Chief Development Officer

About

Second Harvest Food Bank leads the fight against hunger in South Louisiana by providing food access, advocacy, education, and disaster response. Second Harvest provides food and support to 500+ community partners and programs across 23 parishes. Our staff and volunteers distribute the equivalent of more than 50 million meals a year.

Through our food distribution programs, community kitchen meal service, nutrition education, and public benefits assistance, we are helping to create pathways out of poverty. Every year, Second Harvest secures millions of pounds of food that otherwise would have gone to waste. Our work helps ensure that these meals make it to the dinner tables of thousands of families struggling with hunger in South Louisiana.

Opportunity

This role comes at a meaningful point in the organization’s trajectory, as Second Harvest continues to build on strong momentum and expand its reach across South Louisiana. With increasing demand and a growing network of supporters, the organization is focused on strengthening its long-term sustainability while continuing to deepen its impact in the communities it serves.

The Vice President, Chief Development Officer will be part of a leadership team that is actively shaping the future of the organization—bringing together strategy, relationships, and resources to support both current operations and future growth. There is a clear opportunity to build on an established foundation, align and elevate fundraising efforts, and help position the organization for its next phase of development.

At Second Harvest, leadership is collaborative, the mission is tangible, and the work is closely connected to the community. For someone who values being part of a team that is both operationally strong and forward-looking, this role offers the chance to contribute in a way that is both strategic and enduring.

Position Summary

The Vice President, Chief Development Officer (VP, CDO) serves as the senior leader responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of all revenue-generating activities and external engagement efforts for Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, this role provides visionary leadership to advance the organization’s mission and ensure long-term sustainability.

The VP, CDO leads a high-performing, cross-functional team encompassing major gifts, institutional giving, donor relations, marketing and communications, and volunteer management—driving a cohesive and strategic approach to fundraising, brand positioning, and community engagement. In close partnership with the CEO, Executive Leadership Team, and Board of Directors, the VP, CDO strengthens donor relationships, expands philanthropic support, and elevates the organization’s visibility and impact across the region.

Accountabilities

• Support the President and CEO in strategic, long-range planning that aligns with SHFB's mission and vision.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising and external engagement strategy aligned with organizational goals and annual revenue targets.

• Lead and execute a diversified revenue strategy encompassing philanthropy, government funding, and other mission-aligned revenue sources.

• Monitor fundraising performance, analyze trends, and adjust strategies to meet or exceed goals.

• Oversee major gifts, institutional giving, donor relations, corporate partnerships, and foundation relations to ensure strong pipeline development and revenue growth.

• Provide strategic oversight of grant-seeking activities, ensuring alignment with programmatic priorities and compliance requirements.

• Oversee the pursuit and management of federal, state, and local government funding that is not reimbursement-based, including senior meals, children’s meals, and other hunger-relief initiatives.

• Ensure best-in-class donor stewardship practices that strengthen long-term relationships and donor retention.

Equal Opportunity Employer

• Provide executive oversight for signature fundraising events and campaigns.

• Provide executive-level strategic oversight of marketing, communications, and volunteer services through a Director-level leader.

• Ensure alignment of marketing and communications strategies with fundraising priorities, brand positioning, and organizational goals.

• Guide high-level messaging, storytelling, and public relations efforts to enhance visibility, donor engagement, and community impact.

• Ensure volunteer engagement strategies effectively support organizational operations, fundraising initiatives, and community outreach.

• Partner with the Director to establish goals, performance metrics, and continuous improvement strategies across marketing, communications, and volunteer programs.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Development team, including Director-level leadership overseeing marketing, communications, and volunteer services.

• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.

• Set clear goals, expectations, and performance metrics for team members.

• Promote a culture of philanthropy across the organization by engaging staff and leadership in fundraising efforts.

• Provide regular updates, reporting, and strategic guidance to the Board on development performance and outcomes.

• Represent Second Harvest at community, donor, and partner events, serving as a visible ambassador for the organization.

• Ensure effective use of CRM systems and data analytics to inform strategy, track performance, and support donor engagement.

• Oversee departmental budgets and ensure responsible fiscal management.

• Ensure compliance with ethical fundraising standards, donor intent, and all applicable regulations.

• Participates in meetings and committees as appropriate.

• Complies with all SHFB policies and procedures.

• Maintains a professional, positive, and courteous demeanor.

• Performs other duties as assigned to meet company needs.

Key Qualifications

Education : Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Experience : Minimum of 10 years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience, including leadership at the senior or executive level.

Skills and Capabilities

The ideal candidate will possess many of these professional and personal abilities and attributes:

• Demonstrated success in major gifts, campaign leadership, and building comprehensive development programs.

• Experience partnering with executive leadership and boards on fundraising initiatives.

• Strong strategic thinking, relationship-building, and communication skills.

• Proven ability to lead, inspire, and develop teams.

• Passion for the mission of ending hunger and advancing food security.

• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities.

• Collaborative mindset with a commitment to the mission of Second Harvest Food Bank.

• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines required.

Allowable Substitutions: A Combination of education, experience, and/or training that provides the required knowledge and skills for the position may be considered in lieu of education and/or experience at the company’s discretion.

Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics 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.

This position operates primarily in an office setting. This position requires sitting at a desk and in meetings for long periods of time and involves extensive computer work with frequent interruptions. Routine travel to meetings, functions, and special events is normal. Occasionally, warehouse duties for repack or salvage may be required as well as the need to respond to issues outside of normal working hours (e.g., special events, disaster response, etc.). The employee may be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry objects. With forklift traffic in the facility and product stacked and stored throughout, this position requires someone who is mobile and who can watch for traffic and normal hazards of a warehouse environment.

Salary & Benefits

Compensation for the Vice President, Chief Development Officer includes a competitive salary commensurate with experience ($175,000) and an excellent package of employee benefits which includes medical, dental, vision, retirement, professional development, leave and holidays.

To Apply

Interested applicants should send a resume and a statement of interest to Ryan Rasmussen, Partner & Recruiter at View email address on click.appcast.io .