Senior Associate Director, Major Gifts - San Francisco

Job Summary

This position reports to the Executive Director of the West Coast Regional Office and is located in San Francisco. The Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts is responsible for managing a significant major gift donor portfolio consisting of alumni, friends, and parents in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Specific Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning
  Gathers data, assesses leads, and develops strategies designed to realize the current and lifetime giving potential of individual prospects.
  Maintains consistent and appropriate contact.
  Facilitates or makes solicitations.
  Closes major gifts for the University ($100K+).

• Collaboration
  Involves high level of collaboration with both internal department and broader University partners to identify common goals and develop and execute strategies to increase integration.

• Events
  Serves as a strategic partner for the donor engagement team to support and advance long-term event strategy aligned with regional fundraising goals.
  Serves as a liaison between the donor engagement and major gift teams to enhance event processes aligned with prospect identification, donor cultivation, and stewardship.

• Administration
  Writes correspondence and proposals to prospective donors.
  Prepares contact reports on meetings and interactions with alumni.
  Updates and maintains prospect management information in the donor database.
  Tracks and manages the prospective donor pool to develop reports and monitor program results.

Minimum Qualifications

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.

• 6 years development, marketing, sales or the equivalent experience is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Frontline Fundraising Experience – Demonstrated success in higher education, healthcare, or other complex nonprofit fundraising environments.

• Familiarity with CRM systems used in advancement operations (e.g., Salesforce, Advance, or similar donor databases).

Benefits

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs.

Professional Growth & Development

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status.