Senior Director, Advancement
Posted
Senior Director, Advancement
Woodward Academy is Atlanta at its very best. We intentionally bring together students from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, creating a richer learning community and exceptional academic opportunities. Our students and graduates are caring and compassionate global citizens who are a microcosm of what the world should be.
Position Summary: The Senior Director of Advancement is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving the strategy, operations, and execution of Woodward Academy’s comprehensive engagement and fundraising programs. Reporting directly to the Vice President for Advancement, this position provides strategic leadership and day-to-day oversight across key operational areas: Advancement Services, Alumni and Parent Engagement, Annual Giving, and Donor Relations.
Woodward seeks a talented and motivated professional to serve as an operational driver and people builder, leveraging industry best practices, data analytics, and constituent insights to continuously improve engagement and giving. Working in close partnership with the Vice President for Advancement, Academy leadership, volunteers, and internal stakeholders, the Senior Director of Advancement helps build a culture of philanthropy, fosters deep relationships with diverse constituent groups, and mentors a high-performing advancement team dedicated to fulfi lling Woodward Academy’s mission.
Specific Duties Include:
Strategic Leadership and Operational Oversight
- Partner closely with the Vice President for Advancement to establish long-term advancement goals, strategic priorities, and operational metrics across all oversight areas.
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators and operational dashboards to evaluate program efficacy, track progress toward giving and participation benchmarks, and ensure accountability.
- In the absence of the Vice President, serve as the primary decision-maker for Advancement and the key liaison to other Academy leadership and campus partners.
- Work cooperatively with Academy and program leaders on adherence to the school’s Gift Acceptance and Naming Policies. Serves as an internal subject-matter expert and mentor for team members and leadership.
Data-Driven Strategy and Best Practices
- Champion industry best practices (e.g., CASE, NAIS standards) across Annual Giving, Alumni and Parent Engagement, Advancement Services, and Donor Relations.
- Utilize data, constituent trends, and comparative benchmarks to drive data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
- Oversee workflows to ensure efficiencies, accuracy, and actionable reporting.
Staff Mentorship and Talent Development
- Manage, mentor, and empower direct reports across Annual Giving, Advancement Services, Alumni and Parent Engagement, and Donor Relations, fostering a culture of collaboration, equity, group achievement, and professional growth.
- Support individual development plans, provide continuous constructive feedback, and build a cohesive giving and engagement team environment focused on shared goals and individual career trajectory.
- Optimize team workflows and resource allocation to maximize staff efficiency and impact across overlapping campaigns and events.
Volunteer Management and Constituent Engagement
- Direct and support operational leaders as they manage key volunteer leadership groups, including the Alumni Board, Parent Community Board, and Woodward Fund volunteers. Align volunteer activities with Academy priorities and maximize engagement.
- Partner with the Marketing & Communications team to ensure compelling, unified, effective, and segment-specific communications that showcase donor impact and elevate constituent engagement.
- Represent the Academy at key on- and off-campus fundraising and engagement events to cultivate relationships with alumni, parents, past parents, and friends.
Other duties as assigned by the Vice President for Advancement.
Required Skills:
- Analytical Acumen: Demonstrated ability to analyze metrics, trends, and constituent engagement data to inform strategies and operational adjustments.
- Strategic Vision: Strong capability to translate high-level institutional and department goals into actionable, measurable strategies and plans.
- Continuous Improvement: Dedication to applying industry best practices, innovation, and modern fundraising strategies across all programs overseen.
- Talent Coaching: Proven success as an empathetic, accountable manager who actively invests in coaching, team empowerment, and professional growth.
- Team Building: Ability to inspire a goal-oriented, collaborative team dynamic across multiple distinct operational areas.
- Comprehensive Knowledge: Deep expertise in annual giving strategies, donor stewardship, alumni and parent relations, and advancement operations within complex institutions.
- Donor-Centric Mindset: Passion for building meaningful constituent journeys and delivering high-touch, authentic donor stewardship.
- Policy and Ethics: High standard of personal and professional integrity, with thorough knowledge of ethical fundraising standards, legal guidelines, and gift acceptance protocols.
- Executive Presence: Strong emotional intelligence with the ability to interact professionally, confidently, discreetly, and effectively with the Governing Board, Academy leadership, and leadership volunteers and donors.
- Collaborative Skills: Outstanding interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills, with a track record of working gracefully under pressure across diverse academic and administrative partners.
- Persuasive Communication: Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills tailored for various audiences.
- Technical Mastery: High technical capability with CRM database platforms (preferably Raiser’s Edge NXT), Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and project management systems (e.g., Asana).
- Project Management: Superior organizational agility, with the ability to manage complex, overlapping project timelines and schedules with high attention to detail.
Minimum Job Qualifications:
- 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in advancement, fundraising, and alumni/constituent relations.
- Minimum of 3-5 years of direct supervisory experience managing professionals and leading goal-oriented teams.
- Experience within independent schools (K-12) or higher education institutions is highly preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Willingness and flexibility to work non-traditional hours, including evenings and weekends, as required by the Academy’s event calendar.
The Senior Director of Advancement position is a twelve month, exempt, in-person position at Woodward’s College Park campus.
Woodward Academy is dedicated to providing a safe, drug-free environment for its students, faculty, and staff. Accordingly, Woodward has adopted a drug-free workplace policy, which includes substance abuse testing of all employees and applicants, in accordance with applicable state law. As such all offers of employment are contingent upon the satisfactory completion of pre-employment requirements which include background checks and substance testing.
Equal Opportunity Employer