Position Summary The Black Chamber of Memphis seeks a strategic, relationship-oriented Director of Development and Communications to lead the Chamber's fundraising, membership development, communications, and external engagement efforts. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and serving as a member of the Chamber's leadership team, the Director will develop and execute an integrated strategy to expand the resources, relationships, membership, and visibility necessary to advance the Chamber's mission and strategic priorities. The Director will lead efforts to strengthen relationships with corporations, foundations, government partners, members, sponsors, and other stakeholders while ensuring that the Chamber communicates a clear and consistent story about its mission, programs, accomplishments, and impact. The Director will supervise the Membership Specialist and Website Designer/Social Media Coordinator and will work closely with the COO, President & CEO, Chamber staff, Board members, and external partners. Key ResponsibilitiesDevelopment and Fundraising

• Develop and execute an annual development strategy aligned with the Chamber's strategic priorities and financial goals.
• Build and manage a diversified portfolio of corporate, foundation, sponsorship, grant, and individual funding opportunities.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward relationships with current and prospective funders, corporate partners, and sponsors.
• Develop sponsorship strategies and packages for Chamber programs, events, initiatives, and special projects.
• Coordinate grant development, including prospect research, proposal development, submission schedules, reporting requirements, and funder stewardship.
• Maintain a development pipeline and provide the COO with regular forecasts and reports on prospects, proposals, commitments, and revenue.
• Support the COO, President & CEO, and Board members in major donor, corporate, and institutional relationship development. Membership Development and Engagement
• Provide strategic leadership for membership recruitment, engagement, retention, and renewal.
• Supervise the Membership Specialist and establish measurable membership growth and retention goals.
• Develop strategies that strengthen the value proposition of Chamber membership and deepen member engagement.
• Use membership data and feedback to identify trends, opportunities, and areas requiring additional attention.
• Coordinate membership campaigns with the Chamber's broader communications, programming, events, and development activities.
• Strengthen pathways that move businesses from initial engagement with the Chamber to active membership, leadership, sponsorship, and long-term investment. Communications and Brand Management
• Develop and implement an integrated communications strategy that advances the Chamber's mission, programs, strategic priorities, and public profile.
• Ensure consistent messaging and brand standards across the Chamber's website, social media, newsletters, presentations, publications, events, and other communications.
• Supervise the Website Designer/Social Media Coordinator and establish priorities, content calendars, performance expectations, and measures of engagement.
• Develop compelling stories demonstrating the impact of Chamber members, programs, partnerships, and investments.
• Coordinate media relations, press releases, public announcements, executive communications, and other external communications.
• Support the COO and President & CEO in developing speeches, presentations, talking points, reports, and other executive communications.
• Monitor communications analytics and use performance data to improve audience reach and engagement. Corporate and Community Relations
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with corporations, foundations, government agencies, community organizations, economic development partners, and other stakeholders.
• Represent the Chamber at meetings, events, conferences, and community activities as appropriate.
• Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships that increase resources, expand services to members, or advance the Chamber's mission.
• Coordinate external engagement activities across development, membership, communications, and Chamber programming. Leadership and Management
• Serve as a member of the Chamber's leadership team and contribute to organizational strategy, planning, budgeting, and performance management.
• Supervise, coach, and evaluate assigned staff and establish clear goals, priorities, and accountability measures.
• Build coordinated workflows across development, membership, communications, events, and programs.
• Develop annual departmental goals, work plans, budgets, and performance measures.
• Establish systems for tracking development activity, membership engagement, communications performance, and external relationships.
• Provide regular reports to the COO and, when appropriate, the President & CEO and Board of Directors.
• Perform other leadership responsibilities consistent with the needs of a growing organization. Performance Priorities Success in this position will be measured by the Director's ability to:
• Increase and diversify contributed and sponsorship revenue.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of corporate, foundation, and institutional partners.
• Increase Chamber membership and improve member retention and engagement.
• Strengthen the Chamber's visibility, reputation, and consistency of communications.
• Improve coordination among fundraising, membership, communications, programs, and events.
• Develop effective staff members and establish clear systems of accountability.
• Demonstrate and communicate the measurable impact of the Chamber's work. QualificationsRequired
• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, business, nonprofit management, public administration, development, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in development, fundraising, communications, membership development, corporate relations, marketing, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing relationships with corporate, philanthropic, governmental, or community partners.
• Experience supervising staff and managing multiple functional responsibilities.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategies and translate them into measurable work plans and results.
• Strong project-management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively with business owners, corporate executives, community leaders, public officials, funders, Board members, and diverse community stakeholders.
• Proficiency with contemporary digital communications, constituent or customer relationship management systems, social media platforms, and standard business technology. Preferred
• Experience working with a chamber of commerce, economic or community development organization, nonprofit organization, membership association, or business-support organization.
• Demonstrated success securing corporate sponsorships, grants, or other contributed revenue.
• Experience managing membership recruitment and retention strategies.
• Familiarity with the Memphis and Shelby County business, philanthropic, civic, and economic development landscape.
• Experience using data and analytics to evaluate fundraising, membership, marketing, or communications performance.

Leadership Profile The successful candidate will combine the instincts of a relationship builder, strategist, communicator, and manager . The Director must understand that development, membership, and communications are interconnected functions: strong programs create impact; effective communications demonstrate that impact; strong relationships convert that value into membership, partnerships, and financial support. The Director should be comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial environment where priorities evolve, resources must be used strategically, and collaboration across functions is essential. The position requires initiative, sound judgment, accountability, discretion, and a commitment to strengthening businesses and the broader Memphis community.

Pay:

$75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Dental insurance Dependent health insurance coverage Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person