Development Senior Manager / Director
Classification: Regular Full-Time, Exempt
Location: Snowmass Village, CO
Apply Here with a resume and cover letter.
OUR DREAM
Anderson Ranch seeks a strategic, relationship-driven development leader to spearhead our National Council membership and Annual Fund programs. This person is a planner and an organizer who understands that success lives in the details — from the follow-up after a renewal call, to the seating chart at the annual Gala, to the thank-you note that goes out on time. They enjoy building one-on-one relationships with donors, and they bring the discipline to manage a small team while staying hands-on with the work. They are highly organized, growth-driven, present at events and on campus, and energized by the rhythm of the Ranch’s fundraising calendar.
About:
Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a year-round visual-arts not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization with a 55-year history of providing transformative experiences that celebrate artists, art-making, and creative dialogue at the intersection of craft and the global contemporary art world. Anderson Ranch brings together both aspiring and internationally renowned artists who come from across the country and around the world to test new ideas, explore new disciplines and techniques, hone their art-making skills, engage in meaningful dialogue, and connect with thought leaders in the artistic community.
Anderson Ranch’s campus is an artistic community nestled among the pristine peaks of the Rocky Mountains. The Ranch campus consists of 14 buildings providing 55,000 square feet of facilities, including eight studio buildings, a gallery, a lecture hall, café, store, administrative offices, a student dormitory, as well as residential apartments and cabins. State-of-the-art equipment allows cross-disciplinary experimentation within the mediums of ceramics, woodworking, photography, digital fabrication, painting, sculpture and printmaking. The campus is an oasis of renovated 19th-century cabins and barns that sit alongside contemporary designed buildings, all within the renowned cultural and recreation communities of Aspen/Snowmass, CO, and the Roaring Fork Valley.
Anderson Ranch cultivates a culture of experimentation and collaboration, offering world-class art-making facilities and equipment across diverse mediums, experienced visiting faculty, and access to the highest quality staff.
Mission:
Anderson Ranch Arts Center’s mission is to foster transformative educational experiences and community, embracing traditional and contemporary art making on our vibrant Rocky Mountain campus.
We achieve this by offering:
- Workshops: Providing intensive 1-3-week workshops for artists of all levels and all ages that both improve technical art-making skills and provide transformative experiences for art makers.
- Advanced Mentoring Programs: Offering three-year mentoring programs that advance artistic practice and careers in the arts.
- Artist Residencies: Providing 5 and 10-week long juried Artists-in-Residence programs, which give emerging and mid-career professional artists the time, space and resources to develop new work using our world-class facilities.
- Visiting Artist Experiences: Providing flexible and unique curated experiences to support established national and international artists seeking a retreat to experiment in new mediums or with new techniques and ideas, supported by our staff.
- Anderson Ranch Editions: Artists are invited to work with our professional staff in our studios to make prints or multiples in traditional and cutting-edge processes.
- Community Engagement: Hosting lectures, discussions, seminars and special events which build a community that appreciates, understands and supports art-making within the global contemporary art world and the human experience for both Anderson Ranch guests and the local community.
Work Culture:
- Changing Lives and Changing the World Through Art: We care about people and helping them improve their lives. We enable people to learn and grow, personally and professionally, in a challenging and supportive environment. We meet people where they are and help them reach their goals.
- Culture of Diversity & Inclusion: We learn from diversity and it makes us stronger. At the center of our mission is helping people find their whole selves in their artistic practice. We strive to live the same values in our professional lives. That includes actively embracing diversity of age, race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental ability, as well as background and experience. We approach our work thoughtfully, learn from each other and share a commitment to inclusivity.
- Rigor & Excellence: We provide the best possible experience for our community of guests, including faculty, interns, students, residents, visiting artists, volunteers, supporters and staff. We demand the best from ourselves and each other.
- Culture of Critique: We believe in a “Culture of Critique” where we offer and receive honest feedback and support each other as we learn and improve.
- Culture of Results, Connectivity and Collaboration: We prioritize excellence at Anderson Ranch by being available when needed, by being open, working collaboratively, welcoming feedback, and getting work done efficiently, effectively and on time.
Position Summary:
The Development Senior Manager / Director leads Anderson Ranch’s National Council membership and Annual Fund fundraising programs, driving growth, renewal, and unrestricted giving. The Senior Manager / Director also partners with events staff and vendors to ensure the successful execution of the organization’s fundraising-focused events which have historically included five signature events: the Ranch Gala, the Community Picnic, the National Council Summer Celebration, the Winter Benefit Dinner, and the President’s Weekend gathering. This individual leads a small development team and maintains a consistent on-campus presence to support donor cultivation, staff management, and event readiness.
Core Responsibilities:
- National Council – Membership, Stewardship & Growth: Lead the strategy, stewardship, renewal, and growth of the National Council. Build strong individual relationships with members, encourage deeper engagement in Ranch programs and events, and maintain consistent, thoughtful follow-up. Identify and cultivate prospective members through existing supporters, the broader community, workshop participants, event attendees, and other Ranch relationships, moving them toward membership and increased philanthropic support.
