Chief Advancement Officer

Job Description

Job Description

Chief Advancement Officer

Join a vibrant, mission-driven school community! Frankel Jewish Academy seeks a

visionary, strategic, and highly collaborative Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) to

serve as an executive leader of our institutional advancement and member of our

Leadership Team, reporting directly to the Head of School. The CAO will break away

from episodic, transactional messaging and fundraising to architect and drive a

unified, high-performing "Advancement Engine". This executive role is charged with

designing and executing an intertwined short- and long-term strategy that blends

enrollment, development, and marketing into one cohesive vision.

The CAO will provide high-level strategic management to the advancement

department, directly supervising three distinct directors to ensure total alignment

across all school growth initiatives.

Organizational Mission

Frankel Jewish Academy is a rigorous college preparatory high school dedicated to

academic excellence and Jewish literacy. We inspire students to think critically, creatively, and compassionately, dedicating themselves to Jewish tradition, peoplehood, and the State of Israel, and to become lifelong learners and leaders.

Characteristics of Professional Excellence

FJA Professionals:

● Are invested in and dedicated to our mission and the school community’s

continued growth and success.

● Create an inclusive, open-minded school community and learning environment for our students.

● Embrace cross-curricular learning opportunities to create meaningful educational experiences inside and outside of the classroom.

● Are passionate, dynamic, and nurturing mentors.

● Seek opportunities for innovation and growth.

● Value responsive and collaborative professional relationships.

● Encourage students to challenge themselves to think critically about the world

around them.

● Foster authentic connections with students through support, consistency,

professionalism, and understanding.

● Inspire students to approach the world with awe and wonder.

You’ll have opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and to shape

the advancement strategy of a leading independent school

Ideal prospective candidates:

● Strategic and relationship-driven leader with a strong advancement background.

● Minimum of 7 years of advancement experience, preferably in an independent

school setting.

● Proven success in major gift fundraising, donor cultivation, and capital campaigns.

● Excellent communicator with exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal skills.

● Effective team manager with a track record of mentoring, motivating, and

supporting staff.

● Proficient with advancement software, database programs, and operational tools.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Executive Leadership & Strategic Integration

● Architect of the "Advancement Engine": Lead the integration of marketing,

development, and recruitment into a synchronized, multi-year institutional

strategy.

● Departmental Supervision: Manage, mentor, and set clear professional goals

for the three department Directors (Admissions/Recruitment, Development, and

MarComm), fostering an aligned team environment.

● Board & Committee Governance: Attend all Board of Trustees meetings, staff

the Development Committee, and actively support the Development Committee

Chair.

● Financial & Resource Oversight: Develop and manage the comprehensive

annual Advancement budget directly linked with the strategic and financial

priorities of FJA.

● Data-Driven Reporting: Report to the Board on high-level 'confidence indicators'

and institutional health metrics.

2. Development & Capital Campaign Leadership

● Major Gift Cultivation: Move from hitting short-term end-of-year targets to

managing multi-year major gift strategies. Identify, cultivate, solicit, and

steward leadership donors and top prospects.

● Executive Solicitations: Accompany and strategically brief the Head of School,

Board members, and volunteer leadership during direct, high-net-worth

solicitations.

● Future-Proofing & Campaign Prep: Design and prepare comprehensive

campaign guidelines for capital campaigns and future facility upgrades and

renovations.

● Endowment & Legacy Giving: Develop and implement an effective planned

giving program, while fostering close working relationships with the Jewish

Federation of Detroit.

● Alumni Council Activation: Oversee the structural expansion of alumni

relations, including activating the Alumni Council and starting an alumni mentor

program.

3. Marketing & Communications (MarComm) Oversight

● The Story Engine: Direct the MarComm team to move away from simple

updates toward building a robust "story engine" that shares concrete proof

points of alumni success and student growth.

● Brand Placement: Oversee the long-range internal and external marketing

plans, ensuring high visibility of cultural and academic milestones like the

'Portrait of a Graduate'.

● Reputation Management: Ensure all electronic communications, school

publications, and website strategies advance FJA's reputation for academic

excellence and Jewish values.

4. Admissions & Recruitment Strategy

● Pipeline Expansion: Guide the Admissions team to build a powerful recruitment

pipeline through robust community partnerships.

● Regional Dominance: Strategize outreach to ensure FJA is the definitive

"default option" for Jewishly engaged families within a 60-minute geographical

radius.

● Event & Data Integration: Align admissions parlor meetings, tours, and

recruitment dates with the integrated development and marketing calendar.

Qualifications and Experience:

● Education: Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.

● Experience: Minimum 7 years senior development and advancement leadership

experience, ideally within an independent school or Jewish communal setting.

● Campaign Provenance: Significant personal involvement and documented success in capital campaigns, major gift programs, and direct solicitations from

high-net-worth individuals and foundations.

● Strategic Acumen: Well-versed in high-level strategic planning, operational data

analysis, and long-term pipeline development.

● Systems Literacy: Proficient with advancement software, operational tools, and

donor database ecosystems.

● Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal

communication skills, with a proven record of motivating and mentoring staff.

Compensation & Benefits:

● Competitive salary commensurate with experience, starting at $140K.

● 28 paid time off (PTO) days plus school holidays break.

● Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

● 403b Match up to 4% of salary

● Professional development support to encourage continuous staff growth.

● Warm, supportive, and collaborative working environment.

General Requirements:

● Criminal history background check required.

● Aptitude assessment

● Compliance with federal employment eligibility verification.

● References required.

Don’t meet every single requirement? We encourage you to apply anyway! At FJA, we value diverse experiences and perspectives.

Please email your resume, cover letter and references to View email address on ziprecruiter.com. with subject “Chief Advancement Officer.”

Your work will directly support our mission of fostering academic excellence and a vibrant Jewish community, ensuring our school’s financial health and the success of every student.

Frankel Jewish Academy is a non-profit private secondary academy. We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to the belief that each individual is entitled to equal employment opportunity. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, color, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation or pregnancy), disability, religion, national origin or genetic information.

To find out more about Frankel Jewish Academy, visit our website at