Director of Advancement & External Affairs

THE CENTER FOR EARLY EDUCATION:

The Center for Early Education (The Center) is a nationally recognized independent, co-educational day school located in West Hollywood, California, serving children from toddler age through sixth grade. Founded in 1939 by a group of professional psychoanalysts, The Center began as one of Los Angeles’s first early-childhood education programs and has maintained a child-centered philosophy that supports developmental growth, academic excellence, and social-emotional learning.

The Center embraces a philosophy of education that combines a nurturing, inclusive learning environment with an increasingly challenging academic program tailored to the developmental needs of each child. Core values of responsibility, honesty, inclusion, and caring are integrated into both curriculum and community life.

Located on a vibrant urban campus, The Center serves approximately 540 students and draws socio-economically diverse families from many neighborhoods across the Greater Los Angeles area. The school offers a robust academic program, including arts and STEAM curricula, and a broad array of community-building activities, including assemblies, service projects, and its annual Gala, which doubles as a cornerstone community and fundraising event.

For more information about The Center, please visit https://www.centerforearlyeducation.org/.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reporting to the Head of School and as a vital member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Advancement and External Affairs is responsible for overseeing and executing The Center’s philanthropic activities and communications strategy. The Director of Advancement and External Affairs will lead a dedicated team of five, including the Assistant Director of Advancement, Director of Annual Fund & Constituent Relations, Gala Director, Advancement Database Manager, and Events Coordinator.

The Director of Advancement and External Affairs is responsible for maintaining a vibrant culture of philanthropy among current parents, grandparents, and alumni families. A mission-driven leader, the Director will be an authentic connector and culture-maker, serving as a bridge between the school’s vision and the parent volunteer support and philanthropic resources needed to shape its future. This is a highly visible role; the Director will participate in the daily life of The Center, from carline interactions to informal meetings with students, teachers, staff, parents, grandparents, and alumni families.

The Center has built a reputation for forward-thinking, innovative approaches to early childhood and elementary education. Following a $100 million capital campaign, The Center is now in the early stages of its next major initiative: a $40 million campaign for endowment and real estate, while continuing to grow a robust annual giving program that exceeds $4.5 million per year.

Advancement Strategy

• Designs and implements annual and multi-year advancement plans, including goals, forecasts, and projections, in collaboration with the Head of School, Director of Finance, and Board leadership.
• Designs and oversees the implementation of all fundraising initiatives, including annual giving, gala auction, capital, and endowment campaigns, in partnership with the leadership team and the Board.
• Builds a strong culture of philanthropy throughout the school based on the Center's mission and core values.

Fundraising Programs and Campaigns

• Oversees annual giving and gala auction strategy and execution through program directors.
• Guides constituent engagement and stewardship by fostering meaningful, personalized relationships.
• Genuinely cultivates parents, grandparents, and alumni families for the school, collaborating to design relevant engagement and fundraising programs.
• Guides constituent engagement and stewardship strategy, fostering meaningful relationships with families, alumni, grandparents, and broader community supporters through personalized outreach and cultivation.
• Represents the school externally with peer institutions and professional organizations, including participation in conferences such as CASE/NAIS and AeXIS.

Parent & Volunteer Engagement

• In coordination with the Head of School and Assistant Head of School, partners with Parent Association leadership to support parent volunteer programs.
• Advises on committee assignments and leadership selection to ensure diverse and effective volunteer representation.

Advancement Operations & Systems

• Ensures accurate and efficient advancement services, including prospect management and donor database operations.
• Works in partnership with the Business Office to reconcile gifting reports on a monthly and annual basis.

Financial Management & Reporting

• Designs the Advancement department budget with staff and approves all expenditures.
• Works closely with the Director of Finance as support staff to the Audit & Investment and Finance Committees, particularly on initiatives at the intersection of advancement and business operations.
• Provides written and verbal reports to the Head of School, Board of Trustees, and Administration on advancement goals, progress, performance analysis, and fundraising trends.
• Stays current on charitable gift tax law and reporting requirements and communicates the school’s legal and compliance obligations.
• Oversee Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT database to analyze data and develop comprehensive solicitation strategies.

Team Leadership & Management

• Hires, supervises, evaluates, and mentors Advancement Department staff, coordinating employee management with the Assistant Head of School.
• Conducts departmental meetings to ensure alignment and coordination across all programs.

Marketing, Communications & External Relations

• Maintains best practices in development, marketing, and public relations to enhance The Center’s brand.
• Collaborates with the Admissions Office on public relations initiatives and with the Marketing and Communications Office to produce high-impact fundraising materials.

TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS DESIRED:

The Director of Advancement and External Affairs will be a dynamic, creative, and entrepreneurial professional with a successful record of fundraising, including planning and executing a development program. The successful candidate will have strategic planning skills and be capable of working with the Head of School, Board members, and other administrators to develop and implement clear development goals, systems, and priorities. The Director of Advancement and External Affairs will have the capacity to plan, organize, and implement a variety of projects, sometimes simultaneously and under deadline conditions, while maintaining the integrity and quality of each project and the mission of the school. The successful candidate will have the ability to earn respect and build long-term relationships with the Board, donors, administrators, parents, and alumni.

Overseeing a team of five, the Director of Advancement and External Affairs will exercise sound judgment in both day-to-day decisions and strategic issues and will possess an extraordinary work ethic and the highest level of integrity. Candidates should have an open, collaborative, team-oriented leadership style with the ability to motivate, coach, and manage a highly qualified development staff. The Director of Advancement and External Affairs will be a hands-on professional who has developed and/or built a successful fund development program. An energetic and visible leader, the successful candidate will require a commitment to The Center’s mission and values and passionately represent and promote them to the community.

The Director of Advancement and External Affairs will have exceptional written and oral communications skills to effectively present to donors and Board members. An active and intuitive listener, the candidate will be able to hear and act on nuance and subtlety. The ability to be responsive and results-oriented with excellent follow-through is essential. The successful candidate will be a relationship builder with strong interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence. The ability to be a confident, self-aware professional who is willing to take thoughtful risks is highly valued.

CAREER TRACK LEADING TO THIS POSITION:

The successful candidate will have broad-based development experience with deep knowledge of current and evolving trends in capital campaigns, major gifts, annual giving, and strategic communications. An exceptional record of personal achievement in cultivating donors and securing major gifts, as well as documented success in creating and managing a comprehensive development program, is essential. Participation in a major capital campaign is strongly preferred, as the Director will be tasked with guiding The Center through its upcoming $40 million initiative. A genuine passion for empowering young children, along with the ability to effectively engage and collaborate with a vibrant and committed parent volunteer community, is highly valued. Knowledge of the independent school landscape is a significant plus; the ability to navigate a sophisticated, high-touch community is required. Technical proficiency in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT will be necessary for success in this role and is highly preferred.

COMPENSATION:

The annual salary is $255,000-270,000 based on experience. A comprehensive benefits package will be provided.

This is an in-person position. The Director of Advancement and External Affairs is expected to be available for frequent in-person meetings including evenings and weekends with donors, parents, board members, and community members.