Employment Openings
Director of Development
THE POSITION
University Child Development School (UCDS) announces a search for a Director of Development (DOD) who will partner with the School’s seasoned Head and other administrators and faculty members to build deep relationships with the School’s constituencies and provide voluntary support to help UCDS fulfill its mission and execute its current strategic plan.
Located in Seattle, Washington, UCDS is a professional practice school engaged in ongoing educational reform that enjoys a regional, national and international reputation as a leader and innovator.
HISTORY AND OVERVIEW
Founded in 1911 at the University of Washington, UCDS originally served faculty members' children as a preschool and lab school. In 1976 the Child Development Research Group at the University received one of six national grants funded by the U.S. Office of Gifted and Talented Education to conduct a comprehensive examination of giftedness in young children. Interested parents and educators formed a private, nonprofit organization in 1981 to enable this unique school to continue.
UCDS believes that effective schools are founded on a deep respect for students and that children thrive when they are challenged. Children are encouraged to take risks and to tackle difficult projects. Teachers use complex concepts and interesting problems to teach the basic skills and content of each academic area. In the classrooms, teachers act as coaches for students and model thinking, planning, risk-taking, and reflection. UCDS is committed to providing an innovative learning environment centered on partnerships with its faculty, students, parents, trustees and greater community.
Responsibility, diversity and community are valued dearly at UCDS. Children are taught to listen carefully to others, to help one another, to share what they have learned, to coach one another, to participate in group discussions, and to develop areas of expertise where a child can assume leadership. UCDS believes that developing tolerance for different points of view and empathy for the needs of others is essential to the moral development of a child. An equitable and safe environment which promotes acceptance and appreciation of one’s self as well as others is encouraged and supported. The School is a community that strives to lead by example in respecting and affirming the unique qualities of each person and actively seek individuals from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. UCDS values what each person can contribute to the whole and views itself as a mosaic that reflects the broader community.
Working at UCDS demands the highest level of professional commitment from its faculty and staff. UCDS believes that every adult in its community is a role model and has a responsibility for the character development of its students. Adults in the community are expected to collaborate and support each other professionally, modeling the same inquiry, dialogue, responsibility, and trust that it wishes to develop in its students. UCDS’s mission, philosophy, policies and goals are translated constantly into action, in the way its programs operate and in the way its community works and learns together.
At UCDS, there is a true sense of shared ownership. Each employee is and will be supported by his or her colleagues, and everyone rises and falls as one. In this regard, the successful candidate must possess many characteristics, but chief among them are a genuine curiosity about people and learning, flexibility, creativity, and a collaborative mindset. S/he must be open to suggestion and critique and not be shy about sharing ideas or expressing opinions. S/he must also be a self-starting individual, but one who is flexible as well.
In short, the culture at UCDS is intentional. The School values collaboration, innovation and independence and does not embrace a top-down management atmosphere. A smart outside-of-the-box thinker will thrive at UCDS and find a high level of collegial support among his or her colleagues.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The new Director of Development will have ample time from the start to get to know UCDS and its people. Most immediately, the successful candidate will need to fully grasp the culture of the School, learn about UCDS’s history, and get to know its constituents, particularly the current parent body, who are invested fully in their children’s lives, trusting of the School’s non-traditional curriculum, and are representative of the casual Pacific Northwest lifestyle. This will require time, significant outreach on the part of the successful candidate, and an inquisitive mind.
Having successfully raised $20 million over two campaigns in the last 12 years (one for a $9.3 million building project, the other for endowment), the School is not contemplating another major campaign in the near future. UCDS is debt-free and has ample operating reserves and strong governance overseeing the investment and spending rate of its endowment. The new DOD, however, will need to ensure that the School’s Annual Fund maintains its current rate of contribution to the operating budget (this year, the fund will raise close to $300,000 with 85% participation from parents) and provide support and assistance to the Parents Association’s annual auction, a key community builder staged by parent volunteers that contributes another approximately $300,000 each year to the School, supporting key financial aid and compensation initiatives.
The key challenges for the new DOD include the hiring of a new and second person in the Development Office and establishing and shaping the first alumni program at UCDS, one of the four initiatives of the School’s strategic plan. Additionally, the new DOD will be charged with strengthening the endowment through targeted appeals in support of financial aid and programs such as the School’s Speaker Series, Resident Program, and initiatives related to the Teacher Education Center (http://www.ucds.org/TEC/index.html). Finally, UCDS will be changing its database in the Development Office from Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge to Snowman, a shift that will require vigilance on the part of the DOD to maintain data integrity and coordination with the other offices at the School that will also be migrating to Snowman.
