Senior Development Officer, Corporate Partnerships

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Shaw Festival is looking for a dynamic and strategic relationship builder to develop and grow the corporate partnerships portfolio, building on a strong foundation. In this high-impact role, you’ll help shape how businesses connect with the Festival, securing meaningful support for one of Canada’s premier cultural institutions.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Development, the Senior Development Officer, Corporate Partnerships plays a key role in driving revenue growth and deepening engagement with corporate partners. The Senior Development Officer is responsible for developing and executing strategic fundraising initiatives that strengthen partnerships with businesses, their employees, and key stakeholders, supporting the ongoing impact of the Shaw Festival.

The Corporate Partnerships portfolio balances time spent in the community, engaging with business leaders, attending events, and representing the Shaw Festival, while also focusing on aligning corporate goals with our programs, developing tailored partnership proposals, and collaborating with internal teams to drive results. From welcoming groups on-site to following up post-show, you’ll be the driving force behind ensuring every partner feels valued, inspired, and eager to return.

With a dedicated team handling logistics, the incumbent will concentrate on what matters most—cultivating strong relationships and taking full ownership of each partnership to ensure every corporate partner feels valued, engaged, and motivated to deepen their connection with the Shaw Festival.
The Senior Development Officer, Corporate Partnerships will work a hybrid schedule, combining remote work with 2–3 days per week in the office in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, varying by season.

Some travel for events, meetings, and donor and volunteer engagement will be required within southern Ontario and periodically in the northeastern United States.

ABOUT THE SHAW FESTIVAL

The Shaw Festival Story 

In 1962, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, lawyer and playwright Brian Doherty parlayed his love for the work of Irish playwright Bernard Shaw into a summer theatre festival, producing eight performances of Don Juan in Hell and Candida in the Court House auditorium.  In this singular act of passion for theatre and culture, the Shaw Festival was born.

Today, with 10 or more productions each year performed in three theatres for an audience of more than 325,000, the Shaw Festival has grown to become a major Canadian cultural icon, a gem in this country’s rich cultural heritage. Inspired by the wit and passion of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival is a contemporary theatre that features a smart, provocative, potent and diverse mix of plays from the past and present, performed by our celebrated repertory theatre Ensemble.

The result is theatre that is challenging, surprising, often funny and always entertaining. These plays are lovingly and artfully brought to the stage each year by a talented team of actors, directors, and designers, showcasing the incredible tapestry of talent that this country contributes to the world.

Helmed by Artistic Director Tim Carroll, The Shaw’s 63rd Season runs from April 6 to December 21.

Shaw 2025

Shaw 2025 is going to be delightful, delicious and de-lovely. Cole Porter’s great musical Anything Goes will tap dance onto the Festival stage this season. Playing alongside it will be the family classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the heart-pounding thriller Wait Until Dark.

The Royal George Theatre’s final season starts off with the hilarious farce – Tons of Money – and it will see the return of Shaw favourite Major Barbara. The original and skillfully crafted Murder-on-the-Lake selects a new audience detective every show.

In the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre audiences will continue to see remarkable and unique plays: Gnit by Middletown playwright Will Eno and the exhilarating drama Blues for an Alabama Sky. In it’s third season on the Shaw grounds, you can visit the magical Spiegeltent for concerts, events and Dear Liar a special work featuring letters written by Bernard Shaw and the great actress and muse Stella Tanner!

Finally, our joyous holiday season caps off the year with the return of audience favourite Irving Berlin’s A White Christmas and the final production to ever grace the Royal George Theatre stage – Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol.

Economic & Community Impacts

Each year we welcome almost 325,000 attendees to our theatre. With a total operating budget of approximately $40 million per year and about 600 employees, the Shaw Festival is one of North America’s largest charitable theatres and Canada’s second largest theatre company.

