Senior Major Gift Officer, School of Science

Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the search for a Senior Major Gift Officer, School of Science.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Advancement & Constituent Development, the Senior Major Gift Officer will serve as the Director of Development for the School of Science and as the lead Advancement Officer in the school, responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive advancement program to secure philanthropic resources for the top priority projects of the Institute and the school. The Senior Major Gift Officer will work cooperatively and collegially with members of the Institute’s Central Advancement Office to effectively build successful fundraising programs for the school. The Senior Major Gift Officer will lead on behalf of and support the Dean of the school on matters pertaining to school project fundraising. The Senior Major Gift Officer will carry a portfolio of approximately 125 major gift prospects who have the capacity to make gifts in the range of $100,000 to $2.49 million.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is the nation’s first and one of the world’s most renowned technological research universities where students, faculty, and alumni have been defining scientific and technological advances for nearly 200 years. RPI boasts a legacy of changemakers confronting the most pressing problems facing humanity and the planet. Established in 1824 by Stephen Van Rensselaer and Amos Eaton, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private research university located in Troy, New York. Built on a hillside, RPI’s 276-acre campus overlooks the city of Troy, the Hudson River, and the Capital Region. Students at RPI can choose from more than 145 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs across five schools as well as programs and certificates for working professionals. Beyond the classroom, Rensselaer develops technological leaders who are global citizens prepared to change the world with more than 200 student-led clubs, 50+ club sports, NCAA athletic teams including Division I men’s and women’s hockey and 21 teams that compete in Division III. With more than 110,000 living alumni, some of RPI’s most notable alumni were behind innovations that have improved everyday lives—from the Transcontinental Railroad and the Brooklyn Bridge to baking powder and the digital camera.

Rensselaer educates the leaders of tomorrow for technologically based careers. It celebrates discovery and the responsible application of technology to create knowledge and global prosperity. With an emphasis on science and technology, RPI is classified among R1 Research Institutions and boasts faculty and alumni in the National Inventors Hall of Fame, as well as National Medal of Technology recipients, National Medal of Science winners, Fulbright Scholarship recipients, and a Nobel recipient. Researchers at Rensselaer transcend disciplines and work together to address a range of global challenges, focusing on five key areas of research: Biotechnology and the Life Sciences; Computational Science and Engineering; Energy, Environment, and Smart Systems; Media, Arts, Science, and Technology; and Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials. Collaborating with external sponsors and partners in the federal government, state government, foundations, and industry, RPI is solving the most pressing issues of our time.

With nine Institute-wide research centers, six Institute-wide research platforms, and $122 million in research expenditures, RPI's nearly 700 Ph.D. students are well-placed to make an impact on the world. The Institute's Office of Research drives and supports the Research Enterprise, increases Rensselaer impact and visibility, and communicates to the national and international community that Rensselaer researchers are defining the frontiers of discovery and innovation.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been named 51st university in the nation and 46th most innovative school, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. The Institute is also ranked seventh among New York State colleges with the highest ROI by Payscale. Individual programs within the five schools also receive national recognition. The undergraduate game design program is ranked ninth by U.S. News & World Report and seventh by GameDesigning.org. The Lally School of Management at Rensselaer has been recognized among the “Best Business Schools” by The Princeton Review and boasts the #2 M.S. in Business Analytics program in the U.S. according to TFE Times. College Factual recognized RPI as the top computer engineering technology school and second among “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools,” “Best Engineering Technologies Schools,” and “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools.”

Diversity is a core value at Rensselaer. The Institute is comprised of a diverse community with respect to ethnicity, race, culture, religion, national and geographic origin, gender, and gender identity. Its focus is on intellectual excellence and agility, multicultural sophistication, and a global view. That means that it is, and must always strive to be, a campus open to the full range of ideas and perspectives.

At Rensselaer, all members of the community are challenged to ask, why not change the world? To accomplish this, it seeks to engender intellectual agility, multicultural sophistication, and a global view in its students. This requires contributions from a rich diversity of persons, groups, and viewpoints. Fostering and nurturing this diversity, and the inclusive and collaborative environment required for it to reach its fullest potential, must be, and is, at the very core of Rensselaer’s mission and values as the nation’s first technological university.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. A bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least seven years of progressively responsible fundraising experience is preferred. All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as well as the responsibilities and qualifications stated in the prospectus.

The hiring range for this position is $120,000 to $150,000 annually.

To apply for this position, visit: https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1316.