Senior Manager, Development and Donor Relations Communications

About the Role

The Senior Manager, Development & Donor Relations Communications is a senior role within the Development team, reporting to the Director of Development Operations. This individual is a confident, highly organized manager who generates compelling fundraising copy aligned with organization-wide priorities set by senior leadership, oversees the Development team's communications and content calendar, and provides direct supervision and operational oversight to a two-person team: a Donor Relations Manager and a Graphic Designer, Development. The Graphic Designer maintains a dotted-line relationship with the Director of Graphic Design and Brand Creative for technical oversight and mentorship, and the Senior Manager coordinates regularly with that office to maintain shared awareness of priorities and ongoing work. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a pivotal moment in the Museum's history, as the Brooklyn Museum embarks on a significant capital campaign.

The ideal candidate brings significant experience in communications, donor stewardship and relations, a proven track record of managing staff and complex workflows, and the ability to produce high-quality fundraising copy for a range of donor audiences.

Responsibilities

Generate Fundraising Copy & Coordinate Communications

• Develop and write compelling fundraising copy, including proposals, case statements, impact reports, appeals, and stewardship communications, aligned with organization-wide priorities set by senior leadership and tailored to distinct donor audiences: individual donors, corporate partners, institutional funders, members, and patrons. Depending on the project, this may involve serving as primary author or as editor and quality-assurance reviewer, and/or coordinating with other editors across the Museum.
• Partner with the Director of Membership as a thought partner and copy editor on direct mail and digital appeals for the Annual Fund (3-4 times per year) and large-scale membership mailings (100,000+ packages, 2-3 times per year).

Manage Communications Calendar & Workflow

• Collaborate with Development team leadership to ensure alignment of fundraising communications with departmental and organizational goals.
• Build and maintain a centralized Development communications and content calendar, tracking all outgoing communications by audience, owner, and deadline.
• Monitor and coordinate all communications flowing from the Development team to ensure consistency, strategic alignment, timeliness, and no duplication or gaps across donor audiences (individual, corporate, institutional, members, and patrons).

Team Supervision & Project Management

• Provide direct supervision to a Donor Relations Manager and a Graphic Designer, Development, with full accountability for both roles' performance, priorities, workflows, and professional growth.
• Deliver structured performance management, regular feedback, and coaching to support both direct reports in meeting expectations and developing professionally.
• Manage project prioritization with the Graphic Designer, Development, ensuring that project assignments and workload are appropriately optimized/managed to meet departmental needs. The Graphic Designer role maintains a dotted-line relationship with the Director of Graphic Design and Brand Creative for technical design oversight and mentorship. The Senior Manager coordinates regularly with the Director of Graphic Design and Brand Creative to maintain open communication and shared awareness of priorities and ongoing work.
• Review and quality-assure donor-facing materials and other outputs produced by the team.

Cross-Divisional Collaboration

• Collaborate with non-Development Editorial staff to align on tone, voice, messaging, and cadence for Development content and communications
• Foster collaboration with internal teams, including Communications, Marketing, Curatorial, and Learning and Social Impact, to ensure coordination on messaging and outreach for key Museum initiatives.
• Engage with senior institutional stakeholders, including the Museum Director, curators, Deputy Director for Art, Director of Public Relations, and Chief Marketing Officer, to gather context that ensures fundraising copy accurately reflects institutional priorities and programmatic work.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of direct experience in fundraising communications, development, grant writing, or donor relations, preferably within a cultural institution or nonprofit organization.
• 3+ years of direct supervisory experience, including managing staff performance, providing structured coaching, and overseeing team workflows in a fast-paced environment.
• Significant experience in donor stewardship and donor relations, with a clear understanding of best practices in building and maintaining donor relationships.
• Excellent writing, editing, and copy generation skills, with demonstrated ability to produce compelling content for a range of donor audiences.
• Strong project and/or editorial management expertise, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workflows, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage systems, calendars, and tracking tools that improve team efficiency and communications coordination.
• Proven ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy, managing up effectively while independently driving their own workload and team priorities.
• Knowledge of and commitment to the Brooklyn Museum's mission, history, and programs, and a strong affinity with Brooklyn.
• Familiarity with project management tools and software to track workflows, assignments, and deadlines across a team.
• Familiarity with digital marketing and email marketing platforms such as WordFly to design, send, automate, and track email campaigns.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and shifting priorities, with a track record of staying focused and delivering quality work in a fast-paced environment.

Nice to Have

• Experience managing or closely partnering with graphic design workflows, including understanding of production timelines and design review processes.
• Experience with direct mail or large-scale print fundraising appeals, including project management of multi-step productions.
• Experience with customer relationship management (CRM) software such as Tessitura or similar tools.
• Familiarity with annual fund strategies.

Application Requirements

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Writing Sample

Department: Development
Reports to: Director of Development Operations

Salary: $99,188.41

Union Status: Non-Union
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Type: Full-time
Schedule: 35 hours per week, Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm. This position is subject to occasional weeknight and weekend hours. This role is eligible for 3 days in the office and 2 days remote work.

Benefit Offerings

The Museum provides competitive compensation along with generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees. Individual benefit offerings may vary based on position type and union status.

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 401(k) Savings Plan and Pension Plan
• Generous paid time off, including annual vacation leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) & Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) for eligible pre-tax health care, dependent care, and commuter expenses
• Employee Assistant Program
• Free admission to various NYC museums and cultural institutions
• Early access to Museum exhibitions
• Invitations to staff-only programs, tours, and on-site engagement events
• Opportunities to participate in community initiatives and Museum programs
• 40% discount for staff in Museum shops
• 20% discount at Museum café
• All positions are based in Brooklyn, New York, with some eligible for a hybrid work schedule (three days on-site / two days remote)

Apply Today

We recognize that it's unlikely that any candidate will meet 100% of the desired qualifications for a role. If much of this job description resonates with you, we strongly encourage you to apply today. We're committed to welcoming candidates with a wide range of experiences and perspectives - especially those who see themselves contributing to our mission to bring people together through art and experiences that inspire celebration, compassion, courage, and the will to act.

If you have questions about our online application system, please contact us at [email protected]