Vice President, Strategic Development

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance was founded in 1972 and is one of the nation’s best-known and most effective arts service organizations.  We operate in five counties surrounding Philadelphia, and also serve southern New Jersey and Northern Delaware as part of our metropolitan region.  We have over 450 nonprofit and for-profit members, but the Alliance serves the entire cultural sector – over 1,500 performing arts, visual arts, history, science, horticulture, arts education, community art centers and other cultural organizations. 

We are currently searching for a Vice President, Strategic Development to join our team.

Position Summary

The Vice President of Strategic Development position reports directly to the President and functions as part of the Senior Leadership Team of the Alliance, working closely with Programming and Finance leadership to achieve the Cultural Alliance’s strategic goals and to sustain our work.  It is a highly visible leadership role in the arts and culture sector of Greater Philadelphia, acting as an ambassador, connector and resource.  The key challenge of this position is to realize the Alliance’s contributed revenue goals and to align our development, communications and research strategies with the organization’s strategic goals. 

The Vice President of Strategic Development leads key aspects of the Cultural Alliance’s external relations, facilitating the coordination of fundraising, communications and research strategies.  This requires management of all department staff, monitoring the attainment of departmental goals and oversight of the department budget.  Along with other members of the Senior Management Team, the Vice President of Strategic Development helps ensure the integration, coordination and implementation of the Alliance’s key strategic initiatives, policies, programs and activities across all departments.

Primary Role & Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the President and Senior Leadership Team to define projects and approaches for development, communications, and research 
• Create and manage the annual Strategic Development Department budget to effectively meet departmental goals and key metrics
• Manage direct reports and additional consultant and contract support hired on a project basis
• Manage and oversee metrics, capitalizing on data and insights to drive decision-making
• Ensure that the Alliance is adhering to its strategic plan, delivering status reports to the board
• In coordination with President and Senior Leadership Team, pursue and facilitate beneficial partnerships with funders, donors, and key stakeholders to reach contributed revenue requirements
• Oversee all fundraising activities, including individual and board giving, foundation strategies, and corporate grants/sponsorships, as well as earned revenue from membership dues.
• Manage relationships with the Alliance’s current and potential institutional funders, keeping them abreast of the organization’s work and determining projects that align our priorities with theirs
• Direct foundation relations, stewarding relationships, developing grant application strategies, writing applications and the timely submission of reports
• Design major-gifts strategies in close partnership with the President, including management of the Cultural Cabinet
• Engage the Board in fundraising activities, supporting the Development Committee and the board giving campaign
• Serve as staff liaison to the Development Committee, and supporting the work of board committees’ relating to Strategic Development as assigned
• Coordinate the Cultural Alliance’s research and communications strategies to ensure that they are mutually supportive
• Coordinate with President to support consistency in communications and messaging across development, advocacy, and research 
• Oversee research activities by confirming funding, maintaining partnerships, the alignment of research goals with key strategic priorities and ensuring the successful implementation of research projects 
• Produce the Annual report and other developmentand research publications
• Oversee membership administration ensuring that the Cultural Alliance meets is membership metrics, including new memberships and renewals
• Supervise all members of the Strategic Development team, developing workplans, conducting performance reviews and supporting their professional development
• Support Cultural Alliance programming through fundraising and assisting in content development as necessary 
• Keep abreast of local and national funders and philanthropic trends through relationships with peers; professional development opportunities; general interest and trade publications; and online and library-based research tools
• Serve as an ambassador for the Cultural Alliance in the community
• Perform other functions as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 5 to 7 years of relevant nonprofit development experience
• Strategic thinker
• Ability to align high-level goals with metric-driven design and implementation strategies
• Strong team management experience
• Outstanding writing and communication skills
• Well-organized, with attention to accuracy and detail
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• An interest and desire to contribute to the region’s cultural sector and advance Greater Philadelphia’s reputation as a leading center of arts and culture

Compensation

This is a full-time position with a salary range of up to $90,000. The Cultural Alliance provides a generous benefits package including medical, dental and vision benefits, a 403b plan, short- and long-term disability, and Paid Time Off. 

This is a hybrid remote/in-person position based in Philadelphia. Proof of COVID vaccination is required by the time of hire for this position.

To apply, please email sarahw@philaculture.org with the subject line Vice President Strategic Development <Last Name>, <First Name>, and include the following:

• Resume
• Cover letter detailing your relevant experience and interest
• Two references

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  We strongly encourage candidates with lived experiences from a wide range of communities to apply and we welcome applicants of all backgrounds. Our office is located in The Philadelphia Building, which is an accessible space in Center City Philadelphia.

The Cultural Alliance Work Environment Values Statement

As the Cultural Alliance serves our members and the broader arts and culture sector, we also celebrate the people who make that vital work possible. We know that as happy, healthy and fulfilled individuals, we are better advocates for the Cultural Alliance and its constituents.

We create an inclusive and supportive environment by practicing respect, empathy and valuing the diversity and perspective of each individual. Through our actions, we are accountable to our mission and values and considerate of each other and our stakeholders. We encourage work/life balance because we know that our unique backgrounds, passions and interests outside of work help to inspire innovative solutions.

We believe that we are all leaders, all possessing important insight into the mission of the Cultural Alliance, and all deserving of opportunities for advancement and professional development. We work as a team to build trust and collaborate in a way in which everyone’s input is heard and their contributions appreciated. We promote creativity and out-of-the-box thinking and challenge ourselves to continually ask what a strong organization looks like.