Director of Development

About the Company

As a public comprehensive university located just 7 miles from downtown Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University (NKU) delivers innovative, student-centered education and engages in impactful scholarly and creative endeavors, that empower graduates to find their people, their path and their purpose. NKU prepares students for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives, while contributing to the economic, civic, and social vitality of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. About 15,000 students are enrolled. Founded to advance Northern Kentucky University's mission and student success initiatives, the NKU Foundation serves as a key philanthropic and strategic partner to the university. The Foundation supports fundraising, advocacy, innovation, and real estate initiatives that strengthen NKU's long-term impact and regional relevance. NKU Advancement strives to advance the fundraising and engagement efforts that support student success and the university. The division seeks to strengthen relationships between significant donors and the university through engagement strategies that acknowledge and communicate the impact of donor contributions while encouraging lifelong philanthropic support. As philanthropy continues to evolve—with fewer donors making increasingly larger and more transformational gifts—NKU is making a strategic investment in principal gifts fundraising to deepen engagement with its highest-capacity prospects and position the university for significant long-term philanthropic growth. NKU is entering the leadership phase of a major, comprehensive multi-year campaign. With engaged institutional leadership, strong presidential support for philanthropy, and continued investment in Advancement infrastructure, the university is positioned for significant fundraising growth and transformational donor engagement opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary development partner to the Haile College of Business, collaborating with college leadership to shape fundraising strategy and translate academic initiatives into compelling philanthropic opportunities
• Build and steward meaningful relationships with donors and prospects by aligning philanthropic interests with college priorities and delivering personalized engagement opportunities
• Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors with the goal of securing annual philanthropic commitments, with the opportunity to grow the college's fundraising performance over time
• Identify, qualify, and cultivate new major gift and corporate partnership prospects in partnership with Prospect Research and Management
• Partner collaboratively with Advancement colleagues and university stakeholders to support donor engagement, proposal development, stewardship, and strategic initiatives
• Serve as a trusted liaison between the college and Advancement, helping faculty and academic leaders think strategically and holistically about philanthropic opportunities
• Navigate a highly collaborative, relationship-oriented environment with diplomacy, sound judgment, and strong communication skills
• Maintain accurate and timely records of donor interactions, proposals, and fundraising activity within university systems
• Support broader University Advancement priorities through participation in division-wide initiatives, projects, and special assignments

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required
• 5+ years of progressive fundraising experience required
• Demonstrated success securing individual philanthropic gifts required
• Experience managing complex donor relationships and navigating sophisticated stakeholder environments required
• Previous higher education fundraising experience preferred
• Experience partnering with academic leaders, faculty, or decentralized organizations preferred
• Experience identifying and developing new donor and corporate engagement opportunities preferred
• Broad understanding of development functions, including major gifts, annual giving, alumni engagement, and stewardship preferred

Key Personal Attributes

The successful candidate for this role will be relationship-oriented, strategic, and highly collaborative, with a passion for higher education and student success. They will possess exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, along with the ability to engage a wide range of constituents including donors, alumni, faculty, staff, and university leadership. The ideal candidate will bring initiative, professionalism, and strong organizational skills, balancing strategic thinking with disciplined execution. They will also demonstrate the ability to navigate complex relationships with diplomacy, emotional intelligence, and sound judgement in an environment that values collaboration, adaptability, and partnership.

• Internal motivation and drive
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Relationship-building and donor engagement capability
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving
• Collaboration and partnership orientation
• Emotional intelligence and interpersonal effectiveness
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• Integrity and accountability
• Adaptability and learning agility
• Persistence and resilience
• Ability to influence and manage through ambiguity and competing priorities
• Confidence, maturity, and professional presence
• Sound judgement regarding when to push forward, collaborate, or educate stakeholders

Benefits

Northern Kentucky University offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package including flexible hybrid work arrangements (2 days remote / 3 days in-office), tuition remission opportunities, strong retirement benefit options, medical coverage, paid time off, and university holidays. This role is supported by centralized prospect research, donor relations, events, operations, and marketing resources.