Senior Director of Development, College of Communication Arts & Sciences / Development Officer III/S

About the Role

As the first college of its kind, the MSU College of Communication Arts & Sciences is known as a pioneer in the industry and is one of the largest and most respected communication colleges in the country. Around the world, over 56,000 alumni are leaders in a staggering array of successful careers, including CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, presidents of entertainment networks, producers of award-winning films and documentaries, and researchers determining the impact of messages upon society.

The chosen candidate will be a high-energy leader who thrives in a fast-paced work environment. The Senior Director must be an exceptional fundraiser, an accomplished motivator and mentor, an effective manager of people, and a visionary leader with a proven track record in successfully implementing comprehensive development programs. Capital campaign experience is a plus.

Serving as the college's chief development officer, the Senior Director will maintain a personal prospect portfolio of major donor prospects as well as employ a strategic moves management program to ensure constant positive movement along the development pipeline. Leading by example, the Senior Director will oversee a team of one full-time development officer, one alumni relation professional, and one development assistant, and work closely with the Dean, senior administrators, and volunteer leadership to ensure that the College reaches its full philanthropic potential.

As MSU strategically progresses through its third billion-dollar-plus campaign, the Senior Director will assume a leadership role in planning and spearheading the campaign effort for the College. This includes building relationships with volunteers with capacity, articulating the case for support, identifying and cultivating prospects, developing engagement strategies to best position successful proposal delivery, and actively soliciting philanthropic investments with a focus on gifts of $100,000 and greater.

Responsibilities

• Fundraising:
  • Plans and implements methods of prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation to maximize fundraising support and match donor interests with the needs of the College.
  • Manages a portfolio of approximately 75-100 major gift prospects, conducting 15-20 significant personal visits per month, including discovery visits to qualify new prospects, and delivering 2-4 proposals per month.
  • Plans and implements the major and planned gifts program for the College, as well as funding from corporations and foundations.
  • Provides assistance to donors regarding tax laws, policies, and procedures to maintain a positive image of the university.
  • Collaborates with colleagues across campus to ensure donors' philanthropic interests are met.
• Programmatic Management:
  • Audits internal operations to develop standardized procedures and ensure conformity with established policy.
  • Plans, hosts, and communicates at college and university events to provide information on the College and/or University.
  • Assists in budget preparation to ensure consistency with departmental goals.
  • Assists in setting both long- and short-term goals/plans to determine required resources.
  • Supervises and coordinates with external relations staff, including development, alumni, public relations, and communications, to ensure coordination of information to alumni and friends of the College.
  • Coordinates the composing, editing, and publishing of college development-related materials to provide staff and volunteers with campaign progress reports.
• Personnel Management:
  • Supervises, directs, motivates, and evaluates all staff to assure consistency in quantity and quality of work performed.
  • Sets clear direction and priorities for professionals and administrative support personnel, providing excellence through well-defined and measurable goals.
  • Leads by example; fosters a work environment that recognizes and rewards cross-functional collaboration and team-based efforts. Celebrates current achievements and sets clear expectations for future success.
  • Actively mentors and trains staff, providing frequent opportunities for professional learning and growth; emphasizes retention as a means of increasing capacity and expertise of the team.
  • Fully leverages human and financial resources and promotes greater efficiency.
  • Provides the structure and guidance necessary to promote a high-performance culture that meets the needs and expectations of a successful and diverse alumni community.
  • Recruits, trains, and motivates volunteers to accomplish college goals and objectives.
• Communications/Interpersonal Relationships:
  • Works closely with the Dean, faculty, and staff within Communication Arts & Sciences to advance the overall mission, directives, and priorities set forth by unit leadership, specifically the Dean.
  • Collaborates with Michigan State University alumni, individuals, major corporations, businesses, employees, and corporate leadership to solicit potential donors, handle donor requests, and cultivate and train them as potential volunteers.
  • Engages with faculty to educate and train them on development direction, seek their advice on needs, answer funding questions, and advise them on funding strategy.
  • Advises, trains, and oversees the work of College Development Staff, establishing priorities and sharing best practices.
  • Consults and coordinates with Department Heads and Michigan State University Executive Management to aid in the identification of potential donors and gain support for special projects.
  • Seeks advice from Michigan State University campaign leadership on the cultivation and solicitation of major donors and assists them in soliciting donors.
  • Engages with Michigan State University Trustees to seek advice and obtain assistance for solicitation.
  • Consults peers and professional organizations to obtain advice and counsel on options being considered for programs.
  • Assesses current funding priorities and particular donor procedures with government agencies and foundations.

Supervision

Direction is received from the Executive Director of Constituency Programs and from the Dean of the College of Communication Arts & Sciences. The Senior Director supervises the CAS Development Office staff.

This position is hybrid-eligible and requires regular on-site presence. Remote work is not guaranteed and must be approved through a Remote Work Agreement.