Director of Development, College of Natural Sciences

About the role

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer for the College of Natural Sciences (CNS), the Director of Development (DOD) will assume and build out a national portfolio of individuals, corporations, and foundations rated at the major gift level ($25K+). The DOD is responsible for having a comprehensive understanding of fundraising priorities, regularly meeting with prospects and donors (with a focus on face-to-face visits), consistently meeting with development colleagues and academic leaders, preparing briefing materials and gift proposals, and attending events and other development focused engagement opportunities.

The incoming DOD will promote programming for the College of Natural Sciences, partnering with world renowned faculty across thirteen departments and schools including the top-ranked Stockbridge School of Agriculture and the School of Earth & Sustainability. Looking ahead, support for student success and faculty research will be areas of focus for CNS, in addition to securing funding for fellowships, scholarships, and capital projects.

The ideal candidate will have at least five years of frontline major gifts fundraising experience, preferably within higher education; the maturity to partner with high profile faculty members; demonstrated cultural fluency, empathy, and high emotional intelligence along with the skill needed to handle complex organizational details and project manage a variety of tasks. A strategic ability to devise systematic fundraising plans that take into consideration donor interests paired with an entrepreneurial mindset and a willingness to explore new pathways is necessary. Demonstrated success in planning, executing and successfully closing 5-6 figure gifts is essential, as is a track record of effectively identifying new donors.

Location: This is a full-time hybrid position and is open to employees in select US states: Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.

What you'll do

Fundraising (80%)

• Actively manage a portfolio of donors and prospective donors capable of making major gifts of $25,000 or more.
• Meet or exceed annual fundraising goals, which are focused on soliciting major gifts, closing major gifts, conducting personal visits, dollars raised, and growing the proposal pipeline.
• Ensure continuous progress in moving assigned donors through donor cycle (e.g., qualify, engage, cultivate, solicit, and steward). Document all quality contacts and moves management strategies through the use of the prospect tracking system.
• Collaborate with central advancement such as planned giving, principal gifts, corporate and foundation relations on major gift proposals.
• Create and update strategic plans for donors you plan on soliciting. Participate in relationship management teams and contribute to strategic plans associated with key donors.
• Complete donor briefings and prepare written correspondence for senior leadership associated with your assigned prospects. Prepare the dean, other administrators, or volunteers for development activities.
• Participate in key events, committees and other opportunities focused on cultivating relationships with donors, prospects, and internal partners; support advisory boards with development-related matters and manage volunteers as appropriate.
• Maintain a high degree of confidentiality and adhere to the policies and procedures for accepting, recording, and acknowledging gifts.

Collaborating (10%)

• While a majority of time will center around donor management, pipeline development, consistent and personalized stewardship, an effort is required to support the team, and UMAF as a positive team player.
• Contribute to fundraising team meetings, including donor strategy conversations; and as a positive team member of the UMAF, attend development officer meetings, professional development activities, and other staff meetings as appropriate.
• In addition to efforts that revolve around fundraising, you will also be expected to track expenses, manage travel logistics, and support the budget process.
• Collaborate with faculty and staff partners to support the creation of visions that will resonate with donors and lead to securing major and blended gifts, and to develop a deep and evolving understanding of priorities and program initiatives that require philanthropic support.

Other Duties as Assigned (10%)

• UMAF is building and growing, and this position will support those efforts with other duties and projects as assigned from time to time.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
• Minimum 5 years of prior experience with face-to-face fundraising in higher education or other non-profit organization.
• Ability to quickly gain substantive knowledge and comprehension of the College’s programs and initiatives, projects, and activities to effectively present potential giving opportunities to prospective donors and make a compelling case for support.
• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills, presentation skills, and demonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively with various groups of diverse constituencies including prospects, donors, executives, volunteer stakeholders, etc.
• The maturity, judgment, and respect needed to authentically engage with leaders of corporations and industry.
• Ability to problem solve, adapt to change, and successfully manage multiple projects from start to finish.
• Must have a valid driver's license, the ability to obtain a driver's license, or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date.
• Regular travel, including overnight and occasional weekends is an essential part of this position.

Note: We’re passionate about building a diverse team. If your experience is close, but not an exact match, please consider applying. Experience comes in many forms, and skills are transferable. We know that diverse teams make better decisions and deliver better results, which is why we’re committed to adding new perspectives and encourage everyone to apply.