Director of Development - Playwrights Horizons

Playwrights Horizons - Director of Development 

Organizational Summary:

Playwrights Horizons is a writer’s theater committed to the advancement of bold and visionary contemporary playwrights, through the development and production of daring new work and the education of future theatermakers. In a city rich with cultural offerings, Playwrights Horizons’ 55-year-old mission is unique among theaters of its size; the organization has distinguished itself by a steadfast commitment to centering the voice of the playwright. It’s a mission that is always timely, and one that’s necessary in the ongoing evolution of theater in this country. By expanding the U.S. theater canon with a wider range of voices, Playwrights Horizons aims to be a home for the exploration of playwriting and an anti-racist center of curiosity, dialogue, and artistic risk.

Reports to:

Managing Director

Position Summary:

Playwrights Horizons, an award-winning Off-Broadway theater located in the heart of Manhattan, seeks a dynamic, strategic and collaborative Director of Development to lead a high-performing advancement team and help shape the organization’s next phase of growth.

This is a role for a creative and strategic fundraising leader who wants to build and shape an ambitious, forward-looking development program. The Director will drive strategy across individual and institutional giving, events, board engagement, and campaign planning efforts, playing a central role in shaping and leading Playwrights Horizons’ next major campaign, currently in its quiet phase and anticipated to launch publicly in the next year. There is meaningful opportunity here to expand the organization’s philanthropic reach, bring new ideas to life, and translate vision into tangible results.

The Director will lead a team of five, including three direct reports, and serve as a key member of the senior leadership team. In close partnership with colleagues and the Board, they will help strengthen a culture of philanthropy that is deeply relational, future-focused, and positioned for sustained growth.

Strategy/Leadership 

• Partner with the Managing Director, Artistic Director, Board of Trustees, and senior staff to develop and execute a comprehensive contributed revenue strategy aligned with the strategic plan and with a priority on long-term financial sustainability.

• Advance a culture of philanthropy across the organization, helping staff and trustees engage meaningfully in fundraising activity.

• Serve as an active member of the senior management team, contributing to organizational planning, strategic initiatives, and institutional decision-making.

• Identify and develop new philanthropic and mission-aligned revenue streams that support artistic ambition and organizational resilience.

• Build strong cross-departmental relationships to ensure alignment between fundraising strategy, institutional messaging, and programmatic priorities.

• Provide insight and recommendations related to institutional advancement, including board development, audience engagement, institutional visibility, and partnerships.

• Ensure that development strategies reflect current best practices and respond to evolving trends in philanthropy and arts funding.

Fundraising and Campaign Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for the Campaign for Playwrights Horizons, working in close partnership with campaign leadership and the Board to achieve campaign goals and advance institutional priorities.

• Oversee annual contributed revenue efforts across individuals, foundations, corporations, government agencies, and special events.

• Design and build a Major Gifts program leveraging campaign success into long-term philanthropic support

• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to ensure strong alignment of messaging and donor-facing materials.

• Identify opportunities to expand philanthropic support through new initiatives, partnerships, and engagement strategies.

• Ensure thoughtful stewardship practices that deepen long-term donor relationships and position Playwrights Horizons as a philanthropic priority.

Board Relations

• Partner with the Managing Director and Board leadership to activate a highly engaged, 34-member Board of Trustees as a powerful driver of philanthropic growth.

• Leverage the Board’s deep commitment and networks to expand fundraising reach, strengthen relationships, and advance campaign and annual giving goals.

• Support the ongoing evolution of the Board by identifying, recruiting, and onboarding trustees whose experience, networks, and commitment align with the organization’s ambitions.

• Work closely with the Campaign Committee, Development Committee, and Nominating & Governance Committee to shape strategy, set ambitious goals, and drive coordinated donor and prospect engagement, in partnership with the Board Liaison.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to trustees, equipping them with the strategy, tools, and confidence to actively engage in cultivation and solicitation efforts.

Management/Operations 

• Lead and mentor a team of five development professionals, including three direct reports, fostering a collaborative, supportive, and high-performing work environment.

• Establish clear performance goals for team members and provide coaching, feedback, and professional development support.