Implicit as well is the need to establish a strong working relationship with the Head of School, Paula Smith, to whom the new DOD will report. Paula has been at UCDS for 23 year, teaching at the elementary level, developing curriculum, and serving as director of admissions and the assistant head of school before being named Head of School in 1997. She received her master’s degree in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Washington. She currently sits on the Early Learning Advisory Council, representing the Washington Federation of Independent Schools at the state level, and on the Board of the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools. She has published several articles about education in the Huffington Post and is a regular contributor to the Spark magazine for teachers and parents.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Actively participates as a member of the administration to fulfill the UCDS Mission.
- Organizes and manages the volunteers of our Parent Association to carry out two annual fundraising efforts: the Annual Fund and Auction.
- Works with the Board’s Development Committee to design and implement strategic campaigns in accordance with long term planning.
- Works with the faculty’s Community Development Committee to plan and execute annual alumni reunions and Grandparents and Special Friends Day.
- Provides expertise and insight into the effective use of the School’s fundraising database, including data analysis.
- Tracks and reports progress of fundraising activities in partnership with the Business Office to the Head of School, the Board of Trustees, the auditors and all constituency groups.
- Prepares annual reports and statements for individual donors and funders as well as the annual report collateral piece for our whole community.
- Supports the synchronization of advancement activities across the Technology, Communications and Marketing, Admission, Teacher Education Center and Business Offices as a member of the Advancement Team.
- Assists in the coordination and editing of publications as a member of the Communications Team.
- Supervises the Alumni Coordinator.
DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS
Our preferred candidate has a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years of successful development experience in a non-profit environment, preferably at a school. Such experience should include conducting an annual appeal, overseeing volunteers, working with Board committees, utilizing a sophisticated fundraising database and, ideally, overseeing a capital campaign. Additionally, our qualified candidate should be familiar with and knowledgeable about prospect research and stewardship, and appreciate the role and importance of effective communications to the development function.
Towards these ends, the successful candidate should be a capable fundraising professional who writes exceedingly well, is comfortable addressing small groups and can, in time, articulate the uniqueness of UCDS along with its goals and objectives. Adaptability, a sense of humor, a warm personality, a casual approach, and a desire to be part of a vital organization are all appealing assets to bring to the UCDS workplace.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
UCDS is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding employees through competitive compensation. Salary for this position will be attractive and commensurate with experience. Key benefits include medical and disability insurance, participation in the School’s 403(b) retirement plan, and tuition remission (for a complete explanation of all benefits, visit http://www.ucds.org/employment/benefits.html). The School also provides a strong professional development program including funding for conferences, advanced education and other professional opportunities.
THE SEARCH PROCESS
University Child Development School has engaged Carney, Sandoe & Associates to assist with the search. Please send all information and address all inquiries to:
John G. Clark
Senior Search Consultant
Phone: 802-874-4757│Cell: 802-380-4406
CARNEY, SANDOE & ASSOCIATES
44 Bromfield Street
Boston, MA 02108
617-524-0260
www.carneysandoe.com
A candidate should submit the following materials, electronically and in PDF form, if possible, by June 1st:
- A cover letter explaining his or her qualifications for becoming the next Director of Development
- A current resume
- An educational philosophy statement
- The names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of five references
University Child Development School is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to promoting diversity in the workplace and to seeking a diverse and broad spectrum of qualified candidates. The School does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, gender or gender identity, age or sexual orientation.
Resident Teacher
Thank you, our hiring process has closed for the 2011–2012 school year. We will begin accepting applications again in February 2013.
Classroom Teacher
Although we have no current openings for Classroom Teachers, we are always accepting resumes.
UCDS has an advanced, individualized curriculum, hands-on/manipulative materials and small, multi-age classrooms. Responsibilities include planning curriculum, leading lessons, assessing students, writing reports and facilitating parent conferences. The successful candidate must honor individual learning styles, be able to work as part of a team, demonstrate excellent communication skills and creatively use the latest educational research. Prefer 3+ years teaching experience.
For more detailed program information please see our philosophy and teacher profile pages.
To apply, submit resume and cover letter (applicants will not be considered without a cover letter) to:
University Child Development School
5062 9th Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98105
Fax: 206-547-3615
UCDS does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, marital status or any other status or condition protected by local, state or federal law.
