Senior Major Gift Officer – Mike Ilitch School of Business

About the role

Provide expertise and experience while participating in fundraising efforts, strategies, and initiatives for the Mike Ilitch School of Business (MISB). Manage a prospect portfolio to achieve ambitious fundraising and contact goals annually. Cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift donors to meet established fundraising goals within the allocated expense budget. This position reports to the Senior Director, Major Gifts – Mike Ilitch School of Business.

Responsibilities

• Serve in the role of seasoned professional by providing expertise and guidance in identifying fundraising needs and priorities. Collaborate with the AVP and Sr. Director of Major Gifts, Dean, Department Chairs, and faculty. Develop major gift fundraising plans and strategies. Establish realistic and achievable timeline. Remain current with fundraising trends. (25%)
• Manage a prospect portfolio to achieve ambitious fundraising and contact goals annually. Establish and implement prospect qualification, cultivation, and solicitation strategies with a particular focus on securing commitments of $25,000+. Engage university leadership and college-based colleagues as appropriate to support prospect strategies. (25%)
• Responsible for achieving annual fundraising goal and assisting in meeting unit and division goals; allocating and prioritizing time and resources to achieve the greatest return on investment. Performance and productivity will be measured on the following core metrics as determined annually: Dollars raised for campaign gift commitments; Number of major gift solicitations of $25,000+; Number of major gift closures at $25,000+; Number of face-to-face prospect and donor meetings (in-person and virtual visits); Number of meaningful, significant contacts each month. (20%)
• Serve as seasoned resource with Development units (e.g., Foundation Relations, Donor Experience, Planned Giving, and Prospect Development) as well as other university units to ensure operational efficiencies within the unit. (15%)
• Draft and negotiate gift and pledge documentation ranging from moderate to high complexity. Ensure timely routing of donor contributions to central development for processing. (10%)
• Perform other related duties as assigned. (5%)

Requirements

Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a degree in marketing, public relations, business administration or related field.

Experience: Minimum 5 years of job-related experience; five (5) to eight (8) years of experience working as a fundraising professional in direct major donor solicitations in excess of $25,000 or equivalent experience at another institution operating in a similar capacity. Direct experience preparing proposals and conducting major gift solicitations required. Higher education development and prior volunteer management experience preferred.

Professional understanding of, and interest in, Development and Alumni Affairs best practices and general operations; understanding of trends and best practices related to major gift solicitation; positive and collaborative professional philosophy recognizing the role’s importance to achieving Development and Alumni Affairs goals.

Skills

• Analytical and Presentation Skills: Ability to evaluate, interpret, and present complex information effectively in professionally prepared documents or presentations; demonstrated attention to detail for high accuracy.
• Collaboration: Willingness to partner with units across the university with integrity and high character to reach unified goals; ability to navigate difficult situations with grace and understanding.
• Communications Skills: Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally both orally and in writing; strong interpersonal skills; ability to plan and deliver impactful, persuasive oral and written communications, including presentations to university management and committees.
• Learning Agility: Independent, innovative self‑starter who learns quickly and adapts to changing situations; experience researching topics to fill knowledge gaps.
• Planning and Organization: Ability to manage several projects simultaneously, prioritize and plan work activities while meeting deadlines; strong organizational and time‑management skills; maturity, sound judgment, and ability to handle multiple tasks in a deadline‑oriented environment.
• Teamwork: Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues within the division and other units to understand projects and desired outcomes; ability to produce high‑quality, consistent results with team assistance; provide support to teammates on complex projects.
• Technical Skills: Proficient in complex administrative systems software (preferably higher education); proficient with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Teams); ability to understand and translate complex concepts into lay terms.

Pay

Compensation type: Annual Salary. Salary range: $82,000 (minimum) to $88,000 (hire maximum).

Schedule

Hybrid work schedule. Position requires a high level of commitment and enthusiasm; due to travel requirements, evening meetings, and special events, candidate must be willing to work extended hours as needed.