Development Director - Podiatric Medicine, Health Sciences and Community Engagement

Description

The Development Director for Podiatric Medicine, Health Sciences and Community Engagement (DD) is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts from the College of Podiatric Medicine and the College of Health Sciences alumni and friends, and supporters of the Center for Community Engagement (CCE).

Duties And Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 100 major gift prospects and major donors through all phases of the giving cycle.
• Develop goals in partnership with the Senior Director of Philanthropy and Gift Planning and conduct visits, make asks, and meet established goals and expectations annually.
• Organize strategic prospect visits and include key SMU faculty, staff, leadership, and/or Board of Regents as appropriate in order to build relationships and secure gifts that support the three campaign pillars: Scholarship and Academic Innovation; City Center Campus and Unrestricted Support; and Community Engagement and Impact.
• Communicate with all parties via briefings, cultivation and solicitation and stewardship plans/updates, and donor correspondence.
• Manage all communications and follow-up with assigned prospects and donors, including maintaining detailed contact reports in SMU’s database of record (Raiser’s Edge NXT).
• Work closely with the deans, faculty, and staff to facilitate a positive relationship with the Colleges and CCE to develop and articulate fundraising priorities and gift opportunities that align with the units and the University overall.
• Collaborate with Advancement colleagues in the planning and execution of cultivation and solicitation events associated with the major gift program, including reunions, events, meetings, and workshops.
• Identify alumni and other constituents for volunteer leadership roles including reunion and class leaders, Board, and committee positions.
• Attend special events representing Advancement as a means of engaging donors and prospects.
• Work with Advancement Services on donor and prospect record updates.
• Actively maintain an in-depth knowledge of SMU, its funding priorities, and giving opportunities in order to articulate a compelling case for support to all constituents.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of training and/or experience.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in fundraising or equivalent.
• Demonstrated competence in applications such as Microsoft Office, Monday.com, Teams, Thankview, and Workday.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated database management experience; previous experience with Blackbaud products such as Raiser’s Edge, Raiser's Edge NXT preferred.
• Previous campaign experience and/or experience cultivating, soliciting, and securing five-figure gifts and above (preferred).
• Experience developing, managing, and adhering to budgets and quantifiable fundraising metrics (preferred).

Skills And Abilities

• Demonstrated excellent communication skills – written, verbal, and aural.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to communicate with and work collaboratively with many different internal and external project stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational skills, keen attention to detail, and a demonstrated team player.
• Ability to meet in-person with SMU donors and prospects.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings/weekends and to travel periodically (principally in California).
• Knowledge of the mission of SMU, and connection to SMU communities: Bay Area, Sacramento, and/or Fresno.

Work Environment

• Office Location: Oakland Campus – Onsite
• This is an onsite position based in Oakland, CA, requiring regular in-office presence to support daily operations, collaboration, and student or team engagement.
• Employee Status: Regular Exemption Status
• Time Type: Full time

Job Shift

Pay Range: up to $130,000 annually depending on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other relevant factors.