Head of Philanthropy

Zurich International School is an inclusive non-profit day school in the Greater Zurich area that delivers comprehensive bilingual and international educational programs for local and foreign national students aged 3 to 18. 

About the role:

The Head of Philanthropy is responsible for cultivating and growing Philanthropy at ZIS. A key focus will be identifying new opportunities to grow the programs, fostering lasting relationships, soliciting philanthropic support, and strategically planning for the long-term sustainability of the fundraising program. Start date: immediate or by agreement. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Fundraising Strategy & Execution: Oversee the execution of a moves management strategy to foster engagement and financial support, including donor identification, research, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

• Annual Fund,  Major Gifts & Endowment: Develop strategies to grow Annual Fund and the Major Gifts Program, support Endowment Fundraising.

• Stewardship & Reporting: Execute a Stewardship plan, maintain reports and performance indicators, and ensure adherence to professional, ethical fundraising standards.

• Community Engagement & Visibility: Be visible in the ZIS community and schedule personal meetings on- and off-site to deepen school engagement and support.

• Volunteer & Team Management: Recruit and manage key Annual Fund volunteers and oversee the Advancement Services Coordinator.

• Marketing, PR & Information Sharing: Plan and manage marketing and PR programmes for the Annual Fund, and implement effective information-sharing strategies, including CASE Engagement metrics.

• Corporate & Strategic Partnerships / Networks: Serve as the first contact for strategic corporate partners, maintain relationship databases.

What you bring to this role:

• Bachelor or Master's Degree in relevant field

• Strong track record in non-profit fundraising

• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to engage with high-value donors to build shared visions

• Excellent project management and strategic planning abilities

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and German

• Demonstrated success leading teams in culturally diverse organizations

• Knowledge of the G Suite products, CRM databases and Raiser’s Edge

Our benefits:

We are a collaborative and engaged team that supports each other. We offer a dynamic and modern work environment in an international, multicultural setting with the possibility of partially remote work. Our employment contracts are based on a 40-hour week with 6 weeks of vacation and additional time off over Christmas/New Year.

We appreciate your interest in joining our team and look forward to receiving your complete application. Please apply to ZIS directly using our online system through the employment page of our school website https://www.zis.ch/employment.