Senior Development Manager

SENIOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

TITLE: Senior Development Manager

REPORTS TO: Director of Development

LOCATION: 190 Hanlon Creek Blvd., Guelph ON

TYPE: Permanent, Full-time. Monday – Friday 40 hours/week with flexibility for some evening and weekend work as required.
This position is open due to a vacancy.

Are you looking for a career that combines professional expertise with a passion for helping animals? Are you an experienced fundraising professional person who wants to use your skills to make a real difference in your community? Do you thrive in a dynamic role where your passion and expertise directly support animal welfare? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Guelph Humane Society (GHS) wants to meet you!

The Opportunity:

The Senior Development Manager plays a vital role in advancing our mission and ensuring we achieve a measurable and lasting impact. Reporting to the Director of Development and working closely with the Development team and the Communications team, you will drive an ambitious revenue strategy by growing an annual revenue base with a targeted focus on elevating the overall donor experience. The Senior Development Manager will bring experience in donor relations, fundraising administration and fundraising communications, together with a strategic mindset to expand our base of support and realize our ambitious growth plans.

A valued member of the Development team, the incumbent will be responsible for contributing to the growth of the fundraising portfolio at GHS. This will include building and managing a diverse pipeline of donors, contributing to the development and sustainability of various portfolios including annual giving, loyal donors and new donor acquisition and retention. This position is essential to ensuring donors feel connected and valued by the organization and to that end, the Senior Development Manager will regularly conduct meetings in the community, at the shelter and virtually – to advance their work, contributing to increased revenue generation. This position plays a crucial role in planning and organizing fundraising efforts and requires strong skills in relationship building and communications to effectively support GHS’s mission and financial sustainability. The ideal candidate can adapt and thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoys challenges, is creative and is looking for an opportunity to create lasting change for animals in the community.

What You’ll Do:

FUNDRAISING STRATEGY & EXECUTION:

• Develop a diverse pipeline of existing donors who demonstrate loyalty to the organization. These individuals represent a range of giving levels and the incumbent must be comfortable developing and managing relationships with donors at all levels (i.e. annual fund, leadership giving and planned giving) to maximize support.
• Ensure visibility of GHS within this community of donors through face-to-face meetings and other contact points to advance relationships (Approx. 12-15/month).
• Lead individual philanthropy plans by meeting or exceeding overall revenue targets.
• Identify and capitalize on opportunities that drive revenue growth.
• Leverage existing relationships with adopters to create a targeted and effective donor acquisition strategy, fostering long-term engagement and loyalty.
• Working with the Development Officer, expand and innovate annual Giving Tuesday and holiday campaigns by introducing fresh engagement strategies and creative revenue-generating ideas, maximizing donor participation and overall fundraising results.

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT:

• Build and nurture meaningful connections with both current and prospective donors, ensuring personalized and strategic engagement to foster long-term commitment.
• Provide ongoing, thoughtful stewardship and communication with assigned donors, ensuring they feel valued and informed, driving continued support.
• Collaborate closely with the Director of Development and the Communications team to drive adopter acquisition initiatives ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals.
• Collaborate with senior leadership and program teams to align fundraising efforts with organizational needs.

REPORTING & BUDGET MANAGEMENT:

• Monitor and evaluate fundraising performance, providing senior leadership and stakeholders with regular, data-driven updates to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Manage budgets for fundraising initiatives as required, ensuring cost-effectiveness and financial integrity.
• Have familiarity with use of social media platforms to amplify fundraising efforts, collaborating closely with the Communications team to leverage digital tools for greater donor engagement and success.
• Curate compelling donor stories and ensure the GHS Story Bank is up to date. Engage with adopters to gather meaningful content that reinforces the mission and impact of the organization.
• Embrace and consistently enact organizational values of respect, caring, integrity and partnership, supported by being authentic and accountable to yourself and your team.

Our Ideal Candidate:

Fundraising Expertise: With 5-7 years of experience in fundraising, you possess a strong ability to analyze trends, develop strategic plans, and implement successful initiatives to increase revenue across all giving levels.

Exceptional Relationship Management: You have a proven track record in building and nurturing meaningful relationships with donors, ensuring long-term engagement and support.