U.S. patrons account for between 30-35% of our normal attendance, and while much of that is border state driven, with tens of thousands of attendees coming annually from centers like Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Rochester. Chicago, Manhattan and Florida are also major markets. Added to that, we have over 1,000 attendees coming every year from each of nine more distant markets including Southern California (San Diego/ LA Jolla), Connecticut, Texas (Houston, Dallas, Austin), Illinois (rural), Minnesota (MSP), New Jersey, Virginia, Massachusetts and Maryland. We also get approximately 3,000 international attendees each year. They all anchor long stays in the Region around their Shaw experience. In fact, 92% of our visitors specifically cite the Festival as their primary reason for visiting Niagara.

The rest of our attendees arrive from across literally every district of Ontario and beyond.

Because of this unusually long visitor stay culture, and the variety of available activities that surround us, The Shaw has grown to become the largest generator of economic impact of any independent arts and culture charity in Ontario, and one of the largest in North America.

The economic impact of the Shaw Festival on the Region of Niagara – pre-pandemic and will hopefully become again – was, according to a recent PwC Canada study on The Shaw’s economic impact to the province that was released last month, more than $237.8 million/annum and the single largest factor in Niagara’s arts and culture economy.

This includes over $85 million in hotels and accommodations, $77 million in restaurant, bar and grocery spend, $37 million in retail and local attractions and $31 million in travel, including rail, air and ground.

This results in total GDP, or value added, of almost $200 million/annum.

PwC Canada also tells us more than 2,100 Niagara area jobs in tourism and hospitality, beyond our own 600+ employees, are reliant on us for their existence and stability, and we know, synergistically, that we are reliant on them for their gold standard services and amazing wine, food and activity offerings.

Development at Shaw Festival

The Development Department at the Shaw Festival secures essential philanthropic and sponsorship support through strong relationships with individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies. This collaborative effort—supported by creative and administrative staff, Board members, the Shaw Guild, and volunteers—drives a wide array of fundraising initiatives including annual memberships, production and program sponsorships, capital and endowment gifts, and special project funding.

Individual donors engage at all levels, starting with over 4,200 Friends of the Shaw giving up to $1,999 annually. Those contributing $2,000–$24,999 join the more personalized Governors Council, while major donors ($25,000+) receive tailored stewardship through elite giving circles. Each tier is nurtured to foster loyalty, with renewal rates as high as 90%.

Corporate and foundation partnerships further bolster support through customized sponsorships and grants. Fundraising events like Shivaree and Shaw Boxing, along with intimate donor gatherings, strengthen connections and celebrate giving. This integrated strategy ensures the Festival’s continued artistic excellence and cultural impact.

This is an exciting moment of growth and transformation at The Shaw. The All.Together.Now. Campaign—the most ambitious in Shaw’s history—aims to reimagine the Festival as a vibrant creative hub centered on artists, experiences, community, and lifelong learning. Now finishing its quiet phase, the Campaign just launched publicly in May 2025.  Key initiatives include the rebuild of the iconic Royal George Theatre, the creation of a Shaw Artists Village & Burton Centre for Lifelong Creativity, expanded programs for youth and seniors, enhanced artist training opportunities, and a $30 million endowment growth.

With a deeply committed donor community, this moment offers a powerful opportunity to expand partnerships and increase corporate engagement to generate increased sponsorship and philanthropic support. It’s also an inspiring time to join the Development team, playing a vital role in shaping the future of one of Canada’s leading cultural institutions.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Shaw Festival
• History
• Introducing The Bernard Shaw
• The Academy
• Board of Directors
• 2024 Annual Report
• Support Us
• Membership & Giving
• Business Membership
• Corporate Partnership
• Government & Foundations
• Legacy Giving
• 2025 Season
• Media Room

