Associate Vice President, Development in West Palm Beach, Florida at Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County

Organizational Summary:

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes the community to care for those in need, activate Jewish life, support Israel and Jewish communities worldwide, and combat antisemitism and hatred. Federation connects annual giving, targeted investments, capital initiatives, endowments and legacy philanthropy to donor interests and community needs. Its work brings together professional and volunteer leaders to strengthen Jewish life locally and beyond.

Position Summary:

As Associate Vice President, you will serve as a senior fundraising leader responsible for the strategy, execution, and results of assigned Annual Campaign portfolios and initiatives. Reporting to the Vice President, Annual Campaign, you will lead a team of frontline development professionals while personally managing and soliciting a portfolio of donors.

This role requires an accomplished, self-directed professional with strong fundraising judgment, demonstrated supervisory success, and a deep understanding of Jewish communal philanthropy. You will be expected to identify opportunities, establish clear priorities, develop effective donor and volunteer strategies, and drive measurable growth in Annual Campaign giving.

Success requires balancing strategic leadership with hands-on fundraising, strengthening the effectiveness and accountability of your team, and building trusted relationships with donors, volunteers, and colleagues. You will work in alignment with organizational priorities while taking ownership of day-to-day decisions and results.

Specific portfolio and campaign assignments may evolve with community priorities and organizational needs. Candidates from outside the Palm Beaches are encouraged to apply.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Staff Supervision and Development

• Set individual and team goals with the Vice President, balancing personal donor responsibilities with time for supervision and staff development.
• Hold regular one-on-ones and portfolio reviews; coach staff on donor strategy, solicitation preparation, volunteer partnerships, stewardship and follow-through.
• Provide timely feedback, conduct performance reviews, support onboarding and training, and address performance concerns in partnership with the Vice President and Human Resources.
• Clarify assignments and next steps, coordinate shared administrative support and help staff resolve competing priorities. Support hiring and staff development as needed.

Campaign Strategy and Volunteer Leadership

• Independently lead the strategy, execution, and performance of assigned campaigns, exercising sound judgment in setting priorities, identifying opportunities, resolving challenges, and making timely decisions. Engage the Vice President on significant strategic decisions, risks, and resource needs rather than relying on day-to-day direction.
• Translate Annual Campaign priorities into coordinated plans for assigned communities and affinity groups. Prioritize retention, increased giving and donor progression while sustaining acquisition and broad participation.
• Lead assigned campaigns and leadership initiatives, developing volunteer leaders and coordinating relevant local and national partnerships.
• Review campaign performance and recommend to the Vice President where to focus staff time, volunteer outreach and fundraising resources to improve results. Address performance risks and test approaches that can strengthen results across these segments. Explain campaign results and performance trends to senior leadership, highlighting progress, challenges and recommended actions.
• Recruit, train and support volunteer leaders, ambassadors and solicitors. Prepare them for donor conversations, match volunteers to relationships and ensure follow-through and ongoing skill development.

Donor Cultivation, Solicitation and Portfolio Management

• Personally cultivate, solicit and close gifts, emphasizing retention, upgrades and multiyear support. Develop individualized engagement, solicitation and stewardship plans. Set portfolio, revenue and activity goals with the Vice President that allow time for supervision.
• Use business intelligence, wealth screening and prospect research to qualify donors, surface upgrade opportunities and rebalance portfolios. Coordinate engagement for prospects not yet ready for active management through volunteers, events and Marketing.
• Manage focused, active portfolios based on capacity, engagement and potential, not past giving alone. Cultivate donors across giving levels, including opportunities for significant upgrades; coordinate relationship ownership and transitions for leadership-capacity donors with the Philanthropic Leadership Unit.
• Maintain timely Microsoft Dynamics records, clear relationship ownership and documented next steps. Ensure coordinated outreach, shared strategies and smooth transitions so donors experience one Federation.
• Partner with the William A. Meyer Jewish Community Foundation on donor-advised fund renewals and upgrades, Annual Campaign Endowment and Forever Lion of Judah Endowment opportunities, and legacy conversations as appropriate to donor interests.
• Review personal and team revenue, retention, upgrades, average gifts, progress toward $10,000 and $25,000 giving, portfolio health and meaningful qualification, solicitation and stewardship activity. Use results to improve strategy and inform resource recommendations.

Collaboration and Program Support

• Partner with Events, Marketing & Communications, stewardship and campaign operations on personalized donor engagement and impact communications, broad-based outreach and activities within agreed budgets. Use shared support to protect frontline relationship-building time.
• Represent Federation with donors, volunteers and community partners. Stay informed about Federation priorities and partner services. Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Success Factors:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 8-10 years of progressive nonprofit fundraising , including demonstrated success in donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and revenue growth.
• Proven success soliciting and securing gifts of $10,000 or more, retaining and upgrading donors, developing higher-capacity prospects and building effective volunteer partnerships.
• Demonstrated track record of personally securing significant philanthropic commitments, increasing donor giving, and strategically managing donor portfolios to achieve measurable fundraising growth.
• Demonstrated ability to independently develop and execute fundraising strategies, manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, and deliver measurable results with minimal day-to-day supervision.
• At least 3 years of successful supervisory experience, preferably managing frontline fundraising professionals. Experience supervising, coaching, and holding fundraising professionals accountable for measurable outcomes.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, organizational, and decision-making skills, with demonstrated initiative, professionalism, discretion, and follow-through.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and fundraising databases; ability to apply prospect research and performance data to donor strategy, portfolio decisions and staff coaching. Microsoft Dynamics experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of Jewish communal life, philanthropy, and the Federation system; prior professional experience within Jewish communal organizations strongly preferred.
• Commitment to Federation’s mission, the Jewish community and Israel, with familiarity with the Jewish calendar and lifecycle.

Work Environment:

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County is committed to creating a workplace where employees feel supported, valued, and connected to our mission. Our offices are located in a beautiful facility in West Palm Beach, providing a professional and welcoming environment for both staff and visitors. The building is secured during business hours with dedicated safety personnel to help ensure a safe and supportive workplace.

Federation prioritizes employee well-being and professional growth through a collaborative culture and a dedicated employee wellness program that promotes physical, mental, and emotional health. Employees also benefit from a wide range of professional development opportunities, including in-house courses through Federation University, cross-departmental trainings, conference participation, professional certifications, and involvement in fellowships and leadership cohorts.

Employees of the Federation also enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial security, and work-life balance, including:

Health & Wellness Benefits:

Comprehensive health coverage including medical, dental, and vision plans

Disability and life insurance coverage

A dedicated employee wellness program focused on overall well-being

Time Off & Work-Life Balance:

Generous paid time off

Paid Jewish and U.S. holidays

Early office closings on Fridays in observance of Shabbat

Early closings on many holiday eves

Financial Benefits:

401(k) retirement plan with employer contribution

Pre-tax benefits including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

Pay Rate:

We benchmark our salary ranges for new hires in relation to the role, level, and role location; however, we consider a multitude of factors, to include relevant experience, skills, and education/training, to determine compensation within the identified range.

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time at Federation's discretion. Employment is at-will, and this job description is not an employment contract. Nothing herein shall be deemed to create in any way whatsoever an employment contract.