Senior Director, International Philanthropy at International Rescue Committee

Job Overview:

The External Relations (ER) department is comprised of three main but complementary functional areas: Private fundraising, Communications, and Advocacy. The main objective of the department is to enable the organization to have the resources needed to continue serving millions of people worldwide in places affected by war and disaster.

The Senior Director, International Philanthropy will provide leadership and strategic direction for IRC’s individual high net worth fundraising activities outside of the US market, ensuring the delivery of significant, multi-year resources for the IRC's global mission. The Senior Director will oversee the International Philanthropy team, which cultivates and stewards the IRC’s most developed HNWI fundraising market outside of the US – primarily in the UK. They will also explore HNWI fundraising opportunities in other IRC markets, build the International Philanthropy team accordingly, and serve as the primary high-value fundraising partner to IRC’s Executive Directors across Europe and Asia.

The Senior Director will inspire and facilitate collaboration across IRC’s international private fundraising pillars and play a leadership role alongside Executive Directors in Europe to engage their respective board members in fundraising as appropriate. The Senior Director will serve as a member of the Philanthropy Leadership Team and work closely with other staff members and leaders across External Relations.

Major Responsibilities:
Leadership and Management

• Successfully lead our International Philanthropy team towards increased revenue, expanded donor community, and deeper donor engagement in support of IRC's mission.
• Develop and support the International Philanthropy team's efforts to cultivate, solicit, and steward a growing portfolio of high-net-worth donors and prospects through personalized communications and face-to-face visits.
• Partner with the Vice President, Philanthropy to develop an ambitious strategic plan, including setting annual goals and key outcomes for the International Philanthropy team, and to develop and implement standards, tools and procedures towards a best-in-class approach to individual donor engagement and fundraising
• Measure and manage staff performance through Salesforce, dashboards, and other key performance indicators.  

Fundraising 

• Serve as a thought partner, advisor, and resource to External Relations staff in other Europe and Asia markets who are engaged in HNWI fundraising.
• Develop and execute a fundraising strategy for IRC’s Nordics markets, working closely with the Sweden Executive Director.
• Work with IRC's senior leadership, program staff, and relevant colleagues across IRC to build compelling cases for philanthropic investment and engagement opportunities for donors and prospects.
• Grow IRC’s international HNWI donor pipeline through current donor, Board & Advisor, and IRC ambassador networks.  

Job Requirements:

• Significant fundraising experience in the non-profit sector*
• Demonstrated expertise in ultra-high-net-worth individual fundraising.*
• Considerable experience managing and leading successful, sizable (5+ individuals), and sophisticated front-line fundraising teams based in multiple geographical location*

Experience & Skills:

• Proven track record of securing 7 figure gifts;*
• Knowledge of international philanthropic landscape and trends;*
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to interpret a broad vision and translate it into actionable steps to drive projects forward;
• Ability to lead, motivate and develop a high-performing, complex team;
• A high level of energy, self-confidence, initiative, and follow-through;
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment as well as take initiative independently;
• Demonstrated database management skills;
• Excellent organizational and time management skills;
• Ability to multi-task in response to shifting priorities;
• Commitment to respect and maintain confidentiality of donor information;
• Interest in global humanitarian work is preferred.