Senior Director of Development for the College of Arts & Letters

Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Michigan State University in the search for a Senior Director of Development for the College of Arts & Letters.

Reporting jointly to the Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Letters and the Senior Executive Director of Constituency Programs, the Senior Director of Development will be instrumental in helping the College of Arts & Letters achieve its ambitious campaign goals by identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individuals for six- and seven-figure support as well as periodic special purpose appeals and programs with business, industry, and foundations. The Senior Director will be an exceptional fundraiser, an accomplished motivator and mentor, an effective manager of people, and a visionary change agent who has a proven track record in successfully implementing comprehensive development programs. Serving as the college's chief development officer, the Senior Director will maintain a personal prospect portfolio of major donor prospects as well as employ a strategic moves management program to ensure constant positive movement along the development pipeline. As MSU strategically positions itself through its second billion-dollar plus campaign, the Senior Director will assume a leadership role in planning and spearheading the campaign effort for the College of Arts & Letters including recruiting and training volunteers, articulating the case for support, identifying and cultivating prospects, developing and reviewing proposals, and actively soliciting contributions with a focus on gifts of $100,000 and more. The staff of the College of Arts & Letters currently operate in a hybrid work environment, spending two to four days in the office per week, depending on the nature of the duties and travel schedules.

Michigan State University continues to be a model of what a land-grant university can and should do. As a university of, for, and by the people, Michigan State University boasts a long tradition of empowering people through educational opportunity. Every day, Spartans work to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community. Located in East Lansing, three miles east of Michigan's capitol in Lansing, MSU's campus is one of the biggest and greenest in the nation. The 5,000-acre campus is home to more than 51,000 students. Top-ranked programs, high-quality opportunities, and a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community enable those students to create personalized paths that prepare them to succeed and lead. MSU offers more than 400 academic programs and over 300 education abroad programs. It has an outstanding record of students earning Rhodes, Goldwater, and other prestigious national and international scholarships. Wherever one goes, there are Spartans working to make a better world. The MSU community includes more than 12,000 faculty and academic support staff and an alumni network nearly half a million strong.

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 165 years. A top global university, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery to make a better world while providing students with life-changing opportunities. The university is ranked in the top 10 nationally by U.S. News & World Report for learning communities, study abroad, and service-learning offerings. MSU also has 35 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations ranked in the top 25 nationally by the publication, including six top ranked programs—undergraduate and graduate programs in supply chain management and logistics, graduate programs in elementary and secondary education, as well as both online and on campus graduate programs in curriculum and instruction. The university also has been named a gold-status veteran-friendly school by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency eight years in a row and received a gold rating for sustainability achievements in 2022 through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Michigan State University is recognized as a national leader in the advancement of knowledge by the most diverse and exemplary cadre of students, trainees, faculty, staff, and alumni who transform lives through equitable teaching, research, scholarship, and practice. Michigan State University believes differences are assets. It fosters a community that respects and values a broad range of backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences and encourages and creates opportunities so all Spartans can reach their full potential educationally and professionally.

Michigan State University's College of Arts & Letters educates actors, artists, designers, educators, filmmakers, linguists, philosophers, researchers, translators, writers, entrepreneurs, and many more in a creative, learning, and nurturing environment. Students who come to the college with experience in their chosen field find the additional knowledge and personal space to further learn their craft and hone their skills. Those who have yet to identify their future life's work are met with diverse opportunities for creative reflection to explore the world and find their passion. Beyond traditional coursework, the College of Arts & Letters provides student and faculty collaboration, interdisciplinary course offerings in the arts and humanities, and opportunities to engage the greater MSU community as well as those outside of campus. In these ways, the college strives to nurture and produce artists, designers, teachers, and writers whose work truly matters as they help build the body of work and shape the future of their chosen professions.

A bachelor's degree or knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing and/or Business is preferred for this position as is at least five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in professional and higher education fundraising, public relations, or marketing. Campaign experience is preferred. Michigan State University will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to MSU, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply. All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of Michigan State University as well as the responsibilities and qualifications presented in the position prospectus.

The salary range for this position is $145,000 to $160,000 annually.

Michigan State University is committed to the inclusion of all qualified candidates. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the selection process, please contact Michael Carver at michaelcarver@aspenleadershipgroup.com.

To apply for this position, visit: https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1427.

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