry materials or signage
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Salary is competitive. Range is available upon request and commensurate with experience and track record.
- Salary will be determined based on demonstrated, documented fundraising results in prior roles
- Performance-based incentive structure may be considered for exceeding annual revenue targets
- Full benefits package
The Greenville Symphony offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, 401K matching, and generous paid time off.
HOW TO APPLY
Send resume and cover letter to Jessica Satava, Executive Director, at jsatava@greenvillesymphony.org
ABOUT THE GREENVILLE SYMPHONY
As an educational and cultural ambassador for Greenville and South Carolina, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra (GSO) is a resource that builds community by providing excellence in live musical performance, educating minds, and engaging our community through the unifying power of music.
A core roster of 67 professional musicians perform over 30 public ticketed concerts annually at venues including the Peace Center, the Peace Center Gunter Theatre, and at various venues across the region. The Greenville Symphony has been the anchoring cultural offering of the upstate for more than 75 years.
Our programs are designed for every age and listener. Annually, the orchestra offers more than 100 free events that serve 25,000 people in the South Carolina Upstate. Our board, orchestra musicians, and leadership are passionate about supporting and promoting our local music teachers, and our community arts partners like the SC Children’s Theatre, the Greenville Chorale, International Ballet, Greenville Youth
Chorale, Sigal Music Museum, Greenville County Youth Orchestra, and the Carolina Youth Symphony.
As the Greenville Symphony continues to evolve with a rapidly growing Greenville, we are investing in high- quality musicians and staff, enriching programmatic offerings, and enhancing community impact through educational engagement.