The client is seeking a Director of Development to serve as the operational leader of its fundraising program. This role will partner with the Vice President for Advancement to strengthen fundraising effectiveness by overseeing prospect management, prospect development, reporting, gift administration, and advancement operational processes. The director is expected to provide the systems, structure, and accountability needed to support fundraising growth while enabling frontline fundraisers and university leadership to focus on donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
The Director of Development will lead prospect management and portfolio strategy, including oversight of portfolio assignment, qualification and moves management, regular portfolio reviews, and monitoring of fundraiser activity and pipeline progression. The role will also oversee prospect development and research by establishing standards for prospect profiles and donor intelligence, producing prospect research and briefing materials, and supporting frontline fundraisers in identifying and prioritizing major gift opportunities. In addition, the director will manage development operations and gift administration, including policies and procedures that promote efficient workflows, accurate gift reporting and reconciliation, and strong donor experiences.
Additional responsibilities include overseeing fundraising performance and reporting through development and maintenance of fundraising dashboards, reports, and key performance metrics, and supporting accountability and performance management across the advancement team. The role will provide strategic oversight of advancement systems and data practices to promote data integrity and consistent reporting, and may support cross-campus fundraising efforts by coordinating information and stories that strengthen donor engagement and serving as a resource to campus partners. A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, advancement, external relations, or related fields; experience may include areas such as sales, community engagement, or governmental relations.