A Career Opportunity

At UNICEF, we work tirelessly to ensure children survive, wherever children’s lives are at risk. As part of the UN, we are active in more countries and have saved more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization.

By embarking on an ambitious campaign, we will reach every child, even those in the most remote and hard-to-reach places with the essentials that every child and every family needs to survive.  Because no child is too far.


Deputy Director, Development (Ontario)

(Full-time; Remote; based in Toronto, ON

Reporting to the VP, Development, this role is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting and maintaining high value relationships with individuals and foundations. This is a new role with a focus on significant growth of donors and prospects in Ontario. 

This role will formulate strategies to raise new individual gifts of $100,000 and more; cultivate existing donors to give at a global major donor level; and contribute to the planning and implementation of organizational activities to maximize individual and foundation giving. In particular, this role will support the VP, Development in building a pipeline of new major donors to UNICEF Canada and will provide oversight to giving circles.  This role will also have the responsibility to migrate or integrate stakeholders from other key development areas within UNICEF Canada (Corporate, Community Engagement, mid-level giving).

The responsibilities of the position will include:

Donor Cultivation and Solicitation (45%)

  • Raise significant funds for UNICEF Canada priorities, as identified in the annual plan and Joint Strategic Plan (JSP);
  • Identify, grow and manage a portfolio of 100+ individual and foundation major gift prospects;
  • Secure one-on-one in-person donor meetings to establish or strengthen donor commitments to long-term support;
  • Move the prospects through a moves management process toward participation in one of UNICEF Canada’s fundraising initiatives;
  • Where appropriate, liaise with senior leadership, executive or board members to effectively cultivate and steward relationships;
  • Support existing corporate and community partnerships as needed;
  • Evaluate reasonable partnership risk-taking opportunities and stimulate new ways of thinking and solving problems;
  • Work with other Development team staff (i.e. Corporate, Community, Legacy Giving, Signature Events) and volunteer leadership to ensure the availability of appropriate cultivation and stewardship tools for use with major donors and major donor prospects.

Pipeline Development and Prospect Identification (20%)

  • Build connections with and develop a portfolio of donor prospects in Ontario that have the ability and affinity to give to UNICEF Canada;
  • Identify new communities with major donor potential, and develop and foster links within those communities;
  • Support the development pipeline through prospecting and engaging in a moves management process to meet forecasting activities annually and in long-term planning;
  • Support market integration with the Development Team areas.

People Management and Project Leadership (25%)

  • Provide oversight and leadership to UNICEF Canada’s Women Giving Initiative and ensure the successful re-launch of the Women Unlimited program;
  • Support the Development Manager with the portfolio of women’s giving circle donors through their multi-year commitments, ensuring a continued and secure financial commitment to UNICEF;
  • Support the stewardship activities of this group including ongoing communications engagement and stewardship journey, program visits and information sessions.

Planning and Administration (10%)

  • Support the VP Development in the execution of relevant sections for the multi-year UNICEF global joint strategic plan (JSP) and the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) for the team, and ensure integration across the organization;
  • Support the development and execution of organizational priority campaigns and initiatives;
  • Maintain an up-to-date and deep knowledge of UNICEF’s work, leadership and projects for discussion with donors and prospects;
  • Ensure that the Raiser’s Edge database is kept updated with accurate information on major donors and campaign prospects for weekly reporting;
  • Undertake program travel with donors, attend donor meetings and attend UNICEF fundraising events (sometimes during the evenings and weekends) as required.

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A post-secondary degree or diploma with a focus in fundraising, marketing, sales, or other applicable disciplines;
  • Seven (7) plus years’ of relevant work experience in fundraising, marketing, or sales in the corporate or not-for–profit sector with experience in Major Gifts fundraising and a proven track record of closing gifts at the $100K + level;
  • Excellent natural relationship building/management skills both internally and externally;
  • Proven experience in leading and managing cultivation and stewardship events;
  • Demonstrated experience in independent prospect pipeline development;
  • Experience managing people and fundraising programs for groups;
  • The ability to work independently in a home-based office while at the same time ensuring collaboration and teamwork;
  • A creative approach to cultivation and stewardship;
  • Superior verbal and written communications skills, including public speaking;
  • Experience with Raiser’s Edge or relational databases and donor database report tracking to ensure appropriate prospect/donor documentation (an asset);
  • Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office).

Salary range: $85,000 to $104,000 per year.

What we offer

UNICEF Canada strongly supports workplace wellness and offers the following benefits:

  • Extended Health and Dental Benefits with Health Care Spending Account;
  • Life insurance and AD&D;
  • Short Term Disability (STD);
  • Long Term Disability (LTD);
  • Employer contributions (5%) to Group Pension plan;
  • Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP);
  • 2 paid personal days;
  • 10 paid sick days;
  • Maternity and Parental leave top-up;
  • 3 weeks of annual leave (vacation time increases with time served);
  • One additional day of vacation on the anniversary of each year of service, up to a maximum of 30 days;
  • Staff Appreciation Days;
  • Currently offering Remote work option with occasional visits to the office.
  • Learning and Development Opportunities;
  • Discounted rate for a GoodLife membership.

For consideration, please submit your resume and cover letter to careers@unicef.ca by June 27, 2023.  Please attach your cover letter (including salary expectations) and resume as one document and reference “Deputy Director, Development” clearly in the subject heading. 

UNICEF Canada sincerely thanks all applicants for their expressed interest in this opportunity, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. 

Consistent with our Child Protection Policy, the successful candidate must receive clearance by a police background check, including the vulnerable sector screen. 

UNICEF Canada is an inclusive workplace and is committed to championing accessibility, diversity and equal opportunity. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process providing the applicant has met the requirements for the position.