Assistant Director of Development

POSITION SUMMARY

As a member of The Music Hall’s Development Department, the Assistant Director of Development will play a critical role in increasing individual and corporate support to align with The Music Hall’s mission and the New Hampshire Film Festival (NHFF), a new programmatic growth opportunity for The Music Hall. Reporting to the Director of Institutional Advancement, the Assistant Director of Development is responsible for overseeing the team that manages corporate and foundation support, special events, and member stewardship to meet and exceed budgeted operating fundraising goals each year.

The Assistant Director will manage the administrative operations of all individual giving including membership, annual fund, special event fundraising events, sponsorship and donor stewardship. They will be responsible for participating in the promotion of the new Music Hall Members Club to enhance member and sponsor relationships. They will be responsible for executing plans to achieve annual contributed income goals with a special focus on expanding corporate and individual support for The Music Hall. This role is particularly critical to sustaining and increasing annual operating support as the organization is in the process of a $15 million Treasure the Legacy campaign.

Willingness and ability to work within rigorous and demanding time schedules, across morning, evening, and weekend hours, including regular attendance at Music Hall events and shows, is required.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direction of the Director of Institutional Advancement, the Assistant Director of Development will evaluate, offer ideas for strategic direction and will ultimately implement a comprehensive, multi-year plan to increase membership, expand individual giving and grow sponsorship to The Music Hall through broad-based communications via direct mail, email, in-person meetings, and at events. The Assistant Director of Development will serve as the primary support for the Director of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director to help prepare and present for the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees.. They will work to ensure that donors and prospects are integrated into annual giving/membership strategies and sponsorship programs effectively. The Assistant Director of Development will execute and manage an annual member/donor communications plan, will oversee similar plans for sponsors and oversee a comprehensive development events calendar. They will also represent The Music Hall in the theater, in the community, and at donor events.

Solicitations Program Management 

• Manage Director-level ($500) donor pipeline of 75 members/donors in an effort to move their membership levels to Backer level ($1000) or beyond. Pipeline management includes five donor/sponsor visits a month.
• Manage donor and sponsor pipeline to ensure donor visits, cultivation, and stewardship goals are being met each month by Manager of Corporate & Foundation Relations, the Director of Institutional Advancement, Executive Director, and assigned Board of Trustees.
• Responsible for print and digital marketing needs including schedule and distribution for all development-related appeals, direct mail, email, and other digital campaigns. This includes strategies to supplement annual fund and membership campaign efforts to increase participation and per-donor revenue, with focus on ROI for cost of various campaigns compared to yielded results.
• Implements best practices in donor-related CRM databases and oversees all gift and sponsorship administration with Ticket & Member Services Manager for proper data entry and timely recognition, with a keen eye to data integrity and reporting needs.
• Test, implement, and evaluate new strategies to increase donor retention, upgrades, and acquisition, and develop key performance indicators to ensure all goals are reached.

Budgetary & Financial 

• Assist the Director in the development of the contributed income goals and related operating expenses during the budget development process.
• Responsible for updating various contributed income dashboards for tracking and communicating to leadership, staff and board.
• Oversee and work with the Finance Department on monthly reconciliation to ensure smooth and accurate gift processing.

Cultivation, Stewardship, and Concierge 

• Serve as primary staff support for the Development Committee Board, working with Executive Director, Committee chair and Director of Institutional Advancement to establish monthly agendas and reports. Additionally, this role drafts the bi-monthly committee report for the Board of Trustees.
• Consulted and informed on the TMH Concierge program to ensure premium level customer service for all Founders, Stakeholders, Series and Season sponsors, and Board of Directors in regards to subscriptions, ticket purchases, returns, and show experience, providing the highest level of patron satisfaction.
• Work in collaboration with the Special Events Coordinator to provide successful donor and member events each year, including management of pre-show receptions, meet and greets, post-show receptions, in-house cultivation, and stewardship events.  Consulted, informed and participates in the organization’s annual fundraising events (e.g. Emerging Artist Benefit Concert).
• Consulted and informed to guarantee the best front of house experience for all members and sponsors at Music Hall productions.
• Set, manage, and meet aggressive targets for annual gifts, including acquisition, annual gift upgrades, and develop an effective pipeline to the major and planned gifts program.
• Consulted and informed regarding the Music Hall’s comprehensive and/or capital campaign activities to ensure comprehensive and seamless donor cultivation and stewardship strategies are at the forefront of all major asks and requests for sustained annual support.
• Develop cultivation strategies for ticket buyers and members at the $60-$499 level to increase their support over time.
• Track and document cultivation and stewardship activities in the PatronManager database and other donor-tracking tools.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum of five years of fundraising experience with a focus on individual donors and/or corporate sponsors
• Extensive experience with donor database management, knowledge of Patron Manager highly desired
• High level of proficiency with Google Suite and knowledge of search functions for donor research purposes
• Demonstrated ability to successfully execute annual giving and membership campaigns, special events, and direct and personal solicitation
• Excellent communication skills, including written communications, with the ability to connect to a variety of audiences
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality, strong organizational skills, and attention to detail
• Committed to the organization’s mission and values
• Superior interpersonal skills, engaging professionally with volunteers, colleagues, and donors
• Available to work weeknights and weekends
• Respect for confidentiality of donor information and a strong sense for donor ethics
• Strong work ethic, professional manner, and appearance in representing The Music Hall
• Outstanding project management skills with careful attention to detail and can manage multiple projects simultaneously
• On-site position in Portsmouth, NH office

Company reserves the right to change or modify the employee’s job description whether orally or in writing, at any time during the employment relationship. The Music Hall may require an employee to perform duties outside of their job description.

BENEFITS

• Salary range: $70,000 – $95,000
• Health care package: health and dental
• Cell phone reimbursement
• 24 days of accrued earned time
• Plus: 401K program with discretionary match and annual bonus (contingent on organization exceeding its annual goals)

ABOUT THE MUSIC HALL

In 1878, The Music Hall opened its doors as a Vaudeville theater, bringing a fresh cultural vibrancy to the city of Portsmouth. Fast forward 140 years and The Music Hall – with a second theater, The Lounge —has been pivotal in a revitalization of downtown into one of the most robust arts destinations in New England. We are a vibrant cultural and community hub, hosting over 130,000 patrons every year.

Our Vision

To enrich, entertain, and inspire all through world-renowned and community-based programming in our beloved gathering spaces.

Our Mission

The Music Hall invigorates audiences, nurtures healthy communities, and drives economic vitality in the region, stewarding our Historic Theater and delivering high-quality entertainment, lifelong learning, and shared experiences in our venues.

HOW TO APPLY 

Please email a cover letter, professional writing samples, and resume to: Ilysse Sirmaian at isirmaian@themusichall.org with the subject Assistant Director of Development.

No calls or walk-ins, please.

The Music Hall is an equal-opportunity employer. We highly encourage those traditionally underrepresented in our industry to apply. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, we encourage you to email Ilysse Sirmaian.