Headwaters School, a Pre-K through grade 12 independent day school serving over 500 students across its three campuses in Austin, TX, is seeking a full-time Assistant Director of Development for the 2026-2027 academic year. This position will start May 2026.

At Headwaters, our employees nurture a school culture that promotes a growth mindset, a collaborative spirit, a joyful environment, and the achievement of high expectations. Headwaters School supports the professional growth of our employees in order to contribute to their feelings of fulfillment, to provide a model of lifelong learning for our students, and to advance the strategic goals of the school.

Our employees are responsible for bringing our Purpose statement to life: to cultivate identity formation, foster empathy, and embrace diversity to bring more peace to the world. In addition, our employees guide our students to live authentically, think expansively, and create bravely. We invite our students, guides, staff, parents, and trustees to be Peacemakers, Advocates, Creators, and Thinkers.

The Assistant Director of Development is a key member of the Development Office and plays an essential role in advancing the mission and philanthropic priorities of Headwaters School. This position supports fundraising, stewardship, communications, and event efforts through strong systems management, ethical fundraising practices, and thoughtful coordination. The Assistant Director of Development contributes to a culture of integrity, accountability, and service in alignment with the NAIS Principles of Good Practice.

This role requires a highly organized, detail-oriented, and service-minded professional who can manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced school environment while maintaining confidentiality and professionalism. The Assistant Director of Development works closely with a wide range of constituents—including parents, alumni, grandparents, volunteers, faculty, staff, board members, and prospective donors—to ensure a positive and respectful donor experience.

Reporting to the Director of Development, the Assistant Director of Development provides critical operational and administrative support that enables fundraising initiatives—including the Annual Fund, GivingTuesday, stewardship efforts, occasional grants, and community engagement—to move forward efficiently and on schedule. A core responsibility of this role is maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and strategic use of the donor database to lead coordination of effective stewardship, reporting, and donor cultivation. This position also partners with Development colleagues to manage donor communications under the leadership of the Director of Development, assist in events coordination, and volunteer engagement, ensuring that all activities reflect the school’s mission, values, and ethical standards.

Candidates will also be prepared to fully participate in the life of the school. Our ideal candidate will have 3+ years of relevant experience. A Bachelor’s degree is required. Normal office hours are Monday through Friday, with occasional evenings and weekends required to support events and advancement activities. The Assistant Director of Development reports directly to the Director of Development.

Essential Job Duties: 

• Assist with all development communications, including fundraising mailings, donor reporting, and campaign collateral to support transparent and effective fundraising efforts. This includes pulling and cleaning segmented lists, mail merges, and email editing. 
• Process and acknowledge all gifts accurately and promptly, honoring donor intent and maintaining the highest standards of stewardship and accountability. 
• Support the execution of targeted fundraising appeals and campaigns in ways that reflect the school’s mission, values, and ethical standards.
• Work closely with the Development Office staff to optimize the department’s use of Veracross by developing policies and protocols for data entry, prospect management, accuracy, and data management.
• Maintain accurate, confidential, and complete donor records, ensuring strong data hygiene and integrity. 
• Prepare reports and presentations for various committees and key stakeholders.
• Coordinate school fundraising events and provide on-site event support, as assigned. 
• Conduct preliminary research on prospective and current individual donors, including parents and alumni.
• Maintains a small portfolio of mid-level donors.
• Coordinates and supports the Parent Volunteer Community (PVC) across all three campuses, including planning meetings and monthly parent coffees. 
• Support graduation planning (regalia, etc.) and alumni stewardship efforts (fall care packages, research and outreach, event planning, etc.).
• Support grant proposal preparation and reporting in alignment with institutional priorities and funder guidelines.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Development, Senior Director of Finance and Advancement, or Head of School.

Skills & Attributes:

• Proficiency with donor databases and CRM systems (Veracross, Raiser’s Edge, or similar), with experience in data cleanup or system implementation strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, paired with the ability to communicate insights clearly to non-technical colleagues.
• Bachelor’s degree, required. 
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a service-oriented approach to working with donors, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while maintaining professionalism and confidentiality.
• Collaborative, adaptable, and proactive, with a desire to improve systems and relationships.
• Proficiency in Asana, Google Suite, Microsoft Suite

This is a full-time, 12-month salaried exempt position and compensation is competitive for the greater Austin area. The school offers a wide-range of benefits including generous paid time off, 100% paid medical insurance for an employee on our HSA/High Deductible plan, 401(k) retirement plan, on-going professional support and continuing education opportunities, and a unique working environment where you are able to share and receive ongoing feedback.

Interested applicants should go to the Headwaters School Employment website to apply, https://www.headwaters.org/page/about/employment.  

Headwaters School welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. As a 501(c)3 non-profit school, Headwaters provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local anti-discrimination law. The School’s equal employment opportunity practices extend to recruitment, hiring, selection, compensation, benefits, transfer, promotion, training, discipline, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. All Employees are responsible for complying with the School’s equal employment opportunity policy.

About Headwaters School

Headwaters School is an independent school in Austin, Texas serving students from early childhood through grade 12. Beginning with a Montessori foundation and progressing to the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme, we cultivate identity formation, foster empathy, and embrace diversity to bring more peace to the world.

Connections working at Headwaters School