Development Manager

Title: Development Manager
Reports To: Executive Director (ED)
Status: Full-time, Exempt with benefits
Application Deadline: September 25, 2026
Anticipated Start Date: As soon as practicable

POSITION SUMMARY 

The International Contemporary Ensemble seeks a Development Manager (DM) to join the team to implement the Ensemble’s fundraising and development strategies in support of its mission. The DM assists the Executive Director (ED) in raising approximately $1M annually. 

The Development Manager is an experienced fundraiser and grant writer with an interest in working in support of experimental music, the mission of the International Contemporary Ensemble, and the broader arts ecosystem. In collaboration with the Ensemble and Artistic Director (AD), the Development Manager is enthusiastic to support the creation of new works by living composers from diverse backgrounds and broad stylistic approaches through fundraising.

This position supports the activities and mission of the Ensemble by helping refine and implement a fundraising strategy for individuals, institutional funders, Board members, and fundraising events, in close collaboration with the ED and the Board’s Development Committee.

This is a full-time position that involves some nights and weekends based on the schedule of event activity, including rehearsals, performances, and meetings. Please note that our primary office is located in Downtown Brooklyn and we are currently working as a hybrid in-person/remote staff, so being NYC-based is required.

REPORTING STRUCTURE 

This full-time position reports to the Executive Director. The organization values collaboration, and this position will be expected to work collaboratively across all departments to ensure that projects are executed according to their vision, and with attention to detail and quality. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Grants & Institutional Fundraising:

• Conduct prospect research to identify potential institutional funders, strategizing on cultivation opportunities with the ED
• Assemble grant materials for submission, including proposals, reports, budgets, and attachments, ensuring all materials are compelling and accurate 
• Manage the grants calendar to ensure timely submission of letters of inquiry, proposals, reports, and other funder requirements
• Engage program staff to ensure reports and evaluations comply with funder requirements
• With the ED and finance team, create and update organizational and project budgets for proposals and reports

Individual Fundraising & Event Management:

• With the ED and Development Committee, help develop and implement a robust individual giving strategy, including research, cultivation, and solicitation
• Manage and update the Moves Management spreadsheet on an ongoing basis
• Help schedule and attend donor meetings
• Assist the ED with donor appeals and e-blasts by compiling donor lists, creating drafts and images, and facilitating distribution
• Create communication graphics for development purposes in collaboration with the Communications team
• Facilitate and arrange tickets for donors to performances, including liaising with venues and presenters about comp tickets and lists
• Coordinate and manage cultivation events, afterparties, and fundraising events in collaboration with the ED, AD, and Board members, including invitations, list management, event logistics, and donor engagement
• Serve as an ambassador for the organization by building relationships with donors, audience members, and artists, following up with the development team to support donor cultivation

Grants & Database Management:

• Maintain and manage a comprehensive portfolio of donors, prospects, and board members in the Patron Manager database and communications calendar
• Oversee donor and patron-related records and lists, including donation history, awards, and engagement tracking, ensuring data is accurately maintained in the drive and Patron Manager system
• Enter notes from donor meetings into Patron Manager, ensuring timely follow-up and tracking

General Administrative Support:

• Attend weekly staff meetings
• Assist with weekly development meetings and monthly Development Committee meetings
• Assist the ED in the scheduling of Board, Committee, and funder meetings
• Prepare and submit timely acknowledgement letters to donors
• Work with the finance team to reconcile donations and submit documentation
• Participate as a collaborative member of the staff team for smaller projects as needed
• Support a creative and inspiring workspace
• Other ad hoc tasks as assigned

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

• 3+ years of direct fundraising experience, especially with institutional and individual donor experience
• Knowledge or curiosity of the contemporary music ecosystem including presenters, foundations, institutions, history, and artists
• Experience with grant writing for proposals, reports, and more
• Familiarity and experience with Mailchimp and Canva 
• Expertise in Google Suites 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent analytical, research, and project management skills
• Demonstrated ability to drive and follow deadlines
• Exceptional time management and prioritization skills
• Experience using online databases and other sources to locate biographical, financial, and philanthropic information
• Ability to work independently, and also thrive when working on grant narratives and strategies with a team
• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed
• Alignment with our values and commitment to equity, as outlined on our website 
• Sense of humor a plus

We recognize that talent comes in many forms, and we encourage candidates to apply even if they don't meet every requirement. If you meet most, but not all, of the qualifications listed, please consider applying. Your unique skills and experiences may bring valuable perspectives to our team.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLE 

Described as “America’s foremost new-music group” (The New Yorker), the International Contemporary Ensemble is dedicated to supporting living composers through commissioning, developing, and premiering new works. Now in its third decade, the Ensemble has premiered over 1,000 works and plays a pivotal role in launching and shaping the careers of today’s most influential composers. Through its bold programming and innovative curation, the Ensemble continues to redefine the possibilities of contemporary music.

The International Contemporary Ensemble has brought its vision of a mosaic musical ecosystem to festivals and venues all over the world including Carnegie Hall, Maerzmusik/Berliner Festspiele, Warsaw Autumn, Miller Theatre Composer Portraits, Museum of Modern Art New York, Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow, HEAR NOW Los Angeles, Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music, NYU Skirball, Pioneer Works, Oberlin College, House of World Cultures, Ojai Music Festival, Peabody Conservatory, TIME:SPANS Festival, Big Ears Festival, Adelaide Festival, the Dutch National Opera, Cité de la Musique (Paris), Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin), Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Japan Society.

Through trailblazing initiatives such as the Call for ____ Commission Program and Ensemble Evolution (in partnership with The New School’s College of Performing Arts), the Ensemble has had a major impact on the contemporary performance ecosystem in New York City, nationally, and internationally, supporting the creativity of its composer-collaborators and presenting workshops and performances for hundreds of student composers. Many of the Ensemble’s composer-collaborators have developed highly influential careers, such as Du Yun, who won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for the opera Angel’s Bone, which the Ensemble developed and premiered, and MacArthur Fellows Courtney Bryan and Tyshawn Sorey, winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize.

The Ensemble’s Digitice platform provides high-quality video documentation for artist-collaborators, as well as public access to an archive of composers’ workshops and performances. In addition, the Ensemble continues to build space for dialogue on equity, and has facilitated New Music Virtual Town Hall meetings for peer organizations and individual musicians to share resources, processes, and initiatives around equity and inclusion.

Yamaha Artist Services New York is the exclusive piano provider for the Ensemble. Read more at www.iceorg.org 

The International Contemporary Ensemble is committed to overcoming systemic inequities which have been entrenched in classical music, and arts organizations, for centuries. We believe that as a musical collective, part of our responsibility is to challenge our biases and practices around who performs, or has their works performed, on the world’s stages. The Ensemble works to break down barriers inherent to the systems of Western European music, which have historically excluded individuals on the basis of race, wealth, sex, pedigree, background, gender-identity, able-bodiedness, and sexual orientation. 

The International Contemporary Ensemble values the ideas and creativity that each employee brings to the table, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

$65,000–70,000 annually, with health insurance benefits, hybrid work options, and generous office closures in the summer and winter, in addition to vacation days.

HOW TO APPLY 

Please submit a resume and a cover letter that describe your interest in this position and your relevant experience to careers@iceorg.org by September 25, 2026. Applications without a cover letter will not be reviewed. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis until the position is filled, ideally by early- to mid-October. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

The International Contemporary Ensemble is an equal employment opportunity employer. The organization adheres to a policy of making employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, criminal history, or disability.