Chief Development Officer

Location

Lowell, MA | United States

Job description

Pillar Search is honored to partner with UTEC on the search for their new Chief Development Officer (CDO). This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced development professional with expertise in growing support for an organization and leading a high-performing team.

ABOUT UTEC

UTEC is a nationally recognized program for justice-involved young adults. The program starts behind the walls of correctional facilities and intensive street outreach/gang peacemaking and transitions into an intensive program in the community post-release. The nature of our educational services, wraparound supports and counseling, social enterprises/workforce development, organizing/policy work, training institute, and innovative partnerships creates a variety of impacts in the lives of the individuals and communities we serve. 

In 1999, UTEC was founded as the result of an organizing movement driven by young people to develop their own teen center in response to gang violence. In 2010, after ten years in operation as a drop-in center and safe space for young people of all ages, UTEC staff engaged in a Theory of Change process that led to a programmatic restructuring to provide intensive, integrated services for the most disconnected youth ages 17-25. UTEC decided to continue the organization’s gang prevention work and education programming, as well as expand its employment and transitional coaching services.

In 2011, UTEC began construction to expand and renovate its youth center in downtown Lowell to accommodate increased enrollment and grow our social enterprises. By 2016, UTEC had expanded its social enterprises into three industry areas: Mattress Recycling, Woodworking, and Food Services. In 2017, the 2Gen Center @ UTEC opened its doors to provide onsite early education for young children of UTEC’s enrolled young adults.

Since 2019, UTEC has celebrated the grand opening of new program sites in Haverhill and Lawrence. In the same year, UTEC was selected as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ provider for a Gun Violence Prevention Training Center for Excellence, which is now the premier training facility in the state for addressing gun violence through both a public health and racial equity lens.

In FY22, UTEC served over 600 young adults including a range of outreach activities, and approximately 150 young adults intensively through our comprehensive program. During this fiscal year, 75% of young adults at UTEC avoided arrest. With over 20 years of experience, UTEC is a catalyst, innovating in the way we serve young adults (ages 17-25) who are criminally and/or gang involved in Massachusetts’ Merrimack Valley.

UTEC values a strong, positive culture. Their organizational values are:

● Assuming goodness behind everyone’s actions.

● Show madd love, unconditionally accepting each person.

● Offer everyone a clean slate, never giving up.

● Carry out respectful curiosity, always seeking out moments to connect.

● Be a sponge, actively seeking feedback.

● Embody contagious passion in all they do.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

UTEC is seeking a talented Chief Development Officer who is deeply committed to advancing racial equity and can act as an ambassador for UTEC and the important work they do, demonstrating a personal commitment to the organization's values and imparting them to others, both within and outside the organization.

Reporting to the CEO, this position will lead an eight-person development team, carry a portfolio of high net-worth prospects, and create a vision and strategy for doubling UTEC's philanthropic revenue over the next several years.

The CDO will be a member of UTEC's senior leadership team and work closely with the Board and the Advisory Committee. 

UTEC has had success closing 6 and 7-figure gifts from individuals and has a strong individual pipeline that needs to be cultivated. This will be an area of focus and opportunity for the CDO. 

• Lead an overall team of six professionals, which includes three direct reports (Director of Principal Gifts, Director of Major Gifts (to be hired), and Director of Advancement and Donor Services).  
• Create and oversee the implementation of a comprehensive development strategy and measurable plan to grow philanthropic revenue, with an emphasis on individual giving. 
• Develop short-term and long-term fundraising goals and benchmarks and analyze the effectiveness of all development initiatives regularly. 
• Working closely with the Director of Advancement and Donor Services, develop and execute best practice development systems and operations to support a successful and rapidly growing development program. 
• Mentor, inspire and grow the development staff. 

Prospect and Portfolio Management

• Collaborating with other members of the UTEC organization, develop strategies for prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual, corporate, and foundation prospects.
• Personally build and manage a portfolio of individual and institutional prospects. 
• Engage leadership in key donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Build on current stewardship activities to deepen relationships with current donors.
• Develop and implement new engagement strategies. 

Key Qualifications

• Strong commitment to social justice and serving UTEC's young people. 
• Successful track record of closing major gifts and building productive relationships with boards, donors, and colleagues at all levels 
• Solid understanding of development best practices and insight into how technology supports philanthropy.
• Experience leading and managing a team of development professionals.
• Passion for supporting the professional development of direct reports through coaching, mentoring and a strengths-based approach.
• Strategic, persuasive, and action-oriented - entrepreneurial and comfortable taking calculated risks 
• Able to represent UTEC's diverse culture 
• Flexible and resourceful self-starter who can work well in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 
• A great sense of humor and an ability to collaborate with colleagues at all levels. 
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including some night and weekend events as needed.  
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.  
• Experience with Salesforce a plus.

Salary/Benefits: The salary range for the Chief Development Officer role is $130,000 - $150,000. UTEC offers a competitive benefits package that starts with 4 weeks of vacation (3 standard for all new employees and a week of agency-wide closure between the Christmas and New Year holidays), 12 holidays, 10 sick days, 2 personal days, health, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, an annual cost of living increase, a 457B retirement plan and up to $4,000 per employee of professional development support.  With time, benefits grow to include up to 6 weeks of vacation, 80% coverage of employee health and dental insurance costs and availability for a 3-week sabbatical. 

UTEC also stresses the importance of work-life balance and offers several wellness opportunities including additional time off (i.e., for the past two years we have closed at 3pm on Fridays during the summer months), an employee assistance program, down payment assistance for first time home buyers, parental leave, bereavement supports and unlimited free coffee!

TO APPLY

This search is being led by Pilla r Search & HR Consulting. Please submit your materials to Cindy Joyce at [email protected] .

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

UTEC is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. You can  

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