Director of Advancement
International School of Florence (Italy)

Seeks a

DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

Effective July 1, 2022 (or earlier)

SCHOOL AND LEADERSHIP PROFILE - DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

Founded in 1952, ISF has a mature history of international education and plays a central part of the infrastructure of the city. ISF currently serves the needs of 530 students from over 40 countries. A not-for-profit association governed by a largely parental Board, the school has been accredited for many years by both the Council of International

Schools (CIS) and the Middle States Association (MSA). ISF is also authorized to o?er the IB Primary Years and Diploma Programmes. The school currently occupies two beautiful, historic buildings in the centre and periphery of Florence. Oversubscribed and enjoying a strong reputation amongst the international and local communities, ISF's Florentine location is central to its identity and Florence continues to be a city of global significance. The school has unmatched opportunities for the city to act as both its campus and curriculum and students joining the school for any length of time have unique learning opportunities.

To realize its vision for continued innovation, successful applicants for the position of Director of Advancement will be distinguished by core characteristics consistent with the school's strategic obligations. The school is keen to appoint professionals committed to working in a not-for-profit organization in a European setting. This comes with challenges as well as opportunities and collaboration will be required in order to secure progress. The school's Senior Leadership Team needs to be conspicuous in its strategic focus, be collaborative in outlook, able to mentor and hold colleagues accountable, as well as demonstrate the beneficial impacts of its decision-making.

The school encourages applications from like-minded professionals able to work collegially, demonstrate educational imagination and innovation, and act with a significant amount of autonomy. Future colleagues are likely to be seasoned international practitioners who can speak with authority on the value(s) of international education, the programmes of the IB and are actively engaged with the global professional community. As you will be expected to represent the school nationally and internationally you either will have an established profile or will be keen to develop one. You will be able to demonstrate drive, ingenuity and be infectious in your commitment to student learning wherever that takes place. You will certainly wish learning to be fully immersed in Florentine culture and will naturally regard the fostering of student agency and leadership as one of your main priorities.

The immediate future of the school is extremely exciting and post-holders will bring a great deal to its success. This is a significant opportunity for professionals interested in crafting a future-orientated educational and advancement vision.

ISF seeks a dynamic and enterprising individual who will be inspired and guided by our ideals as they provide leadership for the school's advancement initiatives. The ideal candidate will help present the strengths of our unique institution to the world and will continually seek meaningful ways for our external constituents to help the school fulfill its mission through their expertise, life experience, and philanthropy. The O?ice of Advancement plays a leading role in shaping, facilitating and communicating the development and implementation of our Strategic Plan.

The Director of Advancement will be a member of the school's leadership team. They will hold primary responsibility for delivering on strategic fundraising goals for a variety of causes such as scholarships, curriculum development, campus renewal and sustainability.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Designs, implements and manages all fundraising activities including annual solicitations, reunion campaigns, endowment and capital campaigns, and other school-related solicitations
• Manages all strategies and activities for donor cultivation, solicitation, and relationship building
• Directly implements a comprehensive Major Gifts programme
• Oversees the development of proposals for foundations and funding
• Develops and implements Annual Giving campaigns to provide a broad base of regular donors

• Oversees the organisation of alumni networks/hubs and supporting initiatives and events
• Develops and implements strategies to promote giving of “Time, Talent & Treasure”
• Identifies and trains core groups of volunteers to assist in Annual Giving, special events and other constituent engagement programs as needed.

• Works closely with the Communications Manager, and the School Leadership Team to further develop our organizational identity and unique educational value proposition
• Oversees the design and production of all major publications, including newsletters, the Annual Report, the website and “friendraising” communications
• Creates and oversees implementation of promotional plans for all campaigns related to fundraising, admissions and programmes
• Plans and implements the school's promotional outreach and media strategy, including press networking, media pitches, special events and crisis communications.
• Develops a culture of positive global brand ambassadorship amongst our primary constituent groups (students, sta?, parents, alumni)

• Leads, mentors and inspires the Advancement O?ice Team
• Undertakes supervisory responsibilities and creates management systems to support all Advancement projects and operations
• Works closely with other departments (Finance, Learning Environment, Admissions, Academics etc.) and participates as a member of the Leadership Team
• Supervises and includes students in the activities conducted by Advancement O?ice
• Wherever and whenever possible, participates in the intellectual and experiential life on campus so as to better understand and integrate into the community.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

• Masters degree or equivalent in a relevant field
• At least 5+ years in advancement, fundraising, marketing, business development, public relations or philanthropy, preferably in significant not for profit organisations
• Proven track record of leading high performance teams
• Understanding of international educational systems or readiness to engage with them
• Excellent interpersonal and intercultural communication skills, with the ability to work well in multicultural environments and with diverse constituencies
• Excellent oral and public presentation skills. Strong written communication & research abilities
• Strong aptitude for developing and managing budgets and preparing financial reports
• Tech savviness and experience with advancement databases
• Ability to be self-motivated, work well under pressure and be able to handle several projects at one time
•  Ability to travel frequently and sometimes at short notice

 ISF has appointed Search Associates to facilitate the search with Dr. Gunther Brandt serving as the consultant. The deadline for applications is February 15, 2022. However, candidates should note that the search committee will begin reviewing applications as soon as they are received from Search Associates. In the event an outstanding applicant is identified early in the search process, ISF reserves the right to make an appointment before the deadline. For this reason, it is essential that interested candidates apply as soon as possible. For further information about ISF, please visit the website at http://www.isfitaly.org/

Candidates who wish to apply should submit the information requested below in the form and manner requested.

• A letter of application, no longer than two pages, explaining your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in the Director of Advancement at the International School of Florence.
• A current resume not to exceed two pages. 
• A one-page list of at least four references who have directly supervised the performance of the candidate with the current phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
• A maximum of four letters of recommendation which you may already have in your possession.

Candidates should send the requested information in a single PDF attachment. Please send all materials to Dr. Gunther Brandt at:  gbrandt@searchassociates.com