Employment Opportunities

Senior Development Officer

Victoria Symphony

The Victoria Symphony seeks a Senior Development Officer to work with the Executive Director and the Board of Directors to manage and grow the Symphony’s individual giving and fundraising event programs.

Currently, the Victoria Symphony raises $300 – $350,000 annually from individuals and nets approximately $200,000 from events. The Symphony is in the early stages of building a major gifts program, with an eye to adding at least another $250,000 in annual revenue from these programs.

The Senior Development Officer’s responsibilities will include:

•With the Executive Director, overall management of all individual giving and events, including planning, goal-setting, expense budgeting, tracking of process and results, and supervision of staff and contractors as appropriate

•Personal cultivation of the members of and prospects for the Conductor’s Circle (donors of $1,000 or more annually), including managing their concierge needs

•With the Executive Director and Board committees, ongoing development and refinement of a major giving prospect list, including management of prospect research

•Development and execution of detailed cultivation/solicitation/stewardship plans for all prospects for major gifts

•Refinement and execution of an annual appeals program, in coordination with the Marketing Department

•Planning and execution of annual fundraising events, usually including one major gala and several smaller events.

•Supervision of a full-time Development Coordinator [and the Annual Fund Coordinator (approximately 40% of a staff member’s time)]

Requirements for the position include:

•Five or more years in a fundraising role at the manager level or above, with supervisory experience

•A deep understanding of fundraising techniques, planning and execution

•Demonstrated comfort in communicating with donors and prospects, understanding and servicing their needs

•Demonstrated ability to build and execute both annual fundraising plans and individual prospect plan

•Demonstrated ability to work within a team in a fast-paced and demanding environment

•Comfort with Microsoft Office suite or the equivalent, the internet, and relational databases such as Tessitura or Raiser’s Edge

•Knowledge of the Victoria fundraising scene an important plus

•Experience in the performing arts and/or knowledge of classical music an important plus

Those interested will please submit the following no later than May 31, 2012:

1)      Cover Letter
2)      Resumé
3)      List of references
4)      Writing sample, ideally fundraising material
5)      Salary expectations

Please submit electronically to Sarah Head, Executive Coordinator (sarah@victoriasymphony.ca), or by mail to

Sarah Head, Executive Coordinator
Victoria Symphony
620 View Street, Suite 610
Victoria BC V8W 1J6