Career Opportunities

The Position
To support its compelling mission and strategic priorities, Mercy High School seeks a dynamic Director of Advancement to lead a growing fundraising and alumnae relations program. The Director of Advancement will serve on the Leadership Team and report directly to the President. The Director of Advancement will be responsible for building and managing an effective team to meet the school’s annual fundraising goals, drive a robust major gifts program, and sustain meaningful engagement with alumnae and other constituents.

The Director of Advancement will be a results-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment. This leader will be responsible for taking Mercy’s highly professional, donor-centered advancement operation to the next level. Working closely with the President and an engaged Board of Trustees, the successful candidate will be a proactive, creative, and flexible leader who performs best in a collaborative, energetic environment. Above all, the Director of Advancement will be able to communicate persuasively a passion for the mission and vision of Mercy High School.

Responsibilities
Leadership
• Serve as a member of the Mercy leadership team, ensuring alignment between advancement practices and the strategic priorities and needs of the Mercy community.
• Lead the advancement team (Annual Fund and Events Manager, Alumnae Engagement Manager, Alumnae Engagement Associate, and Database and Gift Processing Manager) in ways that ensure alignment with Mercy values, culture, and strategic priorities.
• Work collaboratively with the Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees to maximize volunteer engagement and leadership in fundraising.

Fundraising
• Lead goal setting, implementation, tracking, and reporting of fundraising and alumnae engagement strategies and metrics.
• Partner with the President and the Board of Trustees to secure major gifts and grants for Mercy’s annual, capital, programmatic, and endowment priorities.
• Serve as the primary writer and creative thinker for solicitations, correspondence, acknowledgments, and grant proposals.
• Lead processes that support the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors from the individual, foundation, and corporate sectors.
• Supervise and support the Annual Fund and Events Manager on activities and events, including the Student Raffle and Gala, in support of The Fund for Mercy High School.
• Supervise and support the Database and Gift Processing Manager to plan, track, and report on fundraising, alumnae engagement, and stewardship activities. 

Engagement & Events
• Build on the success of the annual gala and other strategic events to maximize fundraising impact through engagement and follow-up with major gift donors and prospects.
• Supervise and support the Alumnae Engagement Manager and Alumnae Engagement Associate to strengthen alumnae and constituent programs.
• Work collaboratively with the Director of Communications and Marketing, as well as other Mercy staff, to create compelling events and campaigns.
• Maintain relationships with other fundraising leaders in Baltimore and Mercy Education, continuously benchmarking best practices and representing the interests of Mercy.

Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred
• Minimum of eight years leadership experience in fundraising with progressively increasing responsibility
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues of diverse backgrounds and from all areas of an organization
• Significant experience soliciting and closing major gifts/grants from individuals, foundations, and corporations
• Ability to be a hands-on leader who has effectively managed and developed teams
• Excellent communications/writing skills, including an ability to listen well
• Strong planning skills and attention to detail
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge (strongly preferred)
• Knowledge of the Baltimore philanthropic community preferred

Salary commensurate with experience. Benefits package available.

About Mercy High School
Founded in 1960 by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy High School provides a rigorous education rooted in Catholic, Mercy values that prepares graduates for leadership in college, in the workplace, and in the community. An authorized International Baccalaureate World School, Mercy strives to create “an environment where young women form habits of lifelong inquiry, critical thinking, and courageous action in a global society.” In support of Mercy’s distinctive mission, successful fundraising has brought more than $12 million in capital and programmatic advancements—all designed to provide an exceptional educational experience for Mercy Girls. Today more than 8,000 Mercy alumnae inspire and lead in college, the workplace, and beyond.

Visit www.mercyhighschool.com for more information about Mercy High School.

To Apply
Please submit a cover letter including salary requirements, resume, and list of three professional references to mlennon@mercyhighschool.com. The search will remain open until the position is filled.

Mercy High School seeks dynamic, student-centered individuals to become a part of our daily substitute list.  Mercy High School is an independent, Catholic, all-girls, college preparatory school for students in grades 9-12 located in Baltimore, MD.

Substitutes will be contacted for daily assignments in any of Mercy High School’s academic areas on an as-needed basis. The length of an individual substitute teaching assignment varies but will generally be between the hours of 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. 

Qualified candidates will be contacted and invited to begin the interview process.

Interested candidates should contact Dr. Kathryn Adelsberger, Principal, at careers@mercyhighschool.com. Please provide a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.