Development Director job description.
A Development Director leads fundraising and donor relations strategy for a nonprofit or institution, overseeing campaigns, grants, and major gift efforts. They build relationships with donors and partners while managing a development team to meet annual and long-term revenue goals.
The Development Director job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Development Director Reports to: Executive Director or Chief Executive Officer
A Development Director leads fundraising and donor relations strategy for a nonprofit or institution, overseeing campaigns, grants, and major gift efforts. They build relationships with donors and partners while managing a development team to meet annual and long-term revenue goals.
- Develop and execute the organization's annual fundraising strategy
- Cultivate and steward relationships with major donors and funders
- Oversee grant research, writing, and reporting processes
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Executive Director or Chief Executive Officer
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Develop and execute the organization's annual fundraising strategy
- Cultivate and steward relationships with major donors and funders
- Oversee grant research, writing, and reporting processes
- Lead and mentor the development team's day-to-day fundraising work
- Plan and manage fundraising events and campaigns
- Track fundraising metrics and report progress to executive leadership
- Collaborate with the board on fundraising priorities and donor outreach
- Manage the development department's budget and expenditures
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, communications, or related field
- 5+ years of fundraising or development experience
- Proven track record of meeting or exceeding fundraising goals
- Strong relationship-building and communication skills
- Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential
- Experience with capital campaigns
- Familiarity with donor management software
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Development Director job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Development Director job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The senior band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Executive Director or Chief Executive Officer) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- What sectors typically hire development directors?
- Nonprofits, educational institutions, and healthcare foundations are the most common employers of this role.
- Does this role require grant writing experience?
- Direct grant writing is not always required, but oversight of the grant process and strong donor communication skills are essential.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Executive Director
An executive director leads the overall strategy, operations, and performance of an organization, often within the nonprofit or association sector.
Grant Writer
A grant writer researches funding opportunities and prepares proposals to secure grants from government agencies, foundations, and corporate donors.
Nonprofit CEO
A Nonprofit CEO leads the strategic direction, operations, and fundraising efforts of a mission-driven organization.
This Development Director job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.