- Annual Fund: Lead Annual Fund strategy and year-round solicitation across unrestricted individual giving below National Council levels. Develop coordinated, multi-touch renewal and acquisition campaigns combining broad-based communications with targeted personal outreach. Identify and follow up on prospective donors through Ranch programs, workshop participation, events, and referrals from colleagues, with a focus on growing participation and annual support.
- Team & Staff Management: Directly supervise 1-2 development staff members, providing day-to-day direction, performance management, and professional development. Clarify staff roles, portfolio assignments, and performance metrics across the team. Coordinate closely with the senior leadership team on donor strategy, campaign efforts, and organizational priorities.
- Systems & Reporting: Maintain development systems, workflows, activity and contact tracking, reporting — including Raisers Edge data integrity — to support accurate pipeline tracking and revenue reporting against National Council and Annual Fund goals.
- Organizational Presence & Community Representation: Serve as an ambassador to Anderson Ranch with a presence and support at events and on campus, and engage with guests. Attend Ranch fundraising and cultivation events, including evenings and weekends as required, and actively represent the Ranch in the community and advocate for community engagement and support.
Core Expectations:
- Donor-Centric Approach: Build authentic, long-term relationships with donors by learning their interests, values, and philanthropic goals. Help donors see the impact of their partnership with Anderson Ranch and thoughtfully guide them toward meaningful opportunities to engage and give.
- Organizational Representative: This role is critical in representing Anderson Ranch’s reputation and interests in the community at the highest level, exhibiting utmost discretion and professionalism at all times.
- Data-Driven Strategy: Proactively use the database to identify prospects, set relationship-cultivation strategies, and build engagement with supporters. Follow through by recording interactions and next steps, which is critical to our work as a team now and our long-term organizational success.
- Goal Setting and Benchmarking: Lead goal-setting strategy, benchmarking progress, and communication plans to ensure optimal planning and execution across the organization.
- Organizational Engagement: As a representative of the organization and our activities to this important group of supporters, it is essential that this individual attend talks, visit workshops and actively engage in the Ranch events. They should help facilitate connections between staff and supporters that deepen connections across the community.
- Mentoring Colleagues: Anderson Ranch believes that “Everyone is in Development,” from the artistic team to the operations and business teams. This position serves as a collaborative resource and mentor, helping colleagues recognize, cultivate, and strengthen relationships that advance the Ranch’s mission and philanthropic goals.
Skills and Qualifications:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate this organization’s mission and impact to diverse audiences.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Excellent relationship-building and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.
- Thorough understanding of or ability to quickly learn donor management systems, databases, and administrative software. Raisers Edge experience a plus.
- Passion for and commitment to the organization’s mission and values.
- Ability to keep confidential information secure and private.
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree.
- 3-5 years (Senior Manager) or 6+ years (Director) of professional experience in fundraising and non-profit organizations.
- Solid experience in membership/annual giving programs and event-based fundraising.
- Substantial direct fundraising experience required.
- Familiarity with philanthropy in the Roaring Fork Valley strongly preferred.
Staff Community Responsibilities:
- Community Outreach Leader: All staff members are expected to build and lead partnerships with community organizations related to their area of responsibility and actively support the outreach efforts of other team members.
- Engaged & Supportive Team Member: All staff are expected to support colleagues and engage in the Ranch’s programs and events by attending lectures, artist talks, fundraising events, and community-wide events, and by being available to jump in and help make them a success.
- Support Major Fundraising & Community Events: All staff are expected to support the major annual events that engage the public and fundraisers. These are “all hands on deck” efforts, a nd all staff are expected to participate outside their normal professional functions to make them a success, from set-up to execution to tear-down.
- Professional & Personal Development: Continuing to learn and improve is a job requirement of all staff. Team members are expected to be growing, learning, and improving in their artistic and professional lives.
- Brand Ambassador: All team members are expected to comport themselves in a manner that is fitting with the organization; represent the Ranch both on and off-campus, as well as online and on social media, keeping in mind that positivity and professionalism are respected and appreciated.
Physical Requirements:
- Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting/standing.
- Light work that includes moving objects up to 30 pounds.
- The employee frequently is required to stand, walk and reach with hands and arms.
- Typical tasks as required to actively teach and supervise art studios/facilities in a historic building space with uneven surfaces, stairs, gravel walkways, etc.
Other Duties:
- The descriptions above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed in this role. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of the role.
- All personnel are required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.
- This role requires a flexible schedule including evening and weekend hours as needed, and particularly intense time demands in the summer months.
- This job description may be changed or updated at any time throughout employment.
Compensation & Benefits:
- Base Salary: $90,000 – $130,000 based on skills and experience
- Total Compensation Package Value: $102,000 – $142,000
- Company-paid medical insurance, option to add additional family
- Company-paid HSA contribution
- Long- and short-term disability insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid Time Off – Up to 20 days during first year of service
- Paid Sick Leave
- Professional/continuing education support
- Retirement plan 403(b) with employer match after one year of service
Employment requires successfully passing the pre-employment background check.
All inquiries and conversations will remain strictly confidential.
NOTE: The above is an abbreviated representation of benefits defined in the Employee Handbook, which governs all employment terms. No other verbal or written exceptions to those terms are honored without a written directive by the President and Chief Executive Officer and signed by the Chair of the Board of Trustees.
Apply Here with a resume and cover letter.
Anderson Ranch is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce.
