Chief Development Officer

Position: Chief Development Officer FLSA: Exempt

Reports to: Chancellor for Administrative Affairs Grade: 211


Department: Stewardship Cohort (Development/Catholic Foundation) [DSO]


Effective date: July 1, 2026


For consideration, please email resume to:

Brent Morton

Senior Vice President of Recruiting

Catholic Recruiter Associates

View email address on click.appcast.io

General Summary:

This mission-driven charismatic leader provides forward-thinking strategic leadership to successfully implement a comprehensive best-in-class development program to support the mission of the Diocese of St. Augustine by actively seeking the financial resources and funding opportunities needed to support and advance the Church's pastoral programs and ministries.


The Chief Development Officer's primary focus is on major gifts working closely with the Bishop, the Chancellor for Administrative Affairs, the development team, the Executive Director of the Catholic Foundation and its Board of Directors, diocesan curia leadership, pastors and parish staff, donors, and other key constituents to advance the diocese's development goals. The Executive Director will establish department priorities and oversee, manage, and grow current and future fundraising programs (including diocesan campaigns) while also supporting entity-based campaign efforts. The Executive Director will actively manage a donor portfolio by personally participating in cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, and will assist the Bishop with an elevated portfolio of existing and prospective donors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Plans, designs, implements, coordinates, and manages an annual comprehensive development plan that describes the development mission of the diocese as well as goals and objectives for various development programs consistent with the Bishop's vision and diocesan objectives. This development program shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, major gifts, grant solicitation, capital campaign support, Bishop's Annual Stewardship Appeal (BASA), annual diocesan appeals (National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, Catholic Schools tuition assistance, cemeteries, etc.), offertory enhancement, planned giving, and the endowment program.
• Grows the individual major gifts program, including identification, cultivation, and solicitation of major gifts; manages a portfolio of qualified major gift prospects; maintains current donors and builds on the individual donor base; and meets the diocese's major gift fundraising goals as established with the Chancellor for Administrative Affairs by the Bishop.
• Arranges face-to-face, personalized, group meetings, and family meetings between top prospective benefactors and the Bishop. Provides regular updates and follow-up reports to the Bishop and Chancellor for Administrative Affairs.
• Fosters a ministry-oriented accountable work environment, providing strong leadership, management, and supervision to the following direct reports:
  • Director of Annual Giving
  • Database & Donor Relations Coordinator
  • Administrative Assistant
  • Executive Director of the Catholic Foundation
• Provides performance management feedback and goal setting with her/his team. Promotes a team environment and articulates the purpose and vision with staff, develops goals with each of them, and follows up to ensure that the mission is accomplished.
• Advises the Bishop, Chancellor for Administrative Affairs, Chief Financial Officer, and the appropriate advisory boards on all issues related to development, while providing comprehensive, accurate, and timely status reports on performance, financial updates, goals, initiatives, and the success of the campaigns, as well as building support for future strategy.
• Works closely with the Executive Director of the Catholic Foundation and its Board of Directors, the Bishop, Chancellor for Administrative Affairs, and Chief Financial Officer to set the priorities and strategic direction of development and the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of St. Augustine.
• Oversees all planning of donor appreciation events.
• Works cooperatively and diligently with professionals in the technology arena, legal, planning, trust, investment, and marketing fields to involve them in the development activities of the diocese to achieve successful outcomes.
• Serves the Bishop, priests, and all parishioners to enhance the expansion of resources necessary for the ministries of the Diocese of St. Augustine. Activities include building constituent relationships through various contacts and events.
• Works closely with other diocesan stewardship and development colleagues to organize and synchronize development efforts.
• Assembles a team of professionals to provide consultative advice, support, materials, tools, publications, education/training workshops to parishes and other diocesan institutions so that they can develop their own development, fundraising, grant writing, offertory enhancement programs, and capital campaign initiatives, and increased giving and stewardship programs that are right for their own unique needs based on their available personnel and volunteers.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism and credibility with the diocesan staff, department heads, clergy, the public, and all media through knowledge, forthrightness, and truthfulness, with a high focus on building effective and positive relationships.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Business Administration or Non- Profit Administration or related field. Certified Fund-Raising Executive credential or equivalent is a plus.
• Minimum of seven years of progressive development experience overseeing successful fundraising programs; five or more years in major gifts; demonstrated ability to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors, corporations and foundations.
• Three or more years in stewardship education is a plus; experience of setting and administering departmental and campaign budgets within a large, complex organization, preferably the Catholic Church, with some work at a diocesan level; personal track record of integrity in fundraising and building successful development operations.
• Familiarity and fluency with the use of technology and the ability to know how to team with others to creatively use technology in development and stewardship, marketing, media relations, and to continually stay abreast of how other organizations, particularly dioceses use of technology, marketing, and the media to communicate, reach donors, and allow for ease-of-donation/giving, etc.
• Must be a practicing Roman Catholic in good standing with the Catholic Church and registered member of a Catholic parish faith community. Must have the ability to respect, promote, accommodate, and not be in conflict with the mission, moral and social teachings, doctrines, and laws of the Roman Catholic faith.
• Must have at least five (5) years of supervisory, management, and leadership experience; preferably in a Catholic environment. Must have a collaborative style; proven team builder with effective employee-relations skills. Proven ability to lead and motivate teams through recognition, participation, and delegation. A leadership style that is approachable, engaging, as well as results and action-oriented
• Pursues this ministry with energy, drive, and a need to produce results, especially in the face of resistance or setbacks. Must be flexible, self-confident, assertive, and persuasive.
• Required to have excellent presentation, verbal and written communication skills, skilled at public speaking. Ability to produce concise reports and recommendations, make presentations to varied groups, and articulate and inspire commitment to a shared vision.
• Must be a goal-oriented and self-motivated individual who can demonstrate accountability, initiative, creativity, and focus in a rapidly changing and intellectually stimulating environment. Must be able to organize and prioritize work, be proactive, resolve complex problems, follow through, and simultaneously manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to respect and value the cultural richness that makes up the Church and society and strives to celebrate commonalities and differences among various groups.
• Must be able to maintain confidential information, exercise good judgment and work independently as well as in a team environment; excellent supervisory and interpersonal skills is required.
• Exercises considerable independence and judgment with a high level of confidentiality.
• Must successfully pass the required criminal background check prior to employment and every five years.
• Proficient with information technology including Microsoft Office Suite, social media usage, web site contributor level should be proficient.
• Continues ongoing professional development.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, vendors, employees, and the public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Flexibility to work evenings and weekends, when necessary, and ability to travel and drive one's own vehicle to various diocesan locations.


For consideration, please email resume to:

Brent Morton

Senior Vice President of Recruiting

Catholic Recruiter Associates

View email address on click.appcast.io