Director of Development

Position Overview

The Baltimore Museum of Industry seeks a highly collaborative and strategic leader to drive fundraising efforts that support the museum’s operations, expand the museum’s capacity to identify, cultivate, and sustain varied sources of funding, and strengthen corporate and individual relationships. As Director of Development, you will play a key role in growing philanthropic investment in the museum, bringing energy and creativity to donor engagement and fund development. Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with the Board of Trustees, you will institutionalize best practices in philanthropy and contribute to high-level strategic decisions that shape the museum’s future. You will lead a dedicated development team, supervising one full-time and one part-time staff member.

The BMI’s strategic plan positions the museum as Baltimore’s leading platform for dialogue about the past, present, and future of work. As Director of Development, you will be instrumental in advancing this vision by working in partnership with the Executive Director and the Board of Trustees to ensure the organization’s long-term financial sustainability. You will collaborate closely with senior leadership to align fundraising strategies with our mission, engage community and business leaders, and inspire investment in the museum’s work.

If you are the right candidate for this position, you are an engaging, strategic, optimistic, and outgoing individual with a proven track record of development success, who can envision, plan for, and manage growth as well as adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment. You possess both leadership and managerial skills and will nurture growth in the development staff while working across museum departments to identify and leverage fundraising opportunities. You are a superior communicator who is passionate about the museum’s mission and vision and whose enthusiasm inspires others.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Execution

• Develop and implement fundraising strategies to support annual operations, capital projects, and special initiatives.
• Lead the annual giving program with a focus on growth and donor retention.
• Oversee membership activities, ensuring alignment with fundraising goals and other museum activities.
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with corporate sponsors and major donors.
• Direct all aspects of grant funding, including research, applications, and reporting.
• Partner with the Executive Director to secure and steward public funding sources.
• Administer a planned giving program.

Donor & Community Engagement

• Engage the Board of Trustees and volunteers as active fundraising advocates.
• Expand the museum’s donor base by cultivating new supporters and community leaders.
• Oversee donor cultivation events, including an annual fundraising event.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team to align fundraising efforts with outreach and branding initiatives.
• Build relationships with public officials and community stakeholders to increase institutional visibility.

Department Leadership & Operations

• Manage the Development team, including supervision and mentorship of two staff members.
• Establish and monitor fundraising performance goals, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities.
• Implement systems for donor stewardship, recognition, and recordkeeping.
• Develop and oversee the department’s budget, regularly monitoring and evaluating revenue and expense against fundraising goals.
• Create and maintain policies and procedures in line with industry best practices.
• Stay current on trends in the field, evaluate impact of internal and external forces, keep informed of best practices and essential laws and regulations impacting nonprofit fundraising.

Board & Volunteer Engagement

• Guide and advise Board leadership on fundraising priorities and strategies, motivating and engaging trustees in fundraising efforts.
• Provide regular reports on fundraising progress using comprehensive metrics and analysis.
• Provide staff leadership for the Board Sustainability committee, assist in the strategy and staffing of key volunteer leadership committees that have an impact on fundraising effectiveness, partner with Executive Director to prepare agendas and materials for Board meetings.

Institutional & Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Collaborate with museum leadership to integrate fundraising with programming and institutional priorities.
• Develop and oversee all fundraising-related communications, including print and digital materials.
• Serve as an internal fundraising resource, coaching staff and fostering a culture of philanthropy.
• Evaluate and manage fundraising vendors and consultants as needed.

Qualifications

Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree or CFRE certification preferred
• Minimum of seven years of professional fundraising experience required
• Proficiency in Altru or equivalent fundraising software and Microsoft Office Suite

Experience

• Proven success in securing charitable contributions across multi-faceted fundraising efforts
• Demonstrated experience managing staff, fostering professional growth, and engaging volunteers
• Extensive knowledge of fundraising principles
• Strong track record of building and maintaining donor relationships through effective cultivation and stewardship
• Familiarity with the Baltimore philanthropic community strongly preferred

Abilities

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to engage diverse stakeholders
• An optimistic, can-do attitude, flexibility, and an ability to negotiate and work comfortably with diverse internal and external stakeholders; excellent listening skills
• Ability to set priorities, manage multiple projects, and maintain attention to detail
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to motivate and inspire others
• Passion for the mission of the Baltimore Museum of Industry
• A sense of humor is a plus

Compensation and Schedule: This position is 40 hours/week Monday-Friday 9am-5pm with occasional evening and weekend work required. This is a hybrid position with office space at the museum’s campus on 1415 Key Highway, Baltimore MD 21230.

The salary range for this position is $100,000 - $110,000 DOE and benefits include paid holidays, sick time and personal time, health, dental, and vision insurance, a 403(b) plan with an employer match, and free onsite parking.

To apply: Please email a cover letter, resume and references to humanresources@thebmi.org with the subject line “Director of Development - <your last name>”

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

No one candidate will be a perfect match for this job. We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion are key to professional success. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. Please just apply.

____

The Baltimore Museum of Industry provides equal opportunity to all applicants for employment. No applicant shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected classification.

Located on the waterfront near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, The Baltimore Museum of Industry interprets the diverse and significant human stories behind labor and innovation in Baltimore, cultivating a sense of belonging and inspiring visitors to think critically about the intersection of work and society. With an ambitious strategic plan in place, museum staff are focused on increasing the museum’s visibility and growing visitation and revenue.