Development Officer, Donor Relations (Parental Leave Coverage)

Join our team at the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo and help create positive and rewarding relationships with our donors! Our Development team is seeking a temporary full-time Development Officer, Donor Relations for a parental leave coverage. The Development Officer, Donor Relations will be responsible for stewarding donors and providing meaningful recognition programs, and impactful communications.

The Development Officer, Donor Relations is an outstanding ambassador for the Wilder Institute, the Development department, and to all external audiences. This role reports to the Manager, Development Engagement and collaborates closely with colleagues in Development and other departments.

Our Purpose

| We act for wildlife; saving species and inspiring people to join us.

Our Core Values

| Drive impact, nurture connection, cultivate hope, and be bold.

Contract

• Start Date: September 2026
• End Date: February 2028

What you will do

• Support the design and implementation of a comprehensive donor relations strategy for donors at all levels of support, contributing to processes that deliver a best-in-class donor experience.
• Coordinate and collaborate with colleagues on processes and initiatives that impact donor relations activities, e.g., acknowledgement generation, donor segmentation, Giving Tuesday, and Annual Giving campaigns.
• Advise the Development department and Wilder Institute leadership on customized stewardship plans for major gift donors.
• Design and manage recognition naming procedures, and process.
• Manage and track all donor recognition physical acknowledgements, e.g., donor walls and donor signage.
• Formulate, direct, and coordinate the production of stewardship materials on an ongoing basis including personalized videos, and various “thank you” pieces
• Write and disseminate donor communications, including, but not limited to, monthly newsletters and special updates.
• Coordinate Development content on website, banners, publications and other media with Development and other departments.
• Provide support in the execution of Development special events as needed.
• Provide support to the Partnerships team as needed in all of the above areas.
• Inform and collaborate with other departments as relevant to this role.
• Ensure donor relations activities are captured accurately in the Wilder Institute’s Tessitura database
• Share successes and trends with the Development team.
• Always safeguard the confidentiality of donor information and adhere to ethical and confidentiality guidelines.
• Work closely with the Manager, Development Engagement to ensure that specific goals are met on time/budget and advise on budgetary needs.
• Manage the Development Department Communications calendar (in Asana) to plan, coordinate, and track donor relations activities, stewardship touchpoints, and campaign timelines.
• Develop and execute donor journey strategies that ensure timely, meaningful engagement across the full donor lifecycle, including post-campaign stewardship.
• Coordinate and manage weekly donor thank you calls completed by volunteers.

What you will bring

• A minimum of three years’ relevant experience working in fundraising, marketing, or communications.
• Degree or certificate in marketing, communications, or fundraising is preferred.
• A donor-centric perspective and client-service mindset gained from working with donors and fundraising professionals in the charitable sector.
• Understanding of all aspects of donor relations (stewardship, acknowledgement, recognition, and engagement) that support donor retention.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills that allow you to communicate gratitude and impact across multiple mediums to various audiences.
• Strong relationship building skills that allow you to work effectively with donors, colleagues, senior management, and other departments.
• Comfort with collaborating in a multi-faceted organization and working with both internal and external stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds
• Ability to adapt to and coordinate multiple projects and tasks at the same time
• Use of donor management software and communications platforms, with a preference to Tessitura, Wordfly, ThankView, and Asana.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office products, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and SharePoint.
• Effective time management ability amidst competing priorities.
• Have a growth mindset and strive to achieve best practices.

Working Conditions

• Sitting at a desk, using a personal computer for long periods of time.
• On grounds mobility for supporting donor experience and events as required.
• Typical work shift Monday to Friday daytime, with some required evenings and weekends to support donor functions.

The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo is an outdoor facility and all staff working at the zoo must be comfortable working in a large variety of outdoor conditions. The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo follows the advice of Environment Canada when responding to temperature and air quality issues.

What the Zoo Offers

• Competitive compensation including flexible benefits plan for the duration of the contract
• Discounts on food, beverage, and merchandise
• Participation in the Staff Pass Benefit plan
• A fun, rewarding work environment and the opportunity to work with a team and donors passionate about conservation

Are you ready to join one of Canada’s leaders in wildlife conservation? If this position suits your skills, experience and personal attributes, we want to talk to you.

Apply by doing the following

• Watch this video   about the conservation work being done at the Wilder Institute. (  

• Submit your resume with a cover letter via our online application system.

• Fill in the Application questions:
  • Confirm eligibility to work in Canada
  • If hired, when would you be available to start?
  • If hired, what are your salary expectations?

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

If this position is a fit for you, we encourage you to apply with a resume and cover letter online by  our application deadline: July 21, 2026.

The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo strives to cultivate a workplace in which everyone feels welcome and empowered to bring their authentic selves  to work. As a conservation organization, we respect and value the diversity of all life and come together as individuals and teammates to achieve the organization’s mission and vision. We recognize the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion , and work to advance our culture to ensure diverse viewpoints are heard, and everyone has an equitable chance to succeed and thrive.

This position is an existing vacancy within our organization. The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo uses basic knockout questions in application to support screening; applications are otherwise assessed and selected by real humans. 

All candidates are thanked for their applications and advised that they will be contacted once applications have been reviewed, and a final decision has been made.