Development Director

TITLE:  Development Director
SALARY:  $100,000 -140,000 per year, commensurate with experience
LOCATION:  This position is located in Arlington, MA, with frequent travel throughout the watershed for donor engagement and site visits, and offers hybrid work flexibility

JOB CLASSIFICATION: Full-time, Exempt
REPORTS TO: Executive Director
SUPERVISION RESPONSIBILITIES:  This position supervises a Grants Manager and co-manages an Associate

ABOUT THE MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION

Founded in 1972, the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is a nationally recognized environmental nonprofit organization located in Arlington, Massachusetts, with a mission to achieve a healthy, resilient watershed. Supported by hundreds of volunteers and built on robust partnerships, we protect water quality, restore habitats, build climate resilience, transform public spaces, and inspire local youth. With an annual budget exceeding $6 million, 20 staff and 2,000 volunteers, and a deep commitment to equity and justice, MyRWA is a powerful force for healthy communities. Learn more

THE POSITION 

The Development Director will oversee all fundraising efforts, including major gifts, annual fund, corporate donations, legacy giving, and engagement with foundations. The Director will lead the continued evolution of MyRWA’s fundraising model – building on the organization’s strong foundation of institutional and restricted funding to further diversify philanthropic support and grow flexible, unrestricted resources.

MyRWA has a strong history of securing high-level restricted grants that advance its climate resilience, habitat restoration, and environmental justice work. This role is designed to complement and strengthen that success by expanding individual, family foundation, and corporate giving—particularly through the development of a robust mid- and major-gift pipeline—while continuing to steward institutional partners with care and excellence.

A central opportunity of this moment is to activate MyRWA’s large and loyal base of individual supporters—many of whom are volunteers, partners, and deeply connected to the watershed—by strengthening pathways for deeper engagement and increased philanthropic investment.

As a primary measure of success, the Director will design and implement strategies, systems, and relationships that enable sustained growth in philanthropic support, providing the flexible capital necessary for MyRWA to pivot and respond to emerging climate and environmental justice priorities. The Director reports to the Executive Director and oversees two Development staff members—a full-time Grants Manager and a Development Associate (CRM, acknowledgement, event support). This role offers significant opportunity for leadership, creativity, and strategic partnership and is central to MyRWA’s long-term sustainability and next chapter of growth. 

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO 

Fundraising Strategy & Leadership

• Design and lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy that builds on MyRWA’s existing strengths while diversifying philanthropic support across individual, foundation, and corporate sources.
• Translate MyRWA’s technical water quality, climate resilience, and habitat restoration work into compelling, visionary case statements that connect mission, impact, and opportunity.
• Work in close, day-to-day partnership with the Executive Director on fundraising strategy and execution, including developing campaigns, cases for support, identifying high-value opportunities, and stewarding the organization’s most important relationships.
• Lead forecasting and goal-setting using historical trends and projections across fundraising activities.
• Build and refine systems, tools, and practices that strengthen fundraising effectiveness over time, including donor segmentation, moves management, and pipeline development.
• Contribute to cross-team visioning and planning that support MyRWA’s long-term sustainability

Individual & Major Donor Giving

• Lead and grow MyRWA’s individual giving program, including annual fund campaigns and major giving.
• Develop and manage a thoughtful major gift strategy that cultivates, stewards, and solicits, high-net-worth individuals in alignment with MyRWA’s mission and values.
• Successfully solicit and close five- and six-figure gifts from a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals.
• Identify and cultivate additional mid-level donors with the potential to grow into major donors.
• Create donor-centered communications and marketing materials across all print and digital platforms in close collaboration with the communications team.
• Support the development Associate in CRM management, lead on MyRWA cultivation events, and house parties, and support the Associate on the Herring Run & Paddle and smaller cultivation events like paddles and bike rides.

Board Partnership

• Coach the Board of Directors and Executive Director on donor engagement and solicitation strategies, as a strategic advisor and thought partner.
• Provide clear reporting, strategy updates, and engagement opportunities that empower Board members to activate their networks and contribute meaningfully to fundraising success.
• Support the continued development of a strong culture of philanthropy across the Board and organization.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We know people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences. We respect this in our application reviews, taking a broad view of each applicant’s experience. That said, we are most likely to consider your candidacy if you can demonstrate the qualifications and 5+ years of experience listed below. If you see yourself in this job description but don’t feel like you meet every single criterion, we encourage you to apply anyway!

Fundraising Excellence

• Demonstrated experience contributing to or leading philanthropic efforts of $1M+ annually, through a combination of individual and institutional support.
• Proven success in the full donor engagement cycle, including the ability to develop persuasive cases for support and a track record of personally securing five- and six-figure gifts through direct donor asks.
• Demonstrated ability to write high-impact case statements that align organizational mission with donor values and intent.
• Track record of deepening donor engagement and stewardship, resulting in sustained support and long-term relationships.
• Strategic use of Bloomerang (or similar fundraising CRM) to drive moves management, donor pipeline tracking, and decision-making.

Values and Operations

• Strategic thinker with the ability to manage for results
• Passionate about the mission of environmental protection, river restoration, conservation, climate, and/or environmental justice.
• Ability to travel for events and site visits throughout our watershed.
• Strong ethics and judgment in maintaining sensitive and confidential information.
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, at the organization and in the community, and to principles of Community-Centric Fundraising.

COMPENSATION

This is a full-time, exempt position based in Arlington, MA. The salary range for this role is $100,000 to $140,000 depending on experience and skills. Our competitive benefits include the following:

• 80% coverage of health insurance premiums
• Paid time off policy (15 days in your first year, 20 days in your second year)
• 12 paid holidays and 12 sick paid days per year
• Immediate eligibility for participation in a 401k retirement plan (with 4% match)
• Professional development funds
• Additional paid family and medical leave to supplement the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave

LOCATION AND WORK EXPECTATIONS

We are a hands-on team and seek employees who are passionate about our work and service to our community. As an organization, we are currently operating in a hybrid model, with the general expectation that staff will be in the office 2 days per week. As this position does require frequent travel for donor visits throughout the watershed, the number of days in the office can be more flexible.

Our office is located in the town center of Arlington, MA. Free street parking and bike parking is available next to our office, which is a 1-minute walk from the 77 and 79 bus lines on Massachusetts Avenue. This position is 40 hours per week, with typical hours Monday-Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Staff members are expected to flex time appropriately.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a resume and one-page letter by February 15, 2026 on why you’d be a good fit for the job to jobopportunity@mysticriver.org. All applicants will receive a response to their application. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

MyRWA is committed to conducting an equitable, accessible assessment process. If you would like to request accommodation during the interview process, please note it in your email. A request for accommodation will be handled confidentially.

Candidates who advance should expect to have an initial phone interview, followed by a virtual interview with the hiring manager, Patrick Herron, Executive Director. A final interview will include opportunities to meet and engage with the MyRWA team more broadly. The expected start date for this position is March 2026.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION, INC. is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy-related conditions, and lactation), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION, INC.’s management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, access to facilities and programs, and general treatment during employment.