Director of Development

Position: Director of Development

Reports to:  Deputy Head of School

Start Date:  Flexible based on candidate availability

About Canadian Academy

Canadian Academy is a not-for-profit, secular, gender-inclusive international school located in Kobe, Japan's seventh largest city. Current enrollment is about 700 students from PK–12, including 40 boarding students. CA is accredited by CIS (Council of International Schools) and WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), and is an authorized three-programme International Baccalaureate World School.

Despite the name, CA is not a "Canadian" school and does not offer a Canadian curriculum — the name is a legacy of the school's founding in 1913 by Canadian missionaries. CA offers the IB Continuum from Pre-K to Grade 12: the Primary Years Programme in Pre-K–Grade 5, the Middle Years Programme in Grades 6–10, and the Diploma Programme in Grades 11 & 12.

CA offers students many opportunities for exploration in the arts, athletics, outdoor education, service, and more. In particular, CA's vibrant athletics and performing arts programs are enriched by our participation in APAC, the Asia-Pacific Activities Conference, through which we partner and exchange with 11 other schools in the region.

Governance & Financial Position

CA is governed by a self-perpetuating, volunteer Board of Trustees drawn from current parents, past parents, and alumni. The Board's Finance Committee has been closely engaged in the development of this new function and will be an active, ongoing partner to the Director of Development.

CA is a financially stable, tuition-dependent institution, and diversifying revenue — including through this new development function — is a shared strategic priority for the Board and school leadership. 

The school maintains healthy financial reserves and an endowment that is preserved as a long-term institutional asset rather than drawn on for operating expenses, and has invested substantially in its campus and facilities in recent years.

About the Director of Development Position

Canadian Academy seeks an experienced, resourceful, and collaborative Development professional to join our thriving international school community and build a sustainable culture of philanthropy. This is a genuine founding opportunity: while CA has seen some fundraising efforts in the past, there has been no coordinated, professionally led development program within recent memory. The successful candidate will shape the function from the ground up — at a well-established, financially healthy school with over a century of history and a global alumni network — backed by strong institutional goodwill and full Board support, rather than inheriting an existing structure.

The role sits on CA's extended leadership team, reporting to the Deputy Head of School — who also oversees finance and operations — and works closely with colleagues in Admissions, Marketing, Communications & Alumni Relations to bring fundraising campaigns and donor relationships to life. The Director will also maintain a close working relationship with the Head of School, particularly on the school's most significant donor relationships.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Program Leadership

• Design and lead CA's fundraising strategy, including an annual giving program and a small portfolio of targeted campaigns aligned to school priorities.
• Translate CA's guiding statements and strategic vision into compelling cases for support and gift proposals.
• Establish sound systems and practices for prospect research, gift administration, and donor stewardship.

Donor Relationships

• Identify, cultivate, and steward relationships with prospective donors across current parents, alumni, corporate and community partners, and the board.
• Lead solicitation of major gifts, in close partnership with the Head of School, on the school's most significant donor relationships.
• Ensure donors are thoughtfully and promptly acknowledged, and see the impact of their giving.

Board & Community Engagement

• Coach and equip board members and school leaders to be effective advocates and participants in fundraising.
• Partner with the Marketing, Communications & Alumni Relations team on donor-facing messaging, campaign materials, and alumni engagement, and with the Community & Belonging team on donor-facing events and touchpoints.

Program Building

• Stand up the infrastructure needed for a growing development office, including donor database management and reporting.
• Report regularly to the Deputy Head of School and Board on progress, while maintaining a close, ongoing working relationship with the Head of School.
• Help build the case for future growth of the Development team as the program matures.

Skills & Experience

The ideal candidate will be an experienced development or advancement professional with a successful track record of building donor relationships and leading fundraising campaigns, ideally within an independent or international school setting.

They will have most or all of the following:

• Bachelor's Degree required; advanced degree or training a plus
• Strong strategic and relationship-building capabilities, including demonstrated success launching or growing a fundraising program
• Experience with:
  • annual giving and major gift solicitation
  • donor cultivation and stewardship
  • board and volunteer engagement in fundraising
  • donor database/CRM systems
• Demonstrated success partnering across departments — communications, admissions, business office — to bring campaigns to life
• Availability to work some evenings and weekends for donor events and cultivation activities
• Excellent intercultural skills are a must; Japanese language proficiency is a plus, but not a requirement. 

and will be:

• A relationship-centered decision maker
• Skilled at building trust and credibility with donors, families, and colleagues
• Committed to transparent, ethical fundraising practice
• Able to work independently while building strong cross-departmental partnerships
• Internationally-minded and committed to the ideals of international education
• A person of integrity who leads by example
• Able to demonstrate emotional intelligence and a sense of humor
• An excellent communicator who can build strong relationships with donors, alumni, parents, and colleagues
• A creative, resourceful thinker who enjoys building something new
• An open-minded collaborator and team player

Compensation & Benefits

Salary will be regionally competitive. Canadian Academy offers a comprehensive benefits package to distance-hire school leaders, including housing, tuition remission for dependent children, round-trip airfare from home of record, international medical insurance, and other benefits.

Application Process

Interested candidates should prepare and submit an updated resume and a list of at least four references, including phone and email contact information, as a single PDF file.

In lieu of a cover letter, please submit a short video introduction (via an unlisted YouTube link) that covers:

• A brief introduction of yourself

• Why you’re interested in this role

• Why you believe you’d be a good fit, based on your experience

The start date for this position is flexible and will be based on the successful candidate’s availability. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled. We encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible, as we will make a decision once we find the right fit.