Director of Development I, Scholarships and University Initiatives

About the role

Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, Scholarships and University Initiatives, the Director of Development I serves as a frontline gift officer for scholarship and student success fundraising. This position works closely with university leadership and the OSU Foundation’s Scholarships and University Initiatives team to raise funds, design donor engagement strategies, and strengthen scholarship and student success programs across the university. The role also partners with college-based development teams to support college-specific scholarship priorities and provides guidance to university units without assigned development staff. Serving a geographically dispersed portfolio of prospects and donors, the selected candidate will travel as needed to build and sustain meaningful donor relationships. The successful candidate will devote approximately 80% of their time to fundraising activities and 20% to administrative responsibilities.

The Oregon State University Foundation operates by the following core values: Collaborative — we convene our partners to achieve solutions; Productive — we get the right things done; Respectful — we treat one another with dignity and civility; Bold — we aspire to transform; Inclusive — we nurture a culture of belonging; Creative — we color outside the lines.

Responsibilities

• Raise $1M–$2.5M per year, including 12–16 gifts at $50,000 and above
• Open 20–40 new proposals per year at $50,000 or above
• Conduct 120–160 visits per year
• Manage a portfolio of 100–125 relationships rated at $50,000 and above
• Travel five to seven days per month, making three to five visits per travel day
• Serve as a development officer within the division of Scholarships & University Initiatives, working closely with the senior director of development and university leadership to advance philanthropic priorities and create an articulate, compelling case for support
• Lead efforts to expand scholarship fundraising, with primary emphasis on new endowed scholarships ($50,000+), while also supporting select leadership ($1–$4.99M) or principal gift ($5M+) opportunities in collaboration with the Senior Director of Development
• Actively pursue highly rated potential major gift donors
• Engage the portfolio in the life of the university
• Provide visible leadership across the organization by participating in development management meetings, all-staff meetings, and staff events
• Lead donor engagement strategies that advance the university's student success priorities and strengthen support from a geographically diverse donor base
• Perform related administrative duties including writing contact reports, budget management, case statement development, and events development
• Assist in increasing the overall productivity and efficiency of the division’s development staff in terms of potential donors visited, proposals opened, and major gifts closed
• Develop and support clearly defined, strategic fundraising priorities and articulate compelling cases for support to advance them
• Model the foundation’s organizational values in all interactions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Five years of progressive development experience working primarily with major gift donors (experience equivalencies will be considered)
• Ability to travel frequently, at times requiring overnight stays, and by various modes of transportation
• Valid driver’s license required
• Prepared to work a flexible schedule that may include evenings and weekends to support foundation events and donor-related activities
• Adherence to a professional code of conduct, ensuring the highest standards of integrity, respect, and ethical behavior
• Adherence to the OSU Foundation Core Values

Skills

• Proven track record of successful major gift cultivation and solicitation
• Strong oral and written communication skills; ability to articulate a strong and compelling case for support
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to create strong professional relationships with colleagues at the Foundation and university
• Ability to listen to donors and determine the best engagement plan to support the intersection of donor interests and university priorities
• Strategic, hardworking, and able to work with a high degree of flexibility in a highly collaborative, fast-paced, goal-oriented environment
• Ability to apply creative and entrepreneurial thinking while applying sound judgment and conducting oneself with integrity

Pay

Annual salary starting at $88,000.

Benefits

• A monthly employer contribution towards benefits
• A monthly employer match for a health savings account
• An impressive 17% employer contribution to retirement plan (based on qualified earnings)
• A generous Paid Time Off (PTO) program
• Two exceptional employee discount programs

Professional Growth: At OSU Foundation, we believe in investing in our employees' development. We provide ongoing training and opportunities for advancement.

Innovative Work Environment: Join a team of talented professionals in a stimulating and collaborative work atmosphere.

Schedule

The work location for this position is the OSU Foundation’s Corvallis, Oregon, office. The Foundation offers a program called Core Work Days, a hybrid approach combining remote and