Manager, Capital Campaign Operation

About The Kennedy Center

“I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.” – President John F. Kennedy

The Kennedy Center is the nation’s cultural center and living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Located on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., the Center presents performances across all genres, and is also home to artistic affiliates Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra. 

At the Kennedy Center, we strive to foster belonging and empowerment at work. We are able to advance our mission because of our committed and passionate employees. We are fortunate to be able to leverage their diverse perspectives, life experiences and skills to inform how our workplace can be a safe, transparent, and replenishing community. The Kennedy Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by law. 

Mission Statement: As the nation's performing arts center, and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, we are a leader for the arts across America and around the world, reaching and connecting with artists, inspiring and educating communities. We welcome all to create, experience, learn about, and engage with the arts. 

Why Join Us

We offer a comprehensive range of benefits to all full-time employees including: 

• Staff offers for discount tickets
• Retirement plan with organization matching (after 1 year of employment)
• Qualifying employer for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
• Commuter programs including pre-tax options for discounted parking and SmartBenefits (WMATA)
• Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Personal Days available immediately upon hire
• 11 paid holidays per year 
• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits with FSA and HSA options, and paid FMLA
• Flexible work arrangements
• We like to have fun! Check out the Kennedy Center National Dance Day 2023 staff video!

Job Description

The Manager of Capital Campaign Operations will oversee the overall logistics and planning for the Kennedy Center’s historic $250mEndowment Campaign. The campaign is the second major campaign in Kennedy Center history and the first endowment campaign in recent history—a major catalyst for ensuring financial stability and longevity for the organization. The Manager will oversee the day-to-day operations of the campaign to ensure milestones are transparent, deliverables are met, inter-departmental communications are clear and timely, and frontline fundraisers are set up for success.  This position will report to the Director of Capital Campaigns and Strategic Planning and will manage the Capital Campaign Coordinator as well as any seasonal interns that join our subdivision. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with various departments and subdivisions within the Development department, using their exemplary project management and strategic thinking skills to ensure the success of the campaign.   

Key Responsibilities

Campaign Operations   

• Work in collaboration with frontline teams and the Donor Communications division to draft campaign solicitation materials, including proposals, presentations, meeting agendas, etc.  Inventory and review solicitation, acknowledgement, stewardship, and donor recognition materials/templates for quality and consistency. 
• Ensure campaign timelines and deliverables are tracked clearly in Asana and all parties understand their unique role in making or exceeding benchmarks and expectations. 

Pipeline Management  

• Ensure accurate tracking and moves management in Tessitura toward the financial goals of the campaign.
• Collaborate with Prospect Development, Intelligence, and Analytics team for prospect identification and pipeline reporting. 
• Provide assistance to teams as they develop prospect development strategies.  Serve as a thought-partner to the Director of CCSP in identifying strategies for revenue growth. 

Inter-departmental Collaboration

• Serve as the go-between for frontline and shared services teams to ensure transparency of campaign operations, provision of resources (both internal and donor-facing), and that deadlines/deliverables are met in service of solicitation timelines and campaign goals.  Ensure campaign operations work in service of our matrixed organization.
• Lead internal meetings for information sharing, document review, decision making, etc.  Ensure relevant departments and stakeholders are engaged for awareness and/or decision making whenever appropriate.   

Staff Management

• Effectively manage Capital Campaign Coordinator by supervising day-to-day work and investing in their continued professional growth. 
• Hold weekly check-in meetings and lead annual review process.  

Other duties as assigned.

Key Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or applicable professional experience. 
• Minimum 4 years development, campaign management, or related experience required. 
• Minimum 3 years management experience. 
• Minimum 5 years project management experience.  Asana experience is a plus, but not required.
• Working knowledge of the performing arts and modern fundraising best practices (including capital campaigns) is preferred. 
• Minimum 3 years database management experience. Tessitura experience is a plus, but not required. 
• Candidate must be local or willing to relocate to the DMV area.