Employment Opportunities with SPJ

The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest and most broad-based membership association for journalists. We are dedicated to the preservation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty. To accomplish this, SPJ hires smart, energetic individuals who are hell-bent on improving the Society’s offerings and operations while also making a name for themselves. After training, we get out of the way and give them the freedom to do just that.

Jump to:
– Executive Director
– Development Manager

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Executive Director

Application Deadline: October 31, 2017, 5 p.m. ET

The Society of Professional Journalists (the Society), and its supporting organization, the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation (the Foundation), seek a new executive director. The Society is a professional association that is tax-exempt under Code section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code with 7,500 members across the country. It has an annual budget of approximately $1.2 million and a current staff of 13. The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation is tax-exempt under Code section 501(c)(3) and a supporting organization of the Society with assets of about $13 million.

The Executive Director:

– Works with the officers and boards of both organizations, helping them establish strategic, operational and tactical plans.
– Communicates with the officers and boards of both organizations, with the public via social media, with partner organizations, and with the news media.
– Provides leadership to enhance the diversity and size of the Society’s membership.
– Is responsible for the organization, supervision, and evaluation of the headquarters staff. We seek someone who thinks creatively about how to deploy staff, is affable, and fosters teamwork, diversity and inclusion.
– In concert with the Boards and fundraising staff, ensures continued growth in development activity for the Society and the Foundation.

Requirements:

– A bachelor’s degree and prior experience in association management.
– Journalism experience is not required, but a passion for journalism’s role under the First Amendment and its value to a democratic society are.
– A background in fundraising for both professional associations and supporting foundations
– An understanding of the different roles of a 501(c)(6) professional association and a 501(c)(3) supporting foundation.
– Understanding of Indiana and Illinois law regarding non-profit corporations preferred.

The position is located at the headquarters of the Society and the Foundation in Indianapolis. A detailed position profile can be found here.

Application deadline and start date

Application deadline is 5 p.m. ET, October 31, 2017.

How to apply

Interested candidates should send a resume/CV to spjexecsearch@gmail.com.

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Development Manager

Application Deadline: Oct. 6, 2017, 5 p.m. ET
(Position will be filled ASAP)

The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest and most broad-based membership association for journalists. We are dedicated to the preservation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty. To accomplish this, SPJ hires smart, energetic individuals who are hell-bent on improving the Society’s offerings and operations while also making a name for themselves. After training, we get out of the way and give them the freedom to do just that.

We’re looking for a candidate to serve as our Development Manager. The full-time gig, based in Indianapolis, includes competitive salary, excellent benefits and paid leave. The Development Manager will oversee all aspects of fundraising for the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation (a 501c3 charity) and the Society of Professional Journalists (a 501c6 non-profit).

What we’re looking for:

– Someone who sees the big picture, but doesn’t let details fall through the cracks.
– Someone who has demonstrated experience with non-profit fundraising, specifically major gifts programs.
– Someone who is so organized, they know the birthdays and anniversaries of all their relatives (including in-laws and cousins).
– Someone who is a whiz on digital platforms.
– Someone who can jump from task to task with cat-like nimbleness.
– Someone who isn’t an ass and gets along with just about anyone.
– Someone who is comfortable working closely with volunteers.
– Someone who cares deeply about the quality of their work.
– Someone who reads this detailed description from top to bottom.

Primary duties will include:

– Help create strategic development initiatives, in conjunction with the SDX Foundation and SPJ boards of directors.
– Plan, manage, execute and evaluate the overall development efforts of Society of Professional Journalists and Sigma Delta Chi Foundation; including but not limited to the annual Day of Giving, year-end appeal and smaller campaigns throughout the year.
– Work with education, membership and other staff to create cohesive campaigns and/or strategies that relate to the overarching strategic goals of the organization.
– Maintain donor database.

Application deadline and start date

Application deadline is 5 p.m. ET, Oct. 6, 2017.

How to apply

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, résumé, 3-5 writing samples relevant to this job description and three professional references to Executive Director Joe Skeel at jskeel@spj.org with the subject line “Development Manager Position.”

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