• Develop short- and long-range plans to meet and exceed contributed revenue goals (currently $5M annually) as defined in the organization’s strategic plan

• Ensure strong data management practices that support strategic decision-making, donor research, and relationship management.

• Oversee the effective use of Tessitura and related systems to support prospect tracking, reporting, stewardship, and campaign activity, with support from our Senior Tessitura Data and Operations Manager.

• Strengthen systems and processes to support data integrity, transparency, and cross-departmental collaboration.

• Prepare and manage departmental budget and contributed revenue projections in partnership with the Finance team.

• Ensure strong internal coordination and clear timelines to support successful execution of fundraising initiatives.

Ideal Skills and Experience: 

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive fundraising experience, including experience managing and developing high-performing teams.

• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors and institutional funders, with a relational and values-driven approach.

• Experience leading or contributing significantly to a capital or comprehensive campaign.

• Track record of developing innovative revenue strategies and identifying new philanthropic opportunities including sponsorship.

• Strong strategic thinking skills, with the ability to translate institutional priorities into clear, actionable fundraising plans that drive results

• Commitment to collaborative leadership, with a high degree of adaptability, curiosity, and comfort navigating complexity across teams and stakeholders.

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to build trust, inspire others, and bring a sense of humor and humanity to the work

• Experience working with or knowledge of the New York City philanthropic community and arts funding landscape preferred.

• Strong organizational and analytical skills, including experience using donor databases to support strategic decision-making.

• Experience with Tessitura or similar CRM systems strongly preferred.

• Proficiency in Google Workspace or comparable tools.

• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends in support of events and donor engagement.

• Alignment with Playwrights Horizons’ core values, including a demonstrated commitment to anti-racism, equity, and inclusive fundraising practices.

Compensation, Benefits and Travel:
Benefits: 

Playwrights Horizons is committed to supporting the well-being of its staff and offers a comprehensive benefits package including 15 days (three weeks) of vacation, four personal days, 10 sick days, and many paid Holiday office closures. Employees have access to individual medical, dental, and vision coverage, with various plan options available through Oxford Health Plans. Playwrights Horizons partially subsidizes health and dental insurance and provides vision insurance at no charge to employees. Our benefits package further includes life insurance policy, a 403b retirement plan, and flexible spending accounts for medical, dental, and dependent care expenses. Other perks include an employee assistance provider (EAP), health reimbursement account, pre-tax transit benefits for transportation expenses, and complimentary and staff-rate tickets to our productions. 

Travel: 

Playwrights Horizons currently operates on a hybrid-work schedule, requiring a minimum of three (3) days per week on site. Additionally, this role includes occasional evening and weekend work, as well as travel in support of events, donor engagement, and the organization’s broader community. 

Salary:
The salary range for this position is between $95,000-$150,000 per year, commensurate with experience.

Values Statement:
Playwrights Horizons is committed to building a more just future for everyone—particularly those from historically oppressed communities, by employing a broad spectrum of voices that will enrich the quality and vitality of our work. Playwrights Horizons is an equal opportunity employer that has a strong institutional commitment to uprooting all systems of oppression by demonstrative equitable and inclusive practices.

The organization is interested in receiving applications from people of all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, classes, religions, and people with disabilities.
The facilities at Playwrights Horizons are fully accessible and ADA compliant.

To Apply:  

Please submit your application materials to our portal HERE. No phone calls please. 

Full link to application; https://form.asana.com/?k=J0i34-F2M5IhmJI5J1IGrA&d=17022989146991

Priority Consideration Deadline: Friday, April 28th, 2026 (applications received by this date will be reviewed first and guaranteed equal consideration). After April 28th applications will be accepted but considered only on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

We expect first round interviews to occur in Mid-May. Semi-finalists will meet with Casey York, Managing Director and another team member, approximately late May or early June with a final round aiming to be in mid to late June with members of the senior staff, development department, and Board.  An offer is expected to be made by the end of June with an ideal start date of August 3, 2026.  

Our outgoing Development Director, Ben Weisman, is transitioning into a newly created position Director of Strategic Partnerships to focus on a portfolio of Earned Revenue initiatives, and will be available to meet with semi-finalists during the process and to help onboard the new Director of Development.