Development Director for Mission Agency
Hybrid Job Opening in Jenkintown, PA
Serge:Who We Are
Serge is a grace-based, international missions organization that brings together mission and spiritual renewal. For more than 40 years, we have helped individuals and churches engage in global mission, while holding that the missionaries who carry the gospel to others need that same gospel every day for themselves. That conviction, born out of the ministry of founders Dr. Jack and Rosemarie Miller, still shapes everything we do.
Serge sends and cares for more than 325 missionaries in 29 countries, mentors and equips ministry leaders around the world, and develops gospel-centered resources for on-going renewal. Our work and our vision is organized around three commitments: Reach, as our workers make disciples and plant churches among all peoples; Renew, as we help missionaries, leaders, and believers experience the ongoing transformation of the gospel in their own lives; and Restore, as we pursue justice and mercy among the world's most marginalized communities.
This identity as “Grace at the Fray” is not a marketing line. It is the lens through which we ask our people, including the Development team, to do their work: with humility about our own weakness, and confidence in a God who is still weaving something beautiful out of a frayed world and our frayed hearts.
The Opportunity
This role leads Serge's major gifts program, annual fund, planned giving, and capital campaign efforts, and manages a personal caseload of major donors. It also carries a seat at the table: as part of the Engagement team under the Sr. Director of Engagement, the Development Director works daily alongside the leaders of Mobilization, Communications, and Church Engagement, and partners closely with the Renewal team, the Chief Financial Officer, the Executive Director, and the Board. Fundraising at Serge is not a function apart from mission. It is one of the ways the whole organization invites people into gospel transformation by growing deeply, giving generously, and going sacrificially.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Leading Development Strategy
The Development Director drives strategic growth by building multi-year roadmaps to expand donor pipeline capacity and diversify revenue streams. The Director continuously evaluates and adopts emerging tools, database systems, and strategic partnerships to modernize fundraising infrastructure and increase overall efficiency.
The Development Director designs and executes a comprehensive, multi-channel fundraising strategy to meet Serge’s general fund revenue goals. This involves driving major gifts programs, directing the annual fund, managing capital campaigns, and aligning special events with broader donor cultivation efforts. The Director oversees the department budget, maintains donor recognition initiatives, and works with the team to optimize our CRM platform to track key decision-making metrics. The Director partners closely with the Communications team to craft compelling, donor-facing publications and create consistent messaging across all channels.
Managing a Major Donor Caseload
The Director actively manages a portfolio of major donors or foundation relationships, or works in grant writing. This involves conducting regular caseload reviews, establishing individualized annual giving goals, and executing 12-month engagement plans tailored to cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. The Director introduces planned and estate giving opportunities where appropriate, leverages events for donor engagement, and partners with field workers, finance, and leadership -- including the Executive Director -- to secure transformative gifts aligned with Serge’s mission. Domestic and international travel (up to 15%) is required.
Leading & Supervising Development Staff
As a department leader, the Director is responsible for hiring, onboarding, training, and mentoring development team members. This position fosters a healthy, collaborative, and engaged team culture by setting clear performance goals, conducting regular reviews, and addressing performance needs in partnership with HR. The Director ensures seamless communication within the department and across the broader organization, serving as a model for proactive follow-through and active listening.
Organizational Leadership & Board Representation
Serving as a core organizational leader, the Director sits on the Home Office Leadership Team and the Engagement Core Team (alongside Mobilization, Renewal, and Communications leadership). In this capacity, the Director participates in annual organizational planning and ad hoc strategic initiatives. The Director acts as the primary liaison between the Development department and the Board of Directors, regularly reporting on fundraising strategy, progress, and results.
Who We're Looking For
We're looking for a seasoned fundraising leader who is also, first, a person shaped by the gospel of grace: someone who can lead and grow a Development team, personally cultivate and close major gifts, and think strategically about the future of Serge's fundraising, all while staying grounded in Serge's Vision, Mission, and Values. This person will be a relational, self-starting builder: comfortable managing a budget and a team, comfortable in a donor's living room, and just as comfortable at the table with the Board and Serge's other senior leaders.
Above all, this is a role for someone who believes that fundraising is itself a ministry of invitation: into generosity, into partnership, and ultimately into the larger story of what God is doing through Serge's workers around the world.
Requirements include:
- A personal commitment to Jesus Christ with a genuine desire to work in a dynamic, mission-driven environment and to apply one’s knowledge, skills, and abilities to advance the Gospel
- Demonstrates commitment to Serge Vision, Mission and Values
- Experiences, embraces, and effectively communicates the gospel concepts of repentance, forgiveness, and the daily application of God’s grace in life, work, and relationships
- Exhibits grace and exercises discretion in all interactions and possesses strong interpersonal skills with an ability to engage, support, and communicate effectively in writing and in person
- Completion and practice of Serge’s mentored Sonship course and principles
- At least 10 years experience in professional fundraising preferred with knowledge and experience in fund raising techniques, particularly major gift fundraising
- Experience with stakeholder management, especially influencing without authority
- Ability to take initiative, problem-solve, and escalate situations when necessary
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously, including follow through on tasks and goals
- Demonstrates creative thinking, innovation, and adaptability, sometimes incorporating new resources
- Skilled to work collaboratively with and motivate staff inside or outside development team, board members, volunteers
- A goal-driven self-starter who initiates external relationships. Travel expectations up to 15% per year domestically and internationally
- Proficient in MS and MAC OS, web browsers, Google products, Zoom, and other web-based software
Desired Qualifications
- Advanced studies or Bachelor’s degree in Ministry, Communications, Counseling, Marketing, Sales, Human Resources, or related field
- Demonstrates awareness of and desire for intercultural engagement
- Experience in working with CRM or similar database tools
- Ability to track and analyze data to understand a broader narrative
Benefits include comprehensive health insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, long-term disability, and paid leave. If you have a passion for faith-based work and the expertise for this key leadership role, we invite you to apply.
Pay: From $94,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Jenkintown, PA 19046
