Director of Advancement

About Solomon Schechter Day School

At Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago we ignite our students Jewish souls educate them to their highest potential and empower them to use their knowledge skills and creativity to enrich our world.

Position Overview

The Director of Advancement is a visionary and strategic leader responsible for driving the schools comprehensive advancement effortsincluding fundraising admissions enrollment marketing communications and community engagement.

This position leads a high-performing collaborative team and partners closely with the Head of School to strengthen Schechters financial sustainability community engagement and brand visibility.

The overarching goals of the Advancement Team are to:

• Increase philanthropic support to meet the schools financial goals ensuring a strong annual operating budget and long-term financial stability through major gifts annual giving legacy and endowment growth.
• Recruit and retain mission-aligned families by sharing Schechters value proposition building a strong enrollment pipeline and ensuring an exceptional experience from inquiry through graduation.
• Engage and nurture meaningful relationships with current and prospective families alumni and community members to foster lifelong connection and investment.
• Amplify Schechters story and impact through consistent mission-driven marketing and communications that strengthen pride visibility and connection across the community.
• Build and sustain a strong connected network of stakeholders who are inspired by and invested in Schechters mission and future.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Co-create and implement key annual advancement plans including:
  • Development Plan focusing on large gifts grants and annual giving and corporate/partner sponsorships in collaboration with the Director of Development and Development & Events Manager
  • Recruitment & Enrollment Plan focused on pipeline growth and conversion in partnership with the Director of Admissions and Enrollment
  • Marketing & Communications Plan emphasizing Schechters value proposition and brand identity in partnership with the Marketing and Communications Manager
    
• Design and manage systems for collaboration documentation and accountability across all advancement domains.
• Oversee CRM systems for donor relations and prospective family engagement ensuring data integrity and meaningful tracking.
• Establish clear SMART goals and project management timelines for all advancement initiatives and events.
• Define track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) across fundraising admissions enrollment communications and engagement to measure progress and inform strategic decisions.
• Prepare and present regular reports on advancement metrics for the Head of School Board and relevant committees.
• Collaborate with the Head of School Director of Development and Board Development Committee on goal-setting reporting and progress metrics.
• Work in partnership with the Associate Head of School and senior leaders to translate shared vision into coordinated action ensuring clarity alignment and collaboration across departments.

Community Engagement & External Relations

• Serve as a strategic partner and liaison between the Parent Organization (PO) the Development and Events Manager and the Educational Leadership Team to maximize cross-departmental impact.
• Build and maintain authentic relationships with key stakeholdersmajor donors alumni ambassadors and community partners in collaboration with members of the Advancement Team and Head of School.
• Co-create and oversee a family engagement calendar that strengthens community connection and showcases Schechters mission in action.
• Develop and execute strategies to amplify alumni voices and foster ongoing engagement through storytelling events and communications.
• Represent Schechter at community events meetings and gatherings as a visible ambassador of the schools mission and values.

Team Leadership & Management

Supervise the following positions:

• Director of Admissions and Enrollment
• Director of Development
• Development & Events Manager
• Marketing and Communications Manager
  
  Key leadership expectations:
• Establish clear goals feedback loops and growth plans for each team member.
• Foster a culture of collaboration creativity accountability and excellence.
• Encourage professional development and reflective practice across the team.
• Partner with the Head of School to align advancement goals with the schools strategic plan.
• Cultivate a data-informed culture ensuring that goals strategies and KPIs are transparent regularly reviewed and used to celebrate progress and refine strategy.
• Proven ability to lead with empathy and accountability fostering a culture of collaboration trust and shared purpose across teams.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in advancement development communications or related fields (school or nonprofit experience preferred)
• Bachelors degree required; Masters degree preferred
• Demonstrated success leading and motivating a team toward measurable goals
• Proven ability to set and execute strategic plans across multiple disciplines
• Experience hiring mentoring and retaining talented staff
• Exceptional communication writing and presentation skills
• Skilled project manager with excellent organizational prioritization and delegation abilities
• Technologically adept; experience with CRM systems (e.g. Raisers Edge Salesforce Veracross)
• Deep commitment to building a welcoming and inclusive community
• Passionate about Jewish education and the mission of Solomon Schechter

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $120000$150000 (commensurate with experience)
• Comprehensive benefits package including:
  • Medical and dental insurance
  • Paid vacation and sick time
  • Retirement plan
  • Generous professional development opportunities
• Supportive leadership collaborative culture and caring community

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.