Senior Director, Development

Primary Responsibilities

• Major Gift Fundraising & Portfolio Management – 40%
  Manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects capable of making transformational philanthropic investments.
  Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospective and current donors in support of university priorities at the major and principal gift levels.
  Meet annual fundraising, solicitation, donor engagement, and revenue goals established in collaboration with leadership.
  Develop a comprehensive understanding of colleges, schools and units fundraising priorities to effectively communicate institutional needs and opportunities.
  Guide strategic direction and collaborate with deans and directors through monthly meetings and other communications necessary to strengthen donor relationships and advance fundraising outcomes.
• Leadership, Staff Development & Team Management – 25%
  Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, and performance management for a team of development officers on fundraising best practices, donor cultivation strategies, and portfolio management.
  Establish and achieve team performance expectations, fundraising metrics, and professional development goals for assigned staff.
  Foster collaboration across Advancement units to maximize fundraising effectiveness and donor outcomes.
  Support a culture of accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, and fundraising excellence.
• Strategic Planning & Development Operations – 20%
  Develop and execute complex and strategically aligned fundraising plans for college and school priorities using gift charts, naming opportunity strategies, feasibility testing, cash flow projections, and revenue/risk modeling.
  Analyze fundraising opportunities and develop strategies utilizing prospect research, gift projections, feasibility assessments, and revenue modeling.
  Create reporting tools, dashboards, and tracking mechanisms to monitor fundraising progress and prospect activity.
  Identify operational improvements and implement best practices that enhance fundraising performance and efficiency.
  Contribute to annual business planning, resource allocation, and departmental goal setting.
• Advancement Collaboration, Administration & Communications – 15%
  Serve as a subject matter expert regarding development policies, procedures, and fundraising best practices.
  Prepare proposals, case statements, donor correspondence, presentations, reports, and fundraising materials.
  Ensure accurate data entry of donor activities in CRM and gift agreement documentation.
  Represent the Division of Advancement in university meetings and collaborative initiatives.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Major Gift Fundraising
• Strategic Leadership
• Relationship Management
• Staff Development and Coaching
• Financial and Analytical Acumen
• Collaboration and Partnership Building
• Communication and Influence
• Problem Solving and Decision Making
• Project Management
• Change Leadership
• Customer Service Excellence

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• Work is primarily performed in a professional office environment with frequent interaction with donors, university leadership, faculty, staff, alumni, and community stakeholders.
• Regular travel is required to attend donor visits, university events, and fundraising activities.
• Occasional evening and weekend work is necessary to support fundraising and stewardship initiatives.
• The position requires sustained communication, relationship management, strategic thinking, and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Provides direct supervision, leadership, coaching, and performance management for approximately four to five development officers.
• Responsible for hiring, training, goal setting, staff development, evaluation, and ensuring achievement of fundraising objectives and professional standards.

Shift

• Monday-Friday, 8:00a-5:00p
• Occasional evening and weekend hours as needed

Minimum Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 10 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary.

Preferred Qualifications

• A Master's degree.
• A Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential.
• Higher education fundraising experience.
• Comprehensive campaign experience.
• Experience developing strategic fundraising plans and managing complex donor portfolios.
• Demonstrated expertise in fundraising analytics, reporting, and performance measurement.
• Experience utilizing CRM systems and donor management tools.
• Strong presentation, communication, and negotiation skills.