the client seeks a deeply seasoned, impact-oriented, and entrepreneurial fundraising leader to serve as Associate Dean for Development (AD) for the client’s sustainability-focused school. This is a leadership role supporting the growth trajectory of a newer research school and amplifying impact in addressing climate and sustainability challenges. The associate dean will help advance the school’s mission through philanthropy, contributing to education, transformative research, and real-world solutions.
The associate dean will serve as chief philanthropy officer and a key member of the school’s senior leadership team, reporting to a partner in the dean’s office and maintaining dotted line collaboration with the office of development. The role will lead principal gift strategy by balancing donor intent with institutional priorities, and will design an ambitious, forward-looking, multi-year fundraising strategy to scale the school’s philanthropic enterprise during a critical growth phase. The associate dean will lead a team of 12, build fundraising capacity, and prioritize fundraising for initiatives such as the Sustainability Commons, the hiring of additional faculty over time, growth of the Sustainability Accelerator, and continued endowment and research support.
As a trusted thought partner to the dean, the associate dean will shape bold initiatives by translating academic priorities into clear, prioritized, donor-championed priorities, and will contribute to strategic direction as part of the dean’s senior team. The role will forge strong partnerships across a complex, matrixed environment, collaborating closely with academic leadership and faculty to articulate priorities and aspirations to individual and institutional donors. The ideal candidate will have a successful track record leading high-performing fundraising programs, strong intellectual curiosity and a commitment to climate action, an entrepreneurial mindset, and the ability to convert complex academic content into compelling donor narratives; the associate dean is expected to be a highly visible ambassador who may travel with the dean and key partners to cultivate and steward major relationships.