Sea Shepherd Global is an international ocean conservation organization committed to protecting marine ecosystems through direct action and strategic collaboration. We envision a world where vital marine habitats are safeguarded from industrialized fishing and where conservation laws are effectively upheld and enforced.
We are seeking a Director of Development with a startup mindset and proven ability to establish robust processes for a fully functioning development operation. This role is ideal for a strategic fundraising professional who thrives in building systems and operationalizing processes while driving significant revenue growth. We have great talent on the team, and are looking for a leader to bring structure and efficiency to our work. Is that person you?
- ORGANIZATION RELATIONSHIPS
Direct Reports:
- Philanthropy and Foundations Manager
- Digital Fundraising Coordinator
- Partnerships Director
Key Collaborations:
- Senior Leadership Team
- Campaigns Department
- Communications Department
- Finance/Operations team
- PURPOSE AND MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Primary Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Team Management
- Establish annual fundraising budgets, goals, and strategic plans with the Sea Shepherd Global leadership team
- Lead and execute revenue growth strategy, aligning with strategic priorities and long-term sustainability goals
- Oversee cross-channel fundraising efforts, including major gifts, institutional giving, digital campaigns, and new revenue streams
- Lead, manage, and grow (as appropriate) the current development team, providing mentorship, support, and direction
- Create and implement comprehensive development policies, procedures, and best practices
- Build a donor-centric culture across all fundraising and organizations activities
- Work closely with other Sea Shepherd offices to help develop fundraising programmes, share tools, knowledge and resources and to support on country-specific fundraising projects
Major Gifts & Institutional Fundraising
- Oversee foundation and major gift fundraising through direct management of the Philanthropy and Foundations Manager
- Represent the organization at donor events and external fundraising functions
- Work closely with Campaigns leadership on developing cases for support, donor reporting, and messaging for campaigns with institutional funders
Annual Fund & Planned Giving
- Provide strategic oversight of annual fund activities coordinated by Digital Fundraising Coordinator
- Collaborate closely with Communications Department and Campaigns leadership to ensure aligned messaging and donor stewardship
- Develop integrated fundraising campaigns across multiple channels
- Create donor acquisition and retention strategies
- Establish planned giving program framework
Systems & Process Development
- Optimize CRM utilization across team to enhance donor tracking, engagement, and reporting capabilities
- Implement donor journey mapping and stewardship protocols
- Create robust reporting systems for tracking progress against goals and ROI analysis
- REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Essential:
- Minimum 6-10 years of progressive fundraising experience
- Proven track record of building and managing thriving development teams
- Experience establishing development operations and processes in growth-stage organizations
- Strong background in CRM management and data-driven fundraising approaches (Salesforce experience highly preferred)
- Openness to leveraging AI tools and technologies to maximize fundraising efficiency
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- English native speaker or professional proficiency
- Strategic thinking with hands-on execution capabilities
- Open to international time zone flexibility when responding to important or time sensitive matters
Preferred:
- Experience in startups or rapid-growth environments
- Knowledge of UK and European philanthropic landscape
- Background in marine conservation, environmental, or animal welfare fundraising
- Experience with Salesforce CRM platform and nonprofit cloud solutions
Personal Attributes:
- Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to work in flexible, fast-paced environments - can zoom out and get hands dirty
- Strong management and interpersonal skills
- Results-oriented with attention to detail
- Collaborative leadership style
- Process creator with systematic approach to building efficient operations
- Passion for marine conservation and Sea Shepherd's mission to defend ocean wildlife