Director of Development

Overview

Beth Morrison Projects, one of the industry’s leading producers of opera-theatre and music-theatre, seeks a full-time Director of Development to join its team. The Director of Development leads BMP’s fundraising efforts (with a particular focus on growing and cultivating BMP’s base of individual donors), ensuring that BMP has the necessary resources to pursue its mission of fostering field-wide innovation.

Beth Morrison Projects is a bi-coastal company, headquartered in New York City with a second office in Los Angeles, and tours across the country and world; members of BMP’s Board of Directors are based in both cities. The Director of Development will be responsible primarily for fundraising in New York and Los Angeles, as well as nationally and globally.

Core Responsibilities: Reporting to BMP’s Executive Director, and working closely with BMP’s President & Creative Producer, the Director of Development’s responsibilities include:

Development Strategy: In partnership with President/Creative Producer and Executive Director, develop and execute the overall fundraising strategy for BMP and the PROTOTYPE Festival.
Individual Donor Cultivation:
Build relationships with board members, current donors, and prospects to grow BMP’s base of support, identifying and soliciting major gifts.
In partnership with President & Creative Producer, and supported by development team, plan and execute events to cultivate current and potential donors and build BMP’s base of supporters.
In partnership with Festival leadership, support individual donor cultivation and fundraising messaging for the PROTOTYPE Festival.
Working with BMP’s Executive Director and Communications & Marketing Coordinator, help shape public perception of BMP, expanding awareness of BMP’s mission, work, and impact; oversee the creation and execution of donor communications.
Leverage the time of BMP’s President/Creative Producer and Executive Director effectively in pursuit of individual donor cultivation.
Development Operations:
Supported by Development Associate, maintain BMP’s donor records, and leverage donor data to inform strategy.
Act as liaison and key point of contact with BMP’s contracted grant writer, and oversee the grant application process.
Supervise fundraising operations for the PROTOTYPE Festival.

Department Leadership and Management:
Hire, supervise, and mentor direct reports (Development Associate, Individual Giving Manager, or other positions TBD), as well as seasonal direct reports during the PROTOTYPE Festival.
As a member of BMP’s Management team, contribute to overall organizational strategy, policy, operations, and organizational culture.

BMP operates on a hybrid model, with 2-3 days a week of in-person work in BMP’s Brooklyn office. The Director of Development must be based in the greater New York City area or willing to relocate. As the Director of Development is expected to travel for donor meetings, events, and BMP performances, especially in BMP’s “second home” of Los Angeles, some local/national/international travel is expected. BMP’s standard office hours are 10:30 AM-6:00 PM, Monday-Friday; however, some evening and weekend work is expected for this role.

Qualifications:

Passion for BMP’s Mission: A love of the performing arts (especially contemporary opera, new music, and/or avant-garde performance), and the ability to inspire others to support that mission.
Comprehensive Fundraising Expertise: Progressive professional experience in fundraising, with demonstrated success working with major ($10,000+) gifts, growing a donor base, partnering with a Board of Directors in pursuit of fundraising goals, working with CRM systems/managing development operations, and leading a fundraising team or department.
Strategic and Innovative Thinking: An ability to think outside the box and come up with actionable plans to navigate structural challenges and achieve goals; an understanding of how to leverage the appropriate organizational resources in pursuit of those goals.
Relationship Building and Emotional Acuity: An ability to create rapport and build positive relationships with anyone, including organizational and industry colleagues, artists, and high-net-worth individuals.
Project Management: The ability to see an idea through from idea to planning to execution; comfort and facility with both big-picture thinking and minute attention to detail.
People Management and Collaboration: The ability to generate alignment around an idea or strategy; the ability to supervise and mentor junior colleagues.

Compensation:

The Director of Development is a full-time, exempt position with a salary range of $85,000-$100,000. All full-time employees at BMP receive generous paid time off; contributions to health, dental, and vision insurance premiums; and monthly contributions to a 403b retirement account after one year of employment.

 

Application and Interview Process:

Please submit a resume and cover letter as a single PDF through BMP’s online application portal HERE. Your cover letter should clearly outline your interest in the role at BMP and your relevant experience and skills. Applications are due on Monday, 5/29 at 10:00 AM EST; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and early applications are encouraged.

The interview process, subject to change, will consist of:

June 5-June 8: First round 45-minute introductory interviews, via Zoom, with the Executive Director.
June 12-June 21: Second-round interviews with the President/Creative Producer and Executive Director, in person in New York City, to discuss fundraising strategy.
June 26-30: Finalist interviews with BMP leadership, staff, and select board members.
Target start date of mid July-early August.