Director of Advancement

Position Overview

Hopkins School, a coeducational, college-preparatory day school for 720 students in grades 7-12 in New Haven, Connecticut, seeks an experienced and visionary Director of Advancement to lead its fundraising program. Founded in 1660, Hopkins is the third-oldest independent school in the United States and is committed to fostering excellence in scholarship, character, and citizenship.

The Director of Advancement plays a crucial role in ensuring Hopkins’ continued vitality by inspiring philanthropy, strengthening alumni and parent engagement, and securing resources that support the school’s mission, strategic priorities, and capital campaign. A member of the School’s senior leadership team, the Director reports to the Head of School and works closely with trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff to advance the school’s culture of generosity.

This is an exciting time to join Hopkins as it continues to honor its historic past while preparing students for an exciting future. A new strategic plan (2024) is driving meaningful innovation and the Director of Advancement will play a key role in leading a capital campaign to fuel the plan’s implementation. The Director will have an immediate opportunity to shape the school’s future, ensuring that Hopkins continues to provide a transformative education for generations to come.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising & Strategic Leadership

• Design, implement, and assess a comprehensive development program, including a capital campaign, annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and endowment initiatives.
  
  
• Partner with the Head of School and Trustees to set fundraising goals and strategies, cultivate and solicit major donors, and secure transformational gifts for Hopkins’ highest priorities, as detailed in the 2024 strategic plan.
  
  
• Build and maintain a robust prospect pipeline and utilize data-driven strategies to set and achieve ambitious fundraising goals.

Community Engagement & Alumni Relations

• Develop innovative programs to strengthen alumni connections to Hopkins’ rich history and traditions while engaging them in the school’s future.
  
  
• Foster strong relationships with current parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, and other friends of the school, inviting them to participate meaningfully in Hopkins life and philanthropy.
  
  
• Serve as a visible ambassador for Hopkins, representing the school at community events, alumni gatherings, and donor meetings.

Team Management & Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a talented Development team of nine people, providing strategic direction and maintaining a positive, collaborative work environment.
  
  
• Establish clear performance goals for the Development team and provide regular feedback and professional development opportunities.
  
  
• Collaborate with the Communications team to craft compelling stories and messages that highlight Hopkins’ impact and inspire giving.

Stewardship & Reporting

• Oversee accurate and timely gift recording, donor acknowledgment, and reporting to maintain transparency and build donor trust.
  
  
• Produce regular progress reports for the Head of School and Committee of Trustees, celebrating successes and identifying areas for growth.
  
  
• Ensure that all donor interactions reflect Hopkins’ gratitude and commitment to building lasting relationships.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
  
  
• Experience: 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in development, advancement, or nonprofit fundraising, with demonstrated success in major gifts and campaign management. Experience in independent schools or higher education preferred.
• Willingness to travel domestically to major metro areas for prospect and donor visitation.
  
  
• Skills & Competencies:
  
  
• Knowledge and experience with successful campaigns; annual, major, and planned giving programs; and events.
  
  
• Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, including writing compelling appeals, case statements, briefings, and donor communications.
  
  
• Strategic thinker with the ability to execute short- and long-term plans with tenacity, accuracy, and precision.
  
  
• Confidence, self-assurance, humility, a high level of integrity, and a personal style that earns respect and attention.
  
  
• Collaborative, dynamic, and genuine leader with a record of building and motivating successful teams around common goals.
  
  
• Comfort in a high-visibility role within a fast-paced environment.
  
  
• Proficiency with donor database systems, technology, and fundraising analytics and reporting.
  
  
• Commitment to Hopkins’ mission, values, and diverse community.

Compensation will be commensurate with experience and shaped by regional benchmarking (for reference, the 50-75th percentile range for CAIS schools is $168-200K), with a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement contributions, and 100% tuition remission.

Start date:  Negotiable, but preferably by January 1, 2026.

Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, resume, and list of references to [email protected] with “Director of Advancement” in the subject line.

Hopkins is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of Hopkins to be fair and impartial in all of its relations with its employees. In accordance with federal, state, and local law, Hopkins does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived differences, including those based on race, color, religion, ethnicity, creed, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, familial status, gender and gender identity, pregnancy, marital or partnership status, or sexual orientation, as well as any other status protected by law.