Chief Development Officer

JOB SUMMARY 

This position serves as the head fundraising officer for Highmark Health and the Allegheny Health Network. The incumbent has the responsibility to build and drive the strategy to strengthen and grow the donor base and development program based on market-driven targets, while also elevating AHN’s brand and reputation through strategic engagement and collaborative efforts. In addition, the incumbent will grow a collaborative team of development professionals to understand and support enterprise-wide fundraising needs.

This role is pivotal in amplifying compelling narratives around AHN’s exceptional patient care, quality outcomes, access initiatives, and the Living Health Clinical Model, fostering strong relationships across the workforce, executive management, and external partners to reinforce our commitment to an unparalleled patient experience and community trust.This position provides executive oversight of the portfolio of major donors and prospects.

This is a highly visible, externally facing role and the individual will represent the organization in cultivating donors with the greatest capacity while managing leadership volunteers. This individual will also have executive oversight for overseeing operations of AHN’s existing foundations and trusts. The incumbent will partner with Highmark Health’s Corporate Affairs executive leadership on the identification, cultivation, and allocation of resources to maximize efficiency while obtaining desired results.

 
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES 

Strategic Planning & Analysis:

• Create and execute a long-term development strategy focused on securing major gifts, special fundraising events, and campaign planning. The incumbent will provide executive oversight of the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors, and guide and support internal leadership and campaign volunteers.
• Work in cooperation with corporate executive leadership, hospital leadership, hospital affiliated foundation boards, and medical leadership to develop and oversee implementation and management of the AHN fundraising strategic plan and capital campaign.
• Provide consistent analysis of fund development income opportunities within the national, international, state, and regional private/corporate/foundation philanthropic market, and aggressively pursue each opportunity emphasizing hospital funding priorities.

Capital Campaign Leadership:

• Develop multi-year strategic campaign plans and implements and develops enterprise-wide programs consisting of planned giving and major giving.
• Crafts compelling campaign strategy designed to achieve annual and long-term strategic goals.
• Cultivates existing and potential funders to bring about long-lasting results that grow the organization.
• Provide clear and persuasive communication of the AHN and enterprise-wide goals and objectives to varied audiences to increase public awareness.

Grateful Patient Program

• Build and maintain a fund development department infrastructure that supports all aspects of a comprehensive fund-raising program, through a capital campaign that includes a contemporary “grateful patient program,” an individual major gift program, a comprehensive electronic and direct marketing program, corporate and foundation relations, and special events.
• Manages volunteers.

Foundations & Trust

• Provide senior executive oversight of AHN’s existing foundations and trusts.
• Partner with Highmark Health’s Corporate Affairs executive leadership on an enterprise-wide major gifts strategy including the identification, cultivation and allocation of foundation and government funding.

Donor Relationship Management:

• Develops a sophisticated business and donor-centered funding model for building long term relationships with individuals, foundations, and corporate donors/funders.
• Build productive relationships, and establish credibility through superior interpersonal skills, with the Health Network’s major gift and grant donors/prospects (and their representatives), administrative and medical leadership, board of directors and key volunteers.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of diverse services and programs within the health network at large, and effectively describe those services and programs to various funding prospects.
• May personally manage top donors.

Leadership:

• Perform management responsibilities to include but are not limited to: involved in hiring and termination decisions, coaching and development, rewards and recognition, performance management and staff productivity.  Plan, organize, staff, direct and control the day-to-day operations of the department; develop and implement policies and programs as necessary; may have budgetary responsibility and authority.
• Oversight of AHN volunteer program.

EXPERIENCE 

 
Required 

• Minimum of fifteen years of fund-raising experience, including fund raising role within major capital campaigns, within an academic/research related hospital or higher education.
• Minimum of fifteen years’ experience in the development and implementation of a broad-based fundraising program including personally opening doors, cultivation, and successfully closing major gifts
• Progressive experience in developing and implementing successful development programs and knowledge of “best practices” in development.

 
Preferred 

• None

 
SKILLS 

• Established track record of developing and implementing a strategy to increase philanthropic revenue from diverse constituencies.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Team player committed to developing and working within a collaborative environment and to ensuring the highest customer service orientation.
• Ability to relate well and work effectively with multiple constituencies and audiences.
• Ability to work in a matrixed environment.

EDUCATION 

 
Required 

• Bachelor’s degree

Preferred 

• Master’s degree

LICENSES or CERTIFICATIONS 

 
Required 

• None 

 
Preferred 

• None 

Travel Requirement: 

0% - 25% 

PHYSICAL, MENTAL DEMANDS and WORKING CONDITIONS 

Position Type 

Office- or Remote-based 

Teaches / trains others 

Occasionally 

Travel from the office to various work sites or from site-to-site 

Rarely 

Works primarily out-of-the office selling products/services (sales employees) 

Never 

Physical work site required 

No 

Lifting: up to 10 pounds 

Constantly 

Lifting: 10 to 25 pounds 

Occasionally 

Lifting: 25 to 50 pounds 

Rarely 

Disclaimer: The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job. 
 
Compliance Requirement: This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies. 
 
As a component of job responsibilities, employees may have access to covered information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information that must be protected at all times.  In connection with this, all employees must comply with both the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policies and Procedures as well as all data security guidelines established within the Company’s Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy.  
 
Furthermore, it is every employee’s responsibility to comply with the company’s Code of Business Conduct. This includes but is not limited to adherence to applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as well as company policies and training requirements.