Career Center

Welcome to Pacific Ridge

Pacific Ridge School is an educational experience dedicated to developing strong minds and courageous spirits to serve students in young adulthood and beyond.

Our mission statement guides everything that we do. Its pillars - academic excellence, ethical responsibility, and global engagement - support our academic program, as well as the extensive number of co-curricular offerings, extra-curricular activities and opportunities our students explore. Its aims - preparation for college and a purposeful life - are realized by students who come to understand that learning is a joyful, life-long pursuit, and that the world contains many kinds of classrooms.

At the heart of Pacific Ridge School are the multi-faceted interactions between our students, their peers, and their teachers. This is a community designed to give its members space to grow; one that provides the opportunity to stretch, along with the support and guidance needed to do it successfully. As our students challenge themselves academically, explore assumptions from new perspectives and become aware of their roles as members of a global community, they discover the kinds of people they would like to become.

We know the students that pass through our doors will be empowered to enact positive change in the world, and we enable them to do so with creativity and confidence. These outcomes would not be possible without the foundation of support and expertise of our outstanding faculty and staff. Pacific Ridge is an engaged, evolving, creative and collaborative environment. We look forward to   sharing it with you.

In support of the School's mission, we seek an outgoing, strategically minded and inspiring professional. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an experienced and entrepreneurial fundraising professional to build upon the School's growing culture of philanthropy and alumni relations.

Position Summary

The Director of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations reports to the Head of School and is charged with championing Pacific Ridge School’s mission by designing and implementing programs and strategies that foster productive and positive relationships between Pacific Ridge constituencies and the School. The Director oversees all development and constituent relations activities and collaborates with the Head of School, senior leadership team, and the Board of Trustees to create and successfully executive strategies consistent with the School’s mission and culture. The new Director will be joining a relatively young school that has been remarkably successful in fundraising – raising more than $100M in its first 16 years. As recently as February, 2021, the School successfully completed an $18 million comprehensive campaign that added a new Innovation Center & Library, established the School’s endowment, paid down nearly $2M in debt, and most importantly, broadened the donor base of leadership support of the School.

• The successful candidate should possess a knowledge of general fundraising principles and best practices. This professional will be expected to manage all areas of a comprehensive program.
• A track record of creating and implementing strategies that enhance and strengthen an existing fundraising effort by developing new avenues for giving, growing the number of donors, and increasing the contributions of current givers. One’s skills should include research and analysis, critical reflection, and a willingness to think outside the box.
• Demonstrated evidence of the ability to raise major gifts, coupled with an understanding of donor cultivation and gift solicitation.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills, combined with an ability to set priorities and implement decisions in a timely fashion.
• Able to develop purposeful relationships with people from varying backgrounds and within a variety of social settings.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to build a case for philanthropy with a wide range of constituents by educating parents, alumni and other potential stakeholders about the importance of giving.
• Bachelor’s degree required; CFRE or other certification a plus.

About Pacific Ridge School

Pacific Ridge School is a college preparatory co-educational independent school, offering a rich and challenging program to 685 students in grades 6-12. Pacific Ridge School opened in 2007; finished its permanent high school building in 2010, and its athletic center in 2012. We opened a permanent middle school/administration building and STEAM Arts and Technology Center in 2015. Most recently, we completed our gorgeous Innovation Center & Library. Please visit our website at https://www.pacificridge.org/ for more information on our mission and programs.

Connections working at Pacific Ridge School