Director of Development

Our vision at SAS explains why we exist. We aspire to be a world leader in education, cultivating exceptional thinkers prepared for the future. We are committed to our mission that has been at the heart of our 65-year history: to provide each student an exemplary American educational experience with an international perspective.

If there is one thing we know about the future, it is that our students will graduate into a rapidly changing, increasingly global world where their success will depend to a large degree on their ability to learn new skills, take on new challenges, and work with a diverse range of people. We aim to build a strong sense of joy and purpose in learning among our students to enable them to do so.

We know that our students’ future success will depend on their ability to develop skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and cultural competence. And, it will depend on the quality of the moral character they develop. We seek to personalize learning for every child to meet their unique learning needs. We know that supporting them in their social-emotional growth is as important as their academic growth. And, we seek to stimulate that growth in a community as rich in equity and inclusion as it is in the extraordinary diversity of our students. Our ability to attract, retain, and develop diverse talented educators, working collaboratively in teams, is vital to our success.

**Specific Responsibilities**
- Establishing a strong presence with our key donors and prospects
- Forming deep and effective working relationships with the CAO, Foundation members, and fellow administrators
- Help to sustain and grow contributions to the Eagle Society and coming capital campaign.
- Enhancing a major gift mindset utilizing Board and Foundation members as cultivators/solicitors and predicated on good data, research, and targeting
- Preparing for and supporting a capital campaign with a likely target of $50 Million

**Key Responsibilities of the next Director of Development**

The Director of Development will assume the following key responsibilities:

- To help identify, recruit, and train key volunteers to support the capital campaign
- To develop and maintain a portfolio of major gifts donors and prospects both in support of the annual and capital campaign.
- Contribute to the strategic direction of fundraising efforts and serve as a “thought partner” and sounding board to the CAO
- Represent the Advancement Office and SAS both within and outside of the School community
- Personally cultivate and solicit major gifts.
- Enhance efforts in prospect research, major gifts, and stewardship
- Undertake additional responsibilities as assigned by the CAO
- Five or more years of development or related experience, with a preference for annual giving, major gifts, and campaign work
- Demonstrated evidence of his or her ability to raise leadership level gifts
- Experience at an institution known for best practices and its track record for attracting voluntary support
- Familiarity and comfort with Asia and the Asian philanthropic community
- Bilingualism in Mandarin Chinese is a plus
- Ability to think strategically and approach challenges with a positive and innovative perspective

**Competencies and Skills**

**Communication**:

- Be an outstanding communicator orally and in writing
- Be capable of engaging parents and volunteers in stimulating dialogue about the School

**Collaboration**:

- Fully support the School’s vision and mission, and the notion of “extraordinary care”
- Have an external focus and passion for building and sustaining relationships and contacts
- Have comfort dealing with people from all backgrounds and positions ranging from corporate executives to support staff members

**Content Knowledge**:

- Have great enthusiasm and skill for advancement and development work, with high energy for a extremely fast paced environment

**Creativity**
- Be an effective storyteller who can articulate the case for support of SAS

**Critical Thinking**
- Possess excellent analytical skills

**Character**
- Demonstrated confidence and decisiveness; the ability to make decisions and plans as well as implement them
- Possess personal and professional integrity
- Possess authenticity and humility

**Cultural Competence**
- Experience working in a diverse, goal oriented, and deadline driven environment