Deputy Chief Advancement Officer

Scion Executive Search has been retained to identify the incoming Deputy Chief Advancement Officer on behalf of our client, Akin, a nonprofit dedicated to helping children and families across Washington state strengthen and grow together. Akin accomplishes this mission by building a brighter future together, rooted in family. This full-time, hybrid opportunity is located in Seattle, Washington. ABOUT AKIN: Akin exists to support and strengthen families in Washington state through a broad range of tailored child and caregiver services. With the primary focus on families with young children, its programs and services are built upon more than a century of experience in fostering nurturing environments and driving systemic improvements for families. Akin's core values include 1) advocating for and alongside families, 2) cultivating relationships that foster belonging, 3) committing to their work and their communities, and 4) believing in audacious change and intentional transformation. With compassion and care, Akin meets families where they are, providing immediate support while equipping them with tools for long-term success and growth. Time and time again, it has been seen that what benefits children and families ultimately strengthens communities. As the organization looks to the future, it remains steadfast in its commitment to keeping families together. To learn more, visit . POSITION OVERVIEW: The Deputy Chief Advancement Officer (DCAO) will act as a senior advancement leader at Akin and a key strategic partner to the Chief Strategy & Advancement Officer. The DCAO will provide day-to-day leadership, coordination, and operational oversight of Akin's fund development function, ensuring disciplined execution of strategy, strong team performance, and measurable progress toward ambitious philanthropic goals. Akin is a 100-year-old organization operating with the urgency and growth mindset of a startup. The organization is actively building a comprehensive, mission-driven fundraising approach that strengthens long-term sustainability and accelerates progress toward improving the health and flourishing of children and families across Washington State. With 12 locations across 11 cities statewide and a fundraising program that is being built from the ground up, this is a rare opportunity for a builder who is energized by creating structure, systems, and results where limited infrastructure currently exists. The DCAO will translate Akin's advancement strategy into action, building accountability structures, driving donor engagement, and fostering a culture of philanthropy across the organization. This leader will manage a personal portfolio of high-capacity donors, support Board engagement, and be positioned for a clear path to a Chief Advancement Officer role as the organization grows. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Strategic Fund Development Leadership Partner with the Chief Strategy & Advancement Officer to develop and execute Akin's fund development strategy, translating priorities into annual plans, revenue targets, KPIs, and individual goals. Build and strengthen the major gifts program, growing the donor base, improving moves management, and expanding legacy and planned giving. Develop a compelling case for support and funding narrative that resonates with major donors in an affluent market. Team Leadership and Management Lead, coach, and manage advancement staff across major gifts, annual giving, grants, stewardship, and operations, with a vision to grow and expand the team. Build a high-performing, scalable advancement structure, including assessing which functions should be resourced internally or outsourced. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and donor-centered practice. Fundraising Operations and Systems Build and oversee fundraising infrastructure, goal tracking, pipeline management, moves management, dashboards, and portfolio accountability. Ensure disciplined use of Virtuous CRM and consistent fundraising workflows, including stewardship, prospect research, and solicitation planning. Partner with Finance and Strategy on forecasting, revenue modeling, and fund development planning. Campaign Planning and Execution Lead Akin's preparation for a comprehensive campaign, including readiness assessment, prospect strategy, pipeline development, and gift table modeling, and integrate across all giving channels. Donor and Partner Engagement Manage a personal portfolio of high-capacity donors; cultivate, solicit, and steward major investments in partnership with the CEO and Board. Re-engage lapsed donors, build a more robust major donor pipeline, and ensure meaningful impact reporting for all donors. Develop and strengthen foundation, corporate, and public-private partnerships; drive cross-sector collaboration across Washington State. Board Engagement and Organizational Leadership Work closely with Akin's Foundation Board to support donor introductions, cultivation, and campaign leadership; prepare fundraising updates and dashboards for Board review. Bridge the advancement team to other departments and executive leadership to build a culture of philanthropy organization-wide. Thrive in a dynamic environment. Bring structure to ambiguity and lead effectively through change. QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; CFRE designation preferred. Minimum of 10 years of progressive fund development experience, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership or management role. Demonstrated success building and scaling a high-performing advancement team, ideally in a complex, multi-site nonprofit ($20M+ budget, 100+ staff). Proven track record securing major gifts and leading fundraising strategies that produce measurable, significant growth. Experience building fundraising infrastructure from the ground up - dashboards, KPIs, portfolio systems, moves management, and performance tracking. Experience developing or executing comprehensive campaigns or integrated fundraising strategies. Strong working knowledge of fundraising best practices across major gifts, annual giving, institutional fundraising, planned giving, and stewardship. Compelling communicator with the ability to translate mission-driven work into powerful donor narratives and investment opportunities; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and Boards. Ability to build cross-functional relationships and create a culture of philanthropy across a large, complex organization. High emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and comfort leading through change and ambiguity. Proficiency in CRM systems (Virtuous preferred) and Microsoft Office tools; ability to travel within Washington State. Commitment to Akin's mission and values, including equity, belonging, and audacious change on behalf of children and families. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: In addition to a competitive base salary of $190,000 to $215,000, Akin also provides a comprehensive benefits package which includes access to robust health, vision, and dental insurance; 401(k) with up to 3% employer contribution; Employee Assistance Plans (EAP); Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA); Health Savings Account (HSA); Voluntary Long-Term Care Plan; Voluntary Life & Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance; short-term disability insurance; Critical Illness, Hospital, and Accident Insurance; Financial Wellness & Identity Protection; Voluntary Long-Term Care; and 14 days of vacation accrued in the first year, 12 days of sick pay accrued per year, 2 Employee Appreciation days, as well as 14 observed paid annual holidays per year. APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS: Akin has retained the services of Scion Executive Search, a national executive search firm specializing in nonprofit recruitment, to assist in conducting this important search. For immediate consideration, please apply with your resume and cover letter, formatted in Microsoft Word, via: Please address applications to: Chelsea Zimmer, Senior Executive Search Principal Scion Executive Search (888) 487-8850 Extension 154 Review of applications, nominations, and expressions of interest will begin immediately and continue on a confidential basis until an appointment is made. ABOUT OUR FIRM: Scion Executive Search is an award-winning retained executive search firm. Our track record and recruitment process have made us one of the top recruitment firms in the United States. Through innovative team building and recruitment solutions, Scion Executive Search seamlessly bridges the gap in interim and executive searches. Our track record and recruitment process have made us one of the top recruitment firms in the nation. We are proud to be part of the Forbes lists of the Best Recruitment Firms and the Best Executive Search Firms in America. Additionally, Scion has been recognized as a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing firm as well as a top recruitment firm by The Business Times. Additional information about our firm and our practices can be found online . Scion Executive Search is an equal opportunity employer and service provider and does not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation, or any other protected class. We are committed to the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment and are dedicated to making employment decisions based on merit and value, for ourselves, our client companies, and the candidates we represent. For opportunities located in a region that has enacted fair chance, arrest, or conviction-based employment ordinances, Scion Executive Search proactively follows the enacted guidance and considers for employment all qualified applications with arrest and conviction records. We engage in socially conscious business practices and believe that diverse, equitable, inclusive, and non-biased talent and recruitment processes are foundational to the success of Scion as well as every client organization with whom we partner.

Created: 2026-04-15