Chief Advancement Officer - Workshops for Warriors

Workshops for Warriors (www.wfw.org) is a non-profit founded in 2008.
The mission of Workshops for Warriors is to provide quality hands-on training, accredited STEM educational programs, and opportunities to earn third-party nationally recognized credentials to enable veterans, transitioning service members, and other students to be successfully trained and placed in their chosen advanced manufacturing career. We are committed to rebuilding America’s advanced manufacturing workforce, one veteran at a time, with a team of passionate, enthusiastic professionals who want to make a difference in the lives of those we serve, their families, and our country.

Key Job Functions:

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) is a senior executive responsible for leading and overseeing the organization's fundraising, development, and advancement efforts. The CAO plays a pivotal role in building and sustaining relationships with donors, alumni, and other key stakeholders. Reporting to the CEO, this position requires strategic thinking, strong leadership, and a demonstrated ability to secure financial support for the organization.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Fundraising and Development:
   • Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan to raise $6M or more within 12 months, identifying multi-level strategies to secure financial support from individual donors, corporations, foundations, and other sources.
   • Oversee major gift campaigns, annual campaigns, and special fundraising events.
   • Build and manage effective Development and Marketing teams.
   • Collaborate with the finance team to ensure effective financial planning and budgeting related to development activities.
2. Donor and Stakeholder Relations:
   • Identify new donors and partnership opportunities to support WFW.
   • Build and maintain strong relationships with donors and other key stakeholders.
   • Develop and implement a multi-level stewardship plan to acknowledge and recognize donors for their contributions.
   • Identify opportunities for donor engagement and involvement in the organization's mission.
   • Increase community awareness of WFW through speaking engagements, events, and membership with community groups/organizations.
3. Strategic Planning:
   • Work collaboratively with the executive team to align advancement strategies with the organization's overall goals and mission.
   • Contribute to the development and execution of long-term strategic plans.
4. Board and Leadership Engagement:
   • Collaborate with the board of directors, providing regular updates on fundraising efforts and seeking their support and involvement.
   • Engage organizational leadership to ensure a cohesive and unified approach to advancement initiatives.
5. Communication and Marketing:
   • Work closely with the marketing department to develop communication and marketing strategies that promote the organization's mission and impact.
   • Ensure consistent and compelling messaging across various communication channels.
   • Develop and implement strategies to engage alumni in supporting the institution and track alumni success post-graduation.
6. Data and Analytics:
   • Utilize data and analytics in Salesforce to measure the effectiveness of advancement efforts and make informed decisions for continuous improvement.
   • Implement data-driven strategies to identify and cultivate potential donors.
7. Team Leadership:
   • Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing advancement team.
   • Provide guidance, mentorship, and professional development opportunities for team members.
8. External Partnerships:
   • Cultivate and manage relationships with external partners, including community organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders.
   • Seek opportunities for collaboration and joint initiatives that support advancement goals.
9. Compliance and Ethics:
   • Ensure compliance with relevant laws and ethical standards in all fundraising and development activities.
   • Uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency.

All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Work Experience:

To perform this job successfully, the candidate must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily (with or without an accommodation). The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or any combination of education and experience which would provide an equivalent level of experience.
• Master’s degree is a plus.
• 8+ years of progressive development experience as either an Assistant Development Officer, Deputy Development Officer, Development Officer, or Advancement Officer.
• 5+ years of experience generating and managing $10M+ annual donor and grant revenue.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to effectively partner with leadership and colleagues to ensure deadlines are met, while navigating multiple priorities and deliverables.
• Proven experience in fundraising, development, or related roles, with a track record of successful major gift solicitation.
• Strategic thinking and the ability to align development strategies with organizational goals.
• Knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and ethical standards in fundraising.
• Ability to communicate effectively with various internal and external audiences, including donors, foundation representatives, government officials, program leaders, and key stakeholders.
• Meets Objectives - Can manage and work toward meeting personal, department, and organizational goals.
• Dependability - Has exhibited the quality of being reliable and flexible to be available when needed.
• Unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and driving results for yourself, and your team members and stakeholders.
• Superior organizational skills and the ability to anticipate needs and be proactive, demonstrating composure and professional judgment in complex, sensitive situations in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to think strategically and execute with high degree of accuracy, attention to detail, discretion, and ethics.
• Influential and Persuasive - seen as a trusted advisor. Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive work environment.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.
• Ownership & Drive - ability to work in a fast-paced environment with strong follow-through and a focus on owning the outcome.
• Proven ability to clearly define a set of requirements that pinpoint business challenges and identify technical and business changes required to address them.
• Strong working ability of Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Very people oriented, supports a positive working environment.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• In-depth knowledge of digital marketing trends and tools.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Creative thinker with a strategic mindset.

Important Notes:

Position Details: This is a full-time salaried (exempt) position (40+ hours/week).
Pay: This pay does not include any opportunity for incentive compensation and is only reflective of the base pay for this position.

The annual salary range of pay for this California-based position is $135,000-$165,000.
Incentive Compensation: Is offered for this position. Amount will depend on achieving required SMART Metrics and KPI's assigned.

The actual compensation offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve listed and you think can bring value to Workshops for Warriors, we would love to learn more about you and encourage you to apply.

Benefits and Perks:

Workshops for Warriors makes available comprehensive benefits after 30 days of employment. Options include Medical (50% employer contribution), dental and vision coverage (100% employer contribution), a 401k program with employer match, 8 paid holidays, Flexible work hours (position dependent), and paid time off.

Dress code:

Our office staff works in a business casual or relaxed business casual environment.

Supervisory:

Supervises a Development and Marketing Team.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
The employee frequently is required to stand; sit; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is regularly required to push, move, lift or otherwise bear 10-30lbs. Applications may include but are not limited to repetitive work using a computer keyboard, mouse and headphones while sitting and/or standing at an assigned work desk area.

Work Environment:

The employee works in an office/administration building in an urban industrial neighborhood. Other areas within the school are mixed use such as classrooms, welding, and machining areas.
Employee may have additional environmental hazards such as: chemical, electrical, flammable, or mechanical in nature.

E-Verify Compliance Statement:
Workshops for Warriors, Inc. participates in the E-Verify program. We ensure employment eligibility of all employees by using the E-Verify electronic verification system.

Policy for Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Prevention:
Workshops for Warriors is committed to providing a professional work environment free from discrimination and harassment, including discrimination and harassment based on a protected characteristic, and an environment free from retaliation for participating in any protected activity covered by this policy.

Workshops for Warriors is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Accordingly, we have adopted and maintain this anti-discrimination policy designed to encourage professional and respectful behavior and prevent discriminatory and harassing conduct in our workplace.

Workshops for Warriors employees are expected to assume responsibility for maintaining a work environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Employees are encouraged to promptly report conduct that they believe violates this policy so that we have an opportunity to address and resolve any concerns. Managers and supervisors are required to promptly report conduct that they believe violates this policy. We are committed to responding to alleged violations of this policy in a timely and fair manner and to taking appropriate action aimed at ending the prohibited conduct.

EEO Statement: Workshops for Warriors is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees, applicants, unpaid interns, and volunteers without regard to actual or perceived: race (including hair texture or protected hairstyles, e.g. braids, locks, and twists), color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin (including language use restrictions), ancestry, citizenship, disability (mental and physical) including HIV and AIDS, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, family and medical leave status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.

All openings are subject to change without notice, due to the volume of applications / resumes received, we are unable to respond to status inquiries. Please be assured that your information is being properly handled and forwarded to the appropriate hiring staff. If your skills and qualifications meet the needs of the job, you will be contacted.