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drive the strategy behind major fundraising initiatives, including tailored corporate proposals, employee engagement and workplace giving programs, sponsorships, and impactful cause marketing campaigns.
• Maintain a portfolio of prospects and donors, leading renewal, growth, and development efforts to sustain and expand corporate support.
• Research, develop, cultivate, and solicit a pipeline of new corporate prospects.
• Deepen existing partnerships by maintaining direct relationships, strategizing growth, and ensuring alignment with partner goals.
• Develop and execute comprehensive strategies for cultivating, engaging, and activating Shaw Festival’s key corporate partners and prospects.
• Meet with potential partners, actively listen to their needs, and craft customized proposals that align with their objectives.
• Serve as the entry point for corporate employee engagement, creating tailored opportunities that align with company values and objectives.
• Redefine our corporate value proposition—moving beyond traditional arts sponsorship models to a service-oriented approach that demonstrates how our programs contribute to corporate success.
• Ensure strong programmatic deliverables, working across departments to fulfill partnership commitments and provide meaningful impact reports.
• Be highly motivated by building relationships, driving growth, and making strategic connections—essentially, acting as a matchmaker between corporate interests and our offerings.
• Approach corporate engagement with a human touch, understanding that our most successful partnerships are built on shared values, not just transactions.
• Be comfortable asking for financial support, working both independently and collaboratively with board members and internal teams to maximize opportunities.
• Leverage board member networks to strengthen connections and make compelling cases for new partnerships.
• Oversee stewardship and engagement, ensuring partners feel valued and their involvement is meaningful.
• Manage program deliverables and reporting, ensuring all commitments are fulfilled and partnerships remain strong, transparent, and mutually beneficial.
• Prepare and deliver comprehensive progress reports to the Associate Director, Development, detailing partnership developments, fundraising outcomes, and strategic insights to inform ongoing planning and decision-making.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES 

• Progressive experience and demonstrated success in sponsorship and/or fundraising and/or corporate social responsibility and/or sales with a history of closing gifts, sponsorships or the like. 
• A passion for the arts and experience working in the arts and culture sector is an asset. 
• Demonstrated creativity in connecting corporate objectives with funding priorities to craft innovative and impactful partnership solutions.
• Strong relationship-building skills to effectively navigate complex relationships with diverse stakeholder groups.
• Exceptional interpersonal and public relations skills and the ability to communicate effectively with donors, volunteers, and other community members.
• Highly developed written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Excellent problem-solving, research, and analytical skills, with a strong results-oriented mindset.
• Ability to exercise tact and diplomacy and maintain confidentiality.
• Comfort and experience working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• A practical, calm, and creative problem-solver with excellent judgment and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with efficient processes and timely follow-through.
• Capable of working independently and strategically, while remaining adaptable as needed.
• Demonstrated team player that displays initiative and collaboration.
• Strong attention to detail and quality, ensuring accuracy and consistency across all tasks.
• Familiarity with CRM systems such as Tessitura is an asset. Proficiency with digital collaboration tools, including Teams, Zoom, and Slack is beneficial.
• Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle as travel will be required within southern Ontario and periodically the northeastern United States.
• Availability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, to accommodate after-hours events and meetings. 
• A post-secondary degree or diploma in business administration, communications, or a related field, or a relevant combination of education and experience.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of the Shaw Festival. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Meredith Roberts, Senior Search Consultant, Search + Talent by email at ShawFestivalSDO@kcitalent.com  

Interested candidates should send their resume and a letter of interest to the email address listed above by July 4, 2025. All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence.

To view the full Position Brief, please visit:  www.kcitalent.com

The salary range for this position is $70,000 - $100,000 plus a comprehensive benefits package.

The Shaw Festival is committed to a future when our theatres joyously draw on and include all peoples, fully reflective of the world around us. As such, the Shaw Festival is an equal opportunity employer committed to a barrier-free recruitment and selection process. We encourage and invite applications from applicants who identify as Indigenous, Black or as persons of colour (IBPOC), the LGBTQ2+ communities and those identifying as gender female. 

In accordance with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and in keeping with our wish to ensure a fully inclusive environment, please advise KCI if you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process.