At Great Lakes Science Center, we make science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) come alive for guests of all ages. We believe in the value of using real scientific challenges through opportunities to invent, design, tinker and create to encourage curiosity and experimentation. The Science Center remains committed to developing informal science education programs that inspire young minds, improve STEM literacy and cultivate the creative, critical thinkers who will shape the future of Northeast Ohio.

Over the last decade, Great Lakes Science Center has repeatedly launched innovative strategic initiatives that received national recognition. In 2013, the organization launched Cleveland Creates, an initiative in collaboration with corporate leaders to change the community’s narrative around advanced manufacturing for diverse middle-school youth and families. This work was recognized by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, who chose the Science Center as the unveiling site for the National Week of Making with Mythbuster’s host Adam Savage in 2016. The Science Center also has been honored to play an important role for national events in Cleveland, including the 2016 Republican National Convention and the 2021 National Football League Draft. As an anchor institution of downtown’s North Coast Harbor, the organization is now looking ahead to the exciting future of lakefront development.

The Science Center was recognized for its initiative, Cleveland Connections, that integrates emerging technologies such as blockchain and industrial internet of things, to educate and empower youth in developing personal and community solutions. The team at the Science Center leveraged their commitment to being a learning organization and used the best scientific research to develop safe operating models, allowing them to continue to serve families and schools during the public health and economic crises that have magnified persistent racial inequities in our community. The Science Center was honored for this work and named a 2021 National Medal for Museum and Library Service finalist, recognizing their pioneering approaches and deep community partnerships during this difficult time. In 2022, GLSC was voted a top three science museum in the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice travel awards.

Great Lakes Science Center embraces and encourages the unique attributes, characteristics and perspectives that make each person unique. We consider diversity and inclusion essential for institutional excellence and fulfillment of our vision - a community where all people value STEM to inform decision making and enrich lives. We believe our strength lies in the collective sum of individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, ingenuity, self-expression, and unique capabilities. Our employees, volunteers, guests, and partners bring and invest these strengths in their daily experiences at Great Lakes Science Center. We champion an unending commitment to diversity of participation, thought, and action. It is our aim, therefore, that our board, staff, and key stakeholders embrace these principles.

The Vice President of Development leads the museum’s contributed revenue efforts, including annual, capital, and endowment fund development efforts to secure financial and in-kind support from key donors and prospects at the local, regional, national, and international levels. This position will have oversight responsibility of fund development functions and provide leadership in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major individual, corporate, and foundation gifts, as well as public and government funding sources. The Vice President of Development works closely with the President & CEO to support the Board of Trustees and to ensure that the mission and impact of the Science Center are strongly valued in the community. The ideal candidate is an experienced advancement leader, positive collaborator with creative approaches, and strong manager and team-builder. This is an opportunity to join a mission-oriented, collaborative, and passionate leadership team during a compelling comprehensive campaign that is well- supported by strong campaign co-chairs and an active Board. The Vice President of Development is a high-visibility, high-impact position that will directly contribute to the strength of the organization. This is an opportunity to work and to lead in an environment that fosters a sense of fun, community service, and data-driven decision making. Application details available at greatscience.com/about/careers.

Reporting Relationships

The Vice President of Development will report to and work closely with the President & CEO, Dr. Kirsten Ellenbogen. For more than thirty years, Dr. Ellenbogen has been in the business of researching and developing learning experiences in informal learning environments. Her energetic leadership on field-advancing initiatives such as the Center for Informal Learning and Schools and the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network has included serving as co-principal investigator of the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education. She is honored to have received many recognitions and awards including the 2017 Crain’s Women of Note and the 2022 Cleveland 500 Leaders, Doers, Visionaries, & Idea Generators Who Shape the City. She serves on a number of regional and national boards and committees and currently is Board Chair of the Cleveland Water Alliance and Co-Chair of the Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The Vice President of Development is part of the Executive Leadership Team that includes the CEO, the Vice Presidents of Education & Exhibits, and the Vice President of Operations, working closely with the Director of Finance and the Human Resources Manager. The Development department is a high-performing, well-coordinated team that includes positions focused on grant writing, corporate and individual giving, events, and board support.

