Assistant Director of Development, Principal Gifts

Reporting to the Executive Director of Principal Gifts, the Division of University Relations seeks to hire an Assistant Director of Development for Principal Gifts. The Assistant Director will be an external facing team member who will work with the office of the President as well as the Vice President for University Relations on donor engagement activity communications. This individual will also collaborate with the Donor Relations and Stewardship unit to implement Principal Gift Engagement Plans, and communicate engagement with schools and units throughout campus.

The Assistant Director will serve as the liaison between University Relations and the President’s Office on outreach briefings. This includes, but is not limited to, composing briefings for the president and vice president, and coordinating and reviewing briefings on behalf of University Relations leadership. The Assistant Director will also work with senior campus leaders to provide support during their visits with donors or prospects, and may be asked to travel with these leaders for donor meetings when necessary.

The Assistant Director will also develop and maintain relationships with principal gift prospects and donors for the purpose of cultivation and stewardship, working closely with the Executive Director to lend support in establishing a principal gift pipeline. In addition, this person will collaborate with the Office of Prospect Management and Research to compile research that will assist in these pipeline strategies and further coordinate with all campus units to establish relationship managers for each of the prospects in the pipeline and support those managers in engagement. They will also attend meetings or other engagement activities in cases where the Executive Director may not be available.

The Assistant Director will supervise a Principal Gifts Coordinator, and be responsible for the oversight of their day-to-day duties. They will also serve as a representative for the Executive Director in meetings during the times where the Executive Director cannot be present.

Education (include licenses, certifications, etc.):
Bachelor’s Degree Required.

Experience:
A minimum of 5 years of professional experience working with senior leadership and high-level donors, or other related experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
○ Strong writing, editing, research skills
○ Ability to establish internal and external professional relationships.
○ Ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-tasked environment.
○ Ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
○ High attention to detail.
○ Ability to think proactively and work independently.
○ Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and appropriately both verbally and in writing.
○ Familiarity navigating government and state policies and processes.
○ Experience communicating with elected officials and C-Suite executives and their staffs.
○ Demonstration of tact, discretion and good judgement in handling sensitive and confidential information.
○ Experience staffing and briefing executive level leadership.
○ Experience coordinating and managing processes with multiple stakeholders