Deputy Director of Development

Company Location : San Francisco, California

Job Location : Hybrid / Other

Job Type : Full Time

Date Posted : November 21, 2025

Network(s) : Development

DESCRIPTION

Organization

The San Francisco Symphony (the Symphony) is among the most adventurous and innovative arts institutions in the United States, celebrated for its artistic excellence, creative performance concepts, award‑winning recordings, and standard‑setting education and community engagement programs. Since it was established in 1911, the Symphony has a grown in acclaim under a succession of distinguished music directors : Henry Hadley, Alfred Hertz, Basil Cameron, Issay Dobrowen, Pierre Monteux, Enrique Jordá, Josef Krips, Seiji Ozawa, Edo de Waart, Herbert Blomstedt, and Michael Tilson Thomas. Now led by the visionary conductor and composer Esa‑Pekka Salonen, who completes his tenure as the Symphony’s 12th Music Director at the end of the 2024–25 season, the San Francisco Symphony is redefining the orchestral landscape for the modern era.

The San Francisco Symphony presents more than 200 concerts and presentations annually for an audience of nearly 350,000 in its home of Davies Symphony Hall. A cornerstone of the organization’s mission, the San Francisco Symphony provides some of the most extensive education and community programs offered by any American orchestra. The Symphony's free music education experiences engage students in grades 1–12 throughout the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), serving more than 25,000 students annually.

In 2001, the Symphony became the first American orchestra to launch its own in‑house record label SFS Media. Recorded live in concert and engineered at Davies Symphony Hall, SFS Media recordings showcase music by American composers as well as core classical masterworks. San Francisco Symphony radio broadcasts, the first in the nation to feature symphonic music when they began in 1926, today carry the Symphony’s concerts across the country. In 2004, the Symphony launched the groundbreaking multimedia Keeping Score series on PBS‑TV and the web; the series was made available for unlimited free streaming on the Symphony’s YouTube channel in 2020. In 2014, the San Francisco Symphony inaugurated SoundBox, an experimental and eclectic live music series, which takes place in an alternative performance space located backstage at Davies Symphony Hall. For its adventurous programming, the Symphony has been honored 19 times by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and the Symphony’s recordings have garnered France’s Grand Prix du Disque and Britain’s Gramophone Award, as well as 17 Grammy® Awards.

The San Francisco Symphony has a 50‑member Board of Governors, led by Chair Priscilla B. Geeslin. The Music Director is Esa‑Pekka Salonen and the Executive Director Matthew Spivey. For the Fiscal Year ending in August 2024, the San Francisco Symphony reported total revenue of $80 million.

Community

Situated on the ancestral lands of the Ramaytush people, San Francisco is home to 875,000 residents and one of the world’s most distinctive and innovative metropolitan cities. The San Francisco Bay Area is a popular destination for those seeking gorgeous landscapes, some of the world’s finest wines, waterfront towns, nightlife, and diverse cuisines, coupled with top‑tiered educational institutions, distinguished arts and culture organizations, and innovative workforce options. The nine‑county Bay Area is home to approximately 7.8 million ethnically diverse residents; approximately three‑fifths of the region’s residents are Latinx / Hispanic, Asian / Pacific Islander, and African American.

San Francisco Symphony’s Davies Symphony Hall is in the heart of San Francisco’s Civic Center, adjacent the San Francisco Ballet, the San Francisco Opera, SFJAZZ, the Asian Art Museum, Herbst Theater and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The Bay Area has the largest aggregation of research universities and federal research institutions in the nation. The University of California, San Francisco and Berkeley, and Stanford University among others, are key drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship.

San Francisco is home to more than 900 IT and Software, Social and Digital Media, and Life Sciences and Biotech firms.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Philanthropy Officer, the Deputy Director of Development (DDD) is a key strategic leader and is the second most senior position on the Symphony’s Development Team. The DDD is responsible for strategy and contributed funding from individuals, foundations, and government supporters and overall growth of private philanthropy. The DDD works regularly with the Chief Philanthropy Officer, board leadership, fundraising volunteers, and supports the Development Committee of the Board. The DDD is a critical frontline fundraiser, managing a portfolio of 45–50 Major Gift and Planned Giving prospects totaling a minimum of $3 to $5 million annually for the Annual Fund. The DDD will also lead a team of nine development professionals, with four direct reports including a Senior Giving Officer, Maestro’s Circle; a Senior Major Gift Officer; a Senior Giving Officer, New Philanthropy; and a Senior Giving Officer, Foundation & Government. The ability to travel as needed to represent the Symphony around the Bay Area and northern California, and to be present at evening and weekend concert and events, is required.

Role and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and lead strategy for annual giving, special fundraising initiatives, new philanthropy initiatives, and lead a team of gift officers with portfolios with capacity of more than $1 million each.
• Serve as a key strategic thought partner and leader for Chief Philanthropy Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Governors, and volunteer leadership to ensure proper planning, management, and execution of the Symphony’s fundraising efforts.
• Participate as a member of the Development Leadership Team, contributing to other Development areas and overall division planning.
• Manage a donor portfolio of 45–50 households through all stages of identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship totaling $3 million to $5 million annually.
• Collaborate and provide fundraising counsel to senior leadership to identify cultivate and recruit prospective board members.
• Embrace other strategic leadership responsibilities as needed.

Board and Donor Engagement

Team and Organizational Oversight

Traits and Characteristics

The Deputy Director of Development (DDD) will have the willingness to engage and work with different perspectives and demonstrate an openness to new ideas, complemented by outstanding interpersonal skills. Demonstrating an ability to engage donors at all levels, trustees, senior leadership, staff, and other key members of the Symphony community, the DDD will model accountability and diplomacy as foundational skills in the role.

Characteristics of the DDD include :

Qualifications

A minimum of seven to 10 years of proven organizational, supervisory, and fundraising leadership experience is essential. Relative experience outside the nonprofit environment working with high‑net worth individuals will be considered. A successful record of conceptualizing and executing fundraising plans across donor categories (individual giving, foundation and government support) is required. Proven success in cultivating, stewarding, and soliciting prospects at the $100,000+ level is required. Ability to successfully manage a team in a sophisticated, fast paced, and complex fundraising environment is essential. Strong organizational skills, ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, and meet deadlines in a high-volume, fast‑paced environment is needed. The ability to lead and mentor an experienced team is essential. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, especially regarding the Symphony and its mission, vision, and values are essential. Ability to professionally and diplomatically communicate and interact with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders. Familiarity with and / or passion for orchestral music is a plus, and experience working in the arts is highly desired. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and donor database software is needed; Tessitura experience is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

The Symphony provides a competitive salary depending on experience in a range between $168,809 to $193,485 with generous health and welfare benefits. The current schedule for this position requires a minimum of two days in the office per week, in addition to evening and weekend events.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The San Francisco Symphony is a fully committed equal employment opportunity institution and welcomes applications from all qualified persons, including those who consider themselves to be of a race, national origin, or ancestry that is not fully represented in musical arts programs in the United States. Personnel decisions regarding applicants for employment are made without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran, age, citizenship, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.

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