• You have proven experience working cross-functionally, with team members at all levels and an ability to manage and implement multiple projects.
• You possess a proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Entrepreneurial and innovative mindset with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• You show initiative, tact, diplomacy, attention to detail and creativity.
• You have exceptional interpersonal skills, strong listening skills, empathy and patience.

Proven Fundraising Success: You bring a deep understanding of fundraising with demonstrated success in securing gifts at all levels, from annual contributions to major and planned gifts.

Financial & Analytical Acumen: You have experience managing budgets, utilizing data analytics, and measuring performance metrics to optimize fundraising efforts and achieve targets.

Effective Communicator: Your excellent verbal and written communication skills allow you to craft compelling fundraising messages and connect with donors through various channels.

Data-Driven Decision Making: Comfortable working with databases, you are skilled in the strategic use of donor data to drive engagement, segmentation, and donor retention.

Organizational Excellence: You possess outstanding organizational skills, ensuring that multiple tasks and deadlines are managed efficiently and effectively, often to tight deadlines.

Technical Proficiency: You are proficient in the MS Office suite, including Outlook, Word, Teams, and PowerPoint, to support various administrative and fundraising tasks.

Driver’s License & Availability: You hold a valid Ontario Class “G” Driver’s License, have access to a reliable vehicle, and are flexible with working occasional evenings and weekends as needed.

Who We Are:

The Guelph Humane Society (GHS) advocates for all animals and in particular those animals whose lives it can influence, through care, education, community support, protection, and leadership. Founded in 1893, the Guelph Humane Society provides care and shelter for approximately 3,000 homeless, stray, injured and abused animals each year in Guelph and Wellington County. GHS is a registered charitable, non-profit organization that does not receive government funding. The GHS’s hiring philosophy goes beyond just filling positions – it is interested in finding people who are passionate about animal welfare, who want to make a difference in the community, all while working as part of a positive and productive team of people. Visit www.guelphhumane.ca to discover more.

The Guelph Humane Society’s (GHS) strategic plan, Charting Our Future Direction (2024 – 2027), sets out GHS’s commitment to creating a compassionate world where all animals are valued and respected and one that is deeply rooted in our values of compassion, leadership, integrity, transparency and collaboration. It recognizes we have reached a pivotal moment as the needs of our community expand through increased animal ownership, housing shortages and the rising cost of living. The opportunity to advance the welfare of animals through care, education, community engagement and relationships has never been greater.

The Development team at GHS, together with the Marketing & Communications team is responsible for GHS’ externally facing initiatives. The team is fundamental to achieving our goal of inspiring the community to join us. Animal welfare is at the heart of our mandate, and therefore at the centre of everything we do. You must have a strong commitment to animal welfare and be keen to learn more about how this philosophy fits into our work.

What We Offer:

• Full-time (approx. 40 hours/week) permanent position. Flexibility is needed for some evening and weekends.
• This position primarily works at the Guelph Humane Society, located at 190 Hanlon Creek Blvd. There is an option for working remotely one day/week.
• Competitive paid time off, including vacation and personal days.
• Salary:$68,000-$78,000 per year
• Employer paid group insurance benefits include dental, health, and vision care.
• Opportunities for training and development.
• Being part of an amazing, passionate, mission-driven team making a difference for animals and the community!

If you are someone who thrives on challenge, loves to be part of a dynamic team and you are passionate about making a difference for animals, then this opportunity is for you! Don’t think you check all the boxes? Reach out anyway – we would love to hear how your experience translates to this role.

How to Apply:

Submit your cover letter, salary expectations, and resume by Wednesday, August 26, 2026 to Kim Robinson, Director of Development at: krobinson@guelphhumane.ca

Subject line: “Senior Development Manager”.

We welcome diversity, value differences, and foster inclusion in our employment practices. We invite applications from all qualified individuals who are philosophically aligned with our mission, vision, and values. GHS welcomes and encourages applications from individuals with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment process. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Guelph Humane Society does not use artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision- making tools to screen, assess, or select job applicants. All applications are reviewed by human decision-makers. This posting may be advertised or received through third-party platforms (such as Indeed), which may use automated systems unrelated to candidate evaluation by GHS.