Managing Director, US Office

About Salzburg Global

Salzburg Global, a US 501c3 non-profit organization with offices in Washington, DC and Salzburg, Austria, is where open-minded leaders from around the world gather for breakthrough conversations on pressing global issues. Since 1947, our programs have worked to overcome barriers and open up a world of better possibilities – creating spaces where divergent voices can address the big challenges of our time. For almost 80 years, we have worked with over 40,000 Fellows from more than 170 countries across programs that change the conversation on the pressing issues of our time. Our first program in 1947 brought together over 100 young Europeans and Americans – including veterans of the French resistance, survivors of Nazi concentration camps, prisoners of war, and former enemies. They met at Schloss Leopoldskron, an Austrian palace that had been occupied by the Nazis in a country that was still under Allied military occupation. They wrestled with how diverse and fractured groups of people could come together and start creating the conditions for peace in the aftermath of World War II. Seventy-nine years later, the challenges may be different, but our mission still carries that same founding spirit: to overcome barriers and open up a world of better possibilities.

Our Home

Salzburg Global owns and operates Schloss Leopoldskron, an Austrian palace with a rich and complex history stretching back to the 18th century. Today, Schloss Leopoldskron is home to Salzburg Global and is a thriving center for dialogue and debate – a place of refuge and reconciliation where diverse leaders from around the world gather for conversations of consequence. Since 2014, Salzburg Global has also operated Schloss Leopoldskron as an award-winning hotel and event location, helping to advance Salzburg Global’s mission and to support the conservation of our unique historic property.

Our Impact

Salzburg Global has been at the forefront of major global movements for change since 1947. Sometimes called a “Marshall Plan for the Mind” in its early years, Salzburg Global began as a world-renowned center for post-war reconciliation through intellectual and cultural exchange. In the 1950s, Salzburg Global internationalized the emerging interdisciplinary field of American Studies and promoted educational and scientific exchange across the Iron Curtain. In the 1960s and 1970s, Salzburg Global helped to catalyze and professionalize the civil society sector in Eastern Europe, develop and internationalize the emerging field of sustainable urban design and was among the first organizations to support the concept of “climate migration”. In the 1980s and 1990s, Salzburg Global convened one of the first global collaborations on HIV/AIDS research, laid the groundwork for the Good Friday Agreement that ended hostilities in Northern Ireland, supported the redesign of higher education systems in post-Apartheid South Africa, and partnered with reform-minded universities in Eastern European and the former Soviet Union to transform post-communist higher education institutions. In the 2000s, Salzburg Global launched the first global movements for patient-centered healthcare and patient safety, inspired the creation of the “One Health” movement on human and animal health, and engaged educators in more than 50 countries in the first globally diverse Holocaust Education and Genocide Prevention program. More recently, Salzburg Global has helped to catalyze the development of global pandemic response metrics, supported the launch of Karanga – The Global Alliance for Social and Emotional Learning and the National Parks Cities Movement, and Sciana: The European Health Leaders Network.

We are supported by a combination of institutional partnerships, generous individual donations and revenue generated from our social enterprise hotel, Schloss Leopoldskron.

We seek to be an exemplary international institution in terms of equity and environmental sustainability. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply and join us in our work.

About the Position

The Managing Director leads our Washington, DC Office, with a particular focus on fundraising and advancement efforts with individual donors and elevating our profile in the United States. The role is responsible for driving growth in charitable revenue by cultivating and stewarding relationships with key donors, stakeholders, and partners, and serving as a strategic bridge between our Washington, DC and Salzburg-based operations. The Managing Director also plays a key role in supporting effective board governance, working closely with the Board Governance and Advancement Committees on board recruitment and engagement.

The Managing Director oversees major individual donor relationships in the United States and sets engagement strategies that increase the organization’s annual fundraising. The position develops and executes fundraising strategies to sustain and grow both the number and level of individual donors in the US and works closely with the Development and Advancement teams to increase contributions from major donors (US and international) in support of Salzburg Global’s mission. In partnership with board leadership, the Managing Director supports board members in their ambassadorial and fundraising roles, including preparing briefings, materials, and opportunities for effective engagement.

The ideal candidate will be a visible presence and ambassador for Salzburg Global in Washington and across the United States. This includes representing the organization and mission and programs; engaging policymakers, influencers, and philanthropic leaders; and supporting initiatives that raise Salzburg Global’s visibility and impact in the United States.

The position involves regular visits to Schloss Leopoldskron, Salzburg, Austria.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising

• Oversee and lead major donor and corporate giving strategies to increase charitable contributions to Salzburg Global, including all aspects of the gift cycle from identification, cultivation, solicitation, commitment, and continued stewardship.

• Develop and implement strategies for major donors that can grow our annual unrestricted contributions, working collaboratively across our Program, Development, and Communications teams to advance fundraising goals.

• Orchestrate high-level cultivation events to expand Salzburg Global’s network of prospective donors.

• Evaluate gift opportunities in relation to Salzburg Global’s work and work with prospective donors to cultivate and realize major gift opportunities for Salzburg Global priorities.

• Work closely with Salzburg Global’s Development and Advancement teams to increase contributions from major donors around the world and oversee our annual appeals and initiatives.

External Representation

• Serve as a visible presence in Washington, DC and with US-based partners, Board Directors, funders, and donors through public engagement and networking aimed at raising awareness of Salzburg Global and our programs.

• Serve as an ambassador for Salzburg Global with US-based individuals and partners, striving to make connections and spark new opportunities.

• Gather, evaluate, and share intelligence about opportunities for new strategic partnerships and alliances in the United States.

• Strategize and lead efforts to engage new stakeholders, partners, and donors to meet Salzburg Global’s program and financial goals.

Management and Coordination

• Oversee the management of the US office, ensuring operations and providing guidance and mentoring to US-based staff.

• Act as a key liaison between the D.C. and Salzburg offices, ensuring consistent messaging and overcoming time-zone challenges (EST vs. CET) to increase institutional cohesiveness and results.

Board Governance

• Partner with board leadership to strengthen board engagement, including recruitment, onboarding, and support for directors’ ambassadorial and fundraising roles.

• Serve as the primary liaison responsible for board governance-related processes, policies, and implementation

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience and expertise in fundraising, philanthropy, international development, or a related field.

• Significant experience managing a team with diverse roles and skills.

• Excellent verbal communication skills and proven writing skills, including experience in writing topical thought pieces, communicating institutional priorities and impacts, setting strategy for major donor outreach, and donor stewardship.

• Outgoing personality and ability to initiate and sustain direct communication with Boards of Directors, donors and potential donors, and other potential supporters.

• Ability to take initiative, be a self-starter, and work well in a team with a collaborative working style.

• Excellent computer skills and proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite of programs.

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Strong strategic and innovative thinker.

• International experience and proficiency in German are considered advantageous but not required.

Reporting

This position reports to the President & CEO and is a part of Salzburg Global’s Senior Management Team.

Compensation 

• The pay band for this position is $124,400 - $219,438 and commensurate with experience. 

• Comprehensive employee benefits include 25 days of vacation, sick pay, health insurance, and retirement matching as well as other benefits. 

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No telephone calls please.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against applicants or employees. 

Sustainable business practices are our highest priority in all areas. We encourage creative, equitable, and sustainable change and develop environmentally conscious and socially responsible practices at all levels. We believe that every team member plays a critical role in our journey toward sustainability.