Senior Executive Director, Development, St. Louis

At the American Cancer Society, we're working to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Our employees and 1.3 million volunteers are raising the bar every single day. We are a culture comprised of diverse backgrounds and experience, to better serve our communities. 

The people who work at the American Cancer Society focus their diverse talents on our lifesaving mission. It is a calling. And the people who answer it are fulfilled.

The Senior Executive Director will be responsible for leading the Society’s fundraising activities for a market-based area, including management of a team of fundraising professionals. This role is responsible for the achievement of aggressive revenue targets through leveraging external relationships for corporate engagement, major gifts and fundraising events. This role is accountable for the engagement of executive leadership volunteers (Area Board, CEOs Against Cancer Chapters, event leadership teams) and driving integration with our mission pillars of Discovery, Patient Support & Advocacy.

Accountable for an area that includes:
• 1 large MSA, with limited activity in surrounding geography and secondary markets
• F1000 headquarters & large health systems
• A pipeline of individual wealth
• Corporate relations & philanthropy staff
• $500K+ event(s)
• $5M - $8M revenue accountability

This is a 100% remote role; however, the ideal candidate will reside in the St. Louis area.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Drives aggressive revenue growth expectations through multi-faceted, multi-year corporate partnerships, individual and foundation major gifts, and mega events ($500K+).  Leads with a growth mindset, setting and achieving ambitions year-over-year revenue goals. 20%

• Leads donor-centric revenue generation directly, and through leadership of a team of fundraising professionals, leveraging volunteer engagement and relationship management. 20%

• Serves as a lead relationship manager, “elevator”, and “closer” for top tier accounts and partnerships. Identifies and secures large-scale opportunities, guiding prospects from initial engagement through commitment and execution. 20%
• Recruits and manages influential Area Board(s) and/or a CEOs Against Cancer Chapter comprised of executive leaders and community influencers; ensures executive engagement in event chair roles. 15%
• Builds and maintains significant C-suite relationships to secure transformational gifts. 15%
• Drives integration with our mission pillars of Discovery, Patient Support & Advocacy. 10%

EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum Degree Required: Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent
• Preferred Degree: Master’s degree a plus
• Years of experience: 6+ years fundraising & team leadership, sales management or equivalent experience with multi-million-dollar targets

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITY:

• Proven ability to design and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies that drive significant revenue growth across multiple channels.
• Expertise in building and maintaining long-term relationships with major donors, foundations, and corporate partners, with a focus on donor engagement and retention.
• Demonstrated success in leading, mentoring, and motivating high-performing development teams to achieve ambitious fundraising goals.
• Proficient in using donor data and analytics to inform strategy, track performance, and optimize fundraising efforts.
• Skilled in leveraging board members and volunteers as fundraising ambassadors and partners in donor outreach.
• Ability to represent the organization as a spokesperson, including through media channels
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling cases for support and deliver persuasive presentations to diverse audiences.
• Ability to identify, cultivate, and secure strategic partnerships with corporations, foundations, and community organizations.
• Experience leading high-impact fundraising events, from concept through execution, with a focus on chair recruitment, return on investment and donor experience.
• Strong financial acumen to manage fundraising budgets, forecast revenue, and ensure cost-effective operations.
• Creative thinker with the ability to adapt fundraising strategies in response to changing donor behaviors and market conditions.
• Monitors metrics and milestones to chart progress against expectations; course corrects as needed to ensure goal achievement
• Ability to navigate an organization’s culture and help others to do the same
• Demonstrated expertise in building strong relationships with team members through effective feedback delivered with emotional intelligence

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

• Limited overnight travel to area, region & enterprise meetings and events

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• No specific physical requirements

The starting rate is $115,000 to $150,000 The final candidate's relevant experience/skills will be considered before an offer is extended. Actual starting pay will vary based on non-discriminatory factors including, but not limited to, geographic location, experience, skills, specialty, and education.

ACS provides staff a generous paid time off policy; medical, dental, retirement benefits, wellness programs, and professional development programs to enhance staff skills. Further details on our benefits can be found on our careers site at: jobs.cancer.org/benefits. We are a proud equal opportunity employer.