Summary
Description
Title: Vice President of Development
Department: Fund Development
Position Reports To: President & CEO
About Butterfly Pavilion: At Butterfly Pavilion, (BP) we transform the way people think about invertebrates. These small but mighty animals that surround us are so much more than people think. They are everywhere because everything depends on them. They are the hidden heroes of the animal kingdom. As the leader in invertebrate knowledge, inspiration and connection, Butterfly Pavilion works to foster an appreciation of these critical animals by educating the public about the need to protect and care for threatened habitats globally, while conducting research for solutions in invertebrate conservation. Whether it is providing unique, firsthand learning experiences in our exhibits and educational programs, conducting new research that sets the standard for zoos across the country or building innovative solutions for species and habitat conservation in countries around the world, Butterfly Pavilion is leading the way in ensuring invertebrates are protected for the future.
Our Core Values are a large part of who we are as an organization:
- Make Science Cool
- Love What You Do
- Go Above and Beyond
- Lead Change
- Know Your Stuff
- Be Positive
- Welcome All
These aren't just words, but words to live by here at Butterfly Pavilion.
FLSA Status & Classification: Exempt | Full-Time
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday | 5 days/week | Occasional weekends/evenings as required.
Salary: $145,000 – $165,000
Benefits:
- Medical, Dental, Vision, Basic Life/AD&D, LTD, STD, and Employee Assistance Program
- Voluntary Life, ID Shield, Legal Shield, and Pet Insurance plans available
- Retirement Savings 401(k) Plan with employer match
- Paid holidays, vacation, sick time
- One personal holiday per year and anniversary paid day off during the month of anniversary
- Butterfly Pavilion Membership and 25% Gift Shop discount
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
- Lead all fundraising operations to meet revenue goals across individual, foundation, corporate, and government sources.
- Build and manage a system of strategic fundraising that tracks behavior, measures effectiveness, and supports data-informed decisions.
- Represent Butterfly Pavilion externally to donors, community partners, and funding institutions.
- Develop and execute strategies for annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, campaigns, and partnerships, adjusting in real time based on performance metrics.
- Implement consistent forecasting, reporting, and operational discipline across development functions using CRM tools and analytics.
- Collaborate with Marketing to align donor-facing content with organizational messaging and campaign priorities.
- Create and maintain clear processes for stewardship, gift acknowledgment, research, and reporting increasing team efficiency.
- Engage board members, executives, and program staff as active contributors to fundraising outcomes.
- Coach and mentor team members with an emphasis on delegation, growth, and shared accountability.
- Foster a culture of transparency, strategic thinking, and results orientation, importing best practices and encouraging learning across the team.
- Other responsibilities as assigned by leadership.
Competencies:
- Building Teams – Listens and responds constructively to ideas, promotes cooperation, enlists the active participation of team members. Able to select candidate for key position utilizing behavioral interviewing techniques, understands departmental needs and objectives as it relates to personnel.
- Department Knowledge – Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of key aspects of the department and position
- Fund Development – Ensures innovative fund development strategies are developed, cultivated, and implemented to provide the necessary financial resources to strategically grow the organization
- Project/Time Management – Planning and guiding a project from start to finish, organizing and controlling resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals, exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on activities to be effective.
- Strategic Thinking – Involves the application of unique insights and opportunities to create competitive advantage or mission-driven objectives, being able to hold past, present and future in mind at the same time to create better decision making, ensuring that both creative and critical thinking are incorporated. Visualizes the organization's future state for long-term sustained business success.
Position Qualifications and Experience:
- 10+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience with a record of raising significant gifts across revenue types and channels.
- Sense of humor, creativity and appreciation for the role of philanthropy in building communities
- Proven experience building and managing revenue operations, including CRM oversight, pipeline tracking, and performance dashboards.
- Strong understanding of donor behavior, segmentation, and lifecycle engagement.
- Track record of developing people and leading teams through growth or transformation.
- Able to distinguish between activity and impact; measures progress using specific metrics, clear strategies, and outcomes.
- Effective communicator with the ability to engage internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
- Willingness to work occasional evenings/weekends and travel locally as needed.
Work Environment / Physical Requirements:
While performing the responsibilities of this position, these work environment characteristics are representative of the environment the position will encounter. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
At Butterfly Pavilion, the employee is occasionally exposed to moderate to loud environmental noise for extended periods of time.
While performing the responsibilities of this position, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and stand, use their hands and fingers, to handle/feel/grasp. The employee is occasionally required to reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision. Employee should be able to lift, carry and items up to 50 lbs.
How to Apply:
Click the apply button to be taken to the application portal. Applicants must submit a Resume and Cover Letter.
Position is open until filled. No phone calls or drop in's please.
Butterfly Pavilion is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages people of all backgrounds to apply for open positions and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty or veteran status.
