Eastman School of Music Director, Advancement

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a portfolio of principal, major gift, and leadership annual giving prospects.
• Represent the school at local, regional, and national events and provide guidance and assistance to regional University officers representing Eastman.
• Serve as prospect manager in several of Eastman’s top markets, ensuring an appropriately sized prospect pool is strategically qualified, cultivated, and solicited.
• Drive prospect engagement strategy in their designated geographic regions; manage advancement projects within assigned areas of responsibility, including events in designated geographic regions.
• Cultivate and promote prospects for volunteer roles at Eastman.
• Oversee the Eastman Dean’s Circle, the school’s Rochester-based annual giving circle, including creating and overseeing a multi-year strategic plan and creating annual opportunities for engagement, stewardship, and communication.
• Liaise with the George Eastman Circle (GEC) team to complement their calendar of Rochester-based events and stewardship opportunities.
• Manage a robust moves management strategy within Advancement databases and resources, including planning for travel and documenting donor interactions, correspondence, and proposals.
• Create and oversee a strategic plan for the Eastman Dean’s Circle, as well as manage its implementation.
• Identify and cultivate Dean’s Circle members for Eastman’s major and principal gift pipeline.
• Create and oversee quarterly updates to the membership base.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• A minimum of 7 years of advancement/development experience at an institution of higher education, a multi-faceted arts organization, and/or other community-based non-profit.
• Experience in a similar field or equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Experience with volunteers and/or boards and working on high-level events is necessary.

Qualifications

• Exceptional communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, multi-faceted environment.
• Superb oral, written, and interpersonal skills.
• Proactive relationship-building skills, with an ability to create nuanced and thoughtful relationships with alumni, donors, volunteers, faculty, administrators, and trustees.
• Excellent organization and project management skills, with an ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and deadlines with keen attention to detail.
• Broad knowledge of the principles of fundraising and ability to participate in all aspects of the gift cycle.
• Flexibility, thoughtfulness, and proactivity; ability to think strategically but accommodate real-time input and feedback.
• A personal belief in the mission, goals, and objectives of the Eastman School of Music.
• Experience with annual giving circles preferred.