Application Instructions: Submit cover letter, resume and three (3) professional references to employment@mercyhs.com
Job Title: Vice President of Development – (1.0 FTE)
About Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women
Our Lady of Mercy is an Independent Catholic all-girls middle and high school deeply rooted in the Mercy faith tradition. We welcome all girls in grades six through twelve — inclusive of all incomes, races, and faith affiliations who are seeking an alternative to public school or who wish to continue to pursue a faith-based education. We have a strong history of providing quality education to young women, empowering them to excel academically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally. Our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive community, along with a dedication to Mercy values sets us apart as a leader in Catholic education. Mercy builds life-changingcompetence, confidence, and compassionthat prepares and inspires young women to achieve the highest level of success in college, in career, and in the community.
Job Summary: In partnership with the President and CEO, the senior advancement leader provides vision, strategy, and execution oversight for all fundraising and constituent engagement efforts, with particular focus on major gifts, campaign leadership, and team performance. This role balances high-level strategy with hands-on leadership in a campaign environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategy & Leadership
- In close partnership with the President and CEO, set and lead the comprehensive fundraising strategy for Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, aligning annual, campaign, and planned giving priorities.
- Serve as the senior fundraising strategist, ensuring coherence across major gifts, annual giving, alumnae relations, corporate and foundation support, and donor engagement efforts.
- Represent Mercy externally as a senior ambassador, cultivating strategic relationships within the Rochester philanthropic, business, and community landscape.
Major & Principal Gifts
- Serve as lead strategist and relationship manager for the school’s top 75 donor prospects, coordinating closely with the President, Campaign Consultant, and Campaign leadership.
- Personally cultivate and solicit major donors through one-on-one engagement, emphasizing integrated and multi-part solicitations that align campaign, annual fund, and legacy giving opportunities.
- Maintain sustained, high-trust relationships with major donors, ensuring they are meaningfully informed about Mercy’s mission, priorities, and investment opportunities.
Campaign & Volunteer Leadership
- Provide strategic leadership to the Campaign Cabinet and Executive Committee, including recruitment, onboarding, and alignment of volunteer leadership with campaign goals.
- Oversee campaign infrastructure, including volunteer engagement systems, timelines, financial targets, and progress reporting, ensuring transparency and accountability.
- Offer strategic guidance on donor-facing events and participate selectively in high-impact engagements to advance cultivation and solicitation goals.
Planned Giving
- Lead and strengthen Mercy’s comprehensive planned giving program, including proactive identification, cultivation, and stewardship of legacy donors through the Cornerstone Legacy Society.
- Develop and execute a long-term strategy to grow planned giving participation and integrate legacy giving into broader donor conversations.
Team Leadership & Management
- Provide direct leadership and daily supervision of the development team, including the Director of Annual Giving & Corporate Partnerships, Director of Alumnae Relations, and Donor Services & Development Database Coordinator.
- Lead hiring, onboarding, performance management, and professional development, setting clear expectations and fostering a culture of accountability, growth, and collaboration.
- Coach and support senior staff in translating strategy into disciplined execution across their respective portfolios.
Grants & Institutional Support
- Serve as the primary lead for foundation and corporate grant activity, including strategy development, proposal oversight, and relationship management.
- When appropriate, draft grant proposals directly and ensure consistency with Mercy’s case for support.
Governance & Reporting
- Serve as liaison to the Board’s Institutional Advancement Committee, attending all meetings, providing strategic direction, and ensuring clear communication tied to annual fundraising priorities.
- Provide regular, high-level reporting to the President and Board of Trustees to support informed decision-making and evaluation of fundraising performance.
Operations, Budgeting & Communications
- Create and manage the development department budget in close collaboration with the Vice President of Finance overseeing revenue tracking and expense management.
- Ensure accurate, timely tracking and reporting of all gifts and fundraising revenue.
- Oversee all advancement communications and marketing efforts in partnership with the Vice President for Marketing & Communications, ensuring alignment across print, digital, and video platforms.
- Direct overall advancement office planning and integration with the broader school community, maintaining a holistic understanding of institutional goals and priorities.
Qualifications, Experience, and Education Required:
● Degree from an accredited college or university.
● A minimum of eight to ten years of advancement experience, preferably some in education.
● Demonstrate proficiency in development best practices, a track record of directly soliciting major gifts, excellent writing and communications skills, and at least five years of managerial experience.
● A high level of integrity, warmth, confidence, a positive outlook, a good sense of humor, and a strong work ethic.
● Ability to remain calm and collected under pressure.
● Ability to interact effectively and earn the respect of all the constituencies of the school community, the President and Principal, the administration, staff, faculty, the Board of Trustees, alumni, parents, and friends of the school.
In addition to key responsibilities, the Vice President of Development will perform other duties as assigned.
Pay Range: $105,000 - $120,000 a year (pay information will vary depending upon relevant experience for the position)
Equal Opportunity Employment Policy
Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women has a clear vision: to be a place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, to stay, and do their best work. Helping us achieve this vision is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment, consistent with federal, state, and local laws. Accordingly, all applicants for employment are to be treated without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or citizen status, disability, sexual orientation, marital or veteran’s status, or any other status protected by law. This policy pertains to every aspect of an individual’s relationship with the school, including but not limited to recruitment, selection, compensation, benefits, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, or termination.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $105,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 403(b)
- 403(b) matching
- Dental insurance
- Dependent health insurance coverage
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