Responsibilities

The Vice President of Development is responsible for the planning, strategic oversight and direction of the annual and long-range institutional advancement activities of Great Lakes Science Center. The Vice President acts as the lead strategist for all leadership and principle gifts and is responsible for leading the Development team in the establishment and execution of operational plans and the tracking of goals for the comprehensive campaign, which includes operating, capital, and endowment funds.  Ongoing areas of work include major and planned gifts, corporate and foundation relations, government relations, individual giving, grant writing, prospect and donor research, and fundraising events. The Vice President supports the Board of Trustees in overall governance strategy, Board giving, all comprehensive campaign updates and resources, and informal campaign efforts, as well as committee leadership. As part of these responsibilities, the Vice President of Development:

1. Cultivates individual, corporate, and foundation donors and prospects; manages the portfolio of prospects and donors, with primary responsibility for cultivating, soliciting and stewarding these relationships.
2. Personally engages in stewardship and cultivation and maintains a high level of visibility with external donor constituencies. Attends donor and member cultivation and stewardship events as needed.
3. Effectively support the President & CEO in her role as chief fundraiser for the museum, matching the CEO with the museum’s top donors and prospects in an appropriate strategy for engaging these donors and prospects in the museum’s mission and vision.
4. Creates, implements and refines a museum-wide action plan for identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major donors and prospects that allows the Development team to actively achieve the strategic initiatives set forth in formal or informal campaign plans. 
5. Creates, implements and refines audience marketing and development plans for acquiring, renewing, and upgrading donors and prospects. 
6. Oversees department financials including check processing, budgeting and reforecasting as well as collaborating with other department budgets to ensure grant funded programming.
7. Lead and support all Development volunteers including Comprehensive Campaign leadership, committee members and committee chairs.
8. Works collaboratively with other members of the museum Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees to accomplish division goals and to support the achievement of the museum’s strategic plan. 
9. In collaboration with the President & CEO, works closely with the Board of Trustees and any campaign teams to identify funding priorities in order to plan and implement all formal or informal comprehensive campaign(s) strategies.
10. Oversees major development strategies and activities for annual, capital, and endowment campaigns. Leads annual preparation of the contributed revenue projection, with regular monitoring and quarterly updates.
11. Manges consultant relationships including but not limited to vendors, service providers and wealth screening relationships.
12. In collaboration with the Vice President of Operations, develops a comprehensive portfolio of communication materials for daily interactions and campaign related messaging to improve donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship support. 
13. Provides strong leadership to Development staff, ensuring that individual responsibilities are well defined and communicated while also encouraging a positive team environment. 
14. Works with other Executive Leadership Team members to identify and mentor key museum staff across the organization and on-site partners as development resources in presenting their areas of expertise to donors.
15. Establishes a communications plan to keep the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Trustees current on fundraising strategies, activity, and results. 

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. Most of the work will be indoors; exceptions could include some special events or tours on the Steamship Mather.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and write. The employee frequently is required to tour through the ADA-accessible building, and occasionally could involve walking through sections of the Steamship Mather accessible via narrow and steep stairs.

Education and Work Experience Qualifications

1. Minimum of eight years of leadership experience in development, non-profit management or related field with a broad knowledge of institutional advancement, campaign leadership, major gift identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. 
2. At least five years of people management experience, with a proven track record of developing staff.
3. A passion, understanding and strong commitment to the mission and vision of Great Lakes Science Center.
4. Demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting, and closing high-level gifts.
5. Superior strategic skills and a holistic understanding of the aspects and nuances of fund development and how best to engage stakeholders. Ability to design, implement, and assess the success of a multi-year fund development strategy for building an effective program.
6. Demonstrated success in setting and achieving annual, multi-year strategic goals.
7. A personal style that is positive, polished, and supportive. Strong personal integrity and work ethic, as well as a sense of humor and appreciation for a work environment that strongly values learning through experimenting, and improving through evaluation.
8. Proven success in building relationships with diverse individuals, colleagues, Trustees, and other donors and stakeholders.
9. Proven success in managing and motivating a high functioning diverse staff and Trustee team. 
10. Superior communication skills to express the mission and fund-raising goals with clarity, passion, and persuasion.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications (K/S/A)

• Collaboration and problem-solving skills. 
• Highly skilled with databases (e.g., Raiser’s Edge), Excel, Word, Power Point.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills. 
• Efficient time management and ability to work under deadlines. 
• Attention to detail.

Rate: $95,000-115,000/year

Great Lakes Science Center is proud to provide staff members with a benefits program that offers choices designed to meet their individual needs and lifestyles. Eligible staff members can participate in the following benefits programs: 

• Free Parking 
• Medical 
• Dental 
• Vision 
• Employee Assistant Program (EAP) 
• Paid Time Off (PTO) & Paid Holidays 
• 403b Retirement Savings Plan with a Match
• ASTC Membership 
• Northeastern Ohio Intermuseum Council (NEOIMC) Membership 
• And more! 

COVID-19 Safety and Guidelines

Great Lakes Science Center is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our staff (paid and unpaid), and guests. In accordance with our COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, all staff are required to be vaccinated and/or boosted against COVID-19. Reasonable accommodations will be made for those who cannot take the vaccine due to health or religious reasons.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is the policy of GLSC to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) free from illegal discrimination, harassment and retaliation to all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religious affiliation, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, immigration status, age, source of income, familial status, marital status, veteran or military status, genetic information, disability or any other basis protected by applicable law. GLSC complies with applicable state, federal and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment.