Assistant Director, Principal Gifts

About the Role

The Assistant Director, Principal Gifts, plays a pivotal role in driving the strategic coordination, portfolio progression, and execution of Brown University’s Principal Gifts program. This critical program generates over 50% of the Division of Advancement's annual new gifts and pledges, manages an active, comprehensive pipeline exceeding $1 billion, and delivers annual fundraising results in excess of $250 million.

Working in close partnership with Senior Directors for Principal Gifts, the Associate Vice Presidents, the Vice President for Development, the Senior Vice President for Advancement, and other members of the executive leadership team in the Division, this position plays a key role in designing and executing high-level strategies that advance the University's most significant philanthropic opportunities.

The Assistant Director serves as a strategic partner and secondary manager for a portfolio of approximately 100-150 highly rated principal and major gift prospects. Working in support of Senior Directors for Principal Gifts, Advancement leadership (including the Vice President and/or Associate Vice Presidents), and other senior fundraising leaders who serve as primary relationship managers, the Assistant Director facilitates and advances all stages of the fundraising cycle, including strategy development, cultivation planning, solicitation preparation, stewardship coordination, and donor engagement activities.

The incumbent collaborates extensively with fundraising colleagues and University leaders to ensure high-value prospects receive coordinated, personalized, and effective engagement aligned with institutional priorities and donor interests.

Responsibilities

• Orchestrate and staff the University's principal gift strategy process, including monthly principal gift meetings with the President, Provost, Senior Vice President for Advancement, Vice President for Development, and other senior Development and University leaders.
• Develop agendas, manage and report on the principal gift pipeline, prepare strategic briefings, coordinate meetings, and ensure timely follow-up to advance key opportunities with principal gift prospects.
• Drive the ongoing optimization of the principal gifts program through pipeline analysis, fundraising performance tracking, proposal development, stewardship planning, and strategic reporting.
• Collaborate with Donor Relations, Individual Stewardship, and fundraising colleagues across the Division of Advancement to ensure highly personalized stewardship and engagement for the University’s most significant donors.
• Exercise sound judgment, discretion, and strategic thinking while coordinating complex fundraising activities involving senior University leaders, faculty, volunteers, and donors.
• Manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, highly collaborative environment with exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a related field such as fundraising, advancement, development, development operations, donor relations, sales, customer relationship management, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• 3 years of direct development experience required.
• Ability and willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends.
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout the United States.

Skills

• Demonstrated experience supporting complex fundraising, relationship management, donor engagement, stewardship, project management, or strategic initiatives.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to prepare executive-level briefings, donor correspondence, reports, and presentations.
• Strong project management, organizational, and analytical skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work effectively with senior leaders, faculty, volunteers, donors, and colleagues across a complex organization while exercising sound judgment, professionalism, and discretion.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, spreadsheets, databases, and constituent relationship management systems.
• Strong information management, reporting, and data analysis skills.
• Ability to build productive relationships and collaborate effectively across organizational boundaries.
• Strong strategic thinking, judgment, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational, planning, and execution capabilities.
• Demonstrated initiative, professionalism, discretion, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and adapting to changing circumstances.
• Ability to synthesize complex information and communicate effectively to a variety of audiences, including senior leaders.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and exercise discretion in handling sensitive donor, prospect, and institutional information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education advancement, principal gifts, major gifts, donor relations, campaign management, or a similarly complex fundraising environment.
• Experience supporting senior fundraising leaders or executive-level strategy processes.
• Knowledge of Blackbaud CRM or similar fundraising database systems.
• Experience using AI-powered tools to support proposal writing, build presentations, and administrative workflows.
• Familiarity with principal gift fundraising, campaign planning, donor stewardship, and prospect management practices.

Benefits

Please review additional information on the Benefits of Working at Brown.

Schedule

• Full time
• Scheduled Weekly Hours: 37.5
• Position Work Location: Hybrid

All offers of employment are contingent upon a successful criminal background check and education verification satisfactory to Brown.