Chief Development Officer

Chief Development Officer

About the Job:

The Chief Development Officer is a driving force behind expanding a culture of philanthropy on campus and accomplishing the goals of our benefactors. The Chief Development Officer will play a pivotal role in engaging alumni and donors with the auspicious goals of the college. Diplomacy drive and determination will be core qualities in reconnecting alumni and supporters to share in the pride and enthusiasm of one united college with 19000 students over 800 faculty and more than 250000 former students.

This accomplished and highenergy fundraiser will discover inspire invite and engage prospective donors with major and planned gift potential. Experience working in large and complex institutions will be key to leveraging partnerships and developing strong relationships with internal stakeholders. This professional will also serve as a strategic partner and philanthropic advisor to the University and academic leadership.

As our Chief Development Officer you will have the opportunity to:

• Lead and grow a highpowered fundraising team and model collaboration and innovation for the foundation.
• Champion the foundations fundraising model and add depth and insights to the strategic vision of the foundation.
• Lead by example actively engage solicit and steward a portfolio and serve as a playercoach for teammates and colleagues.
• Earn and enhance strategic partnerships with university leadership faculty and staff to position their work optimally in the philanthropic market.
• Fully engage in all areas of team and talent management recruiting onboarding coaching evaluating and growing team members.
• Adopt a team of teams approach fostering collaboration transparency accountability a donorcentric mindset and passionate professionalism.
• Discover inspire invite and engage high priority prospects considering individual desires and interests as well as the universitys needs and priorities.
• Create customized funding opportunities based on strategic objectives of the Foundation University and the interests of the donor.
• Identify inspire and recruit faculty champions with big transformational ideas to engage and partner in the philanthropic strategic planning process to drive funding opportunities and achieve excellence.
• Demonstrate strategic business plan development and project management skills applying the understanding to crosscollaborative efforts.
• Provide a comprehensive donor or project plan for high impact initiatives or principle gift level donors.
• Translate contextual and academic ideas objectives and information into relatable messages.
• Provide development leadership for unit/college and participate in team based fundraising efforts that advance the mission and strategic vision of college/unit.
• Collaborate with the appropriate stakeholders to determine funding priorities and potential funding sources for various programmatic needs scholarships faculty support big ideas transformative initiatives and building needs.
• Serve as content expert and contact addressing inquiries regarding fundraising policies and procedures.

Requirements:

• Bachelors degree or any equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 5 years of fundraising or other related experience with demonstrated history of success in relationshipdriven or high external outreach industry.
• Strong written verbal and interpersonal communication skills including excellent listening relationshipbuilding and customer service including the ability to respond to internal and external constituents with tact diplomacy and discretion.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality across a variety of situations and involving a variety of constituents (including Foundation leadership team members prospects donors and University leadership).
• Flexibility to travel extensively including evenings overnight and weekends and the ability to visit donors in offices residences or other agreed locations.
• A valid Texas driver license and good driving record must be maintained as a requirement of the position.

Desired Qualifications:

• Masters degree.
• Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) or other comparable certification.
• 8 years of related development experience with at least 3 years successful experience in frontline major gift fundraising.
• Demonstrated success and effectiveness in identifying qualifying cultivating soliciting closing and stewarding donors/potential donors.
• Proven ability to navigate complex situations with diplomacy and discretion building bridges between differing or competing priorities while maintaining a high level of poise and professionalism in all circumstances.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across disciplines/units and build crossfunctional interdisciplinary partnerships.
• Prior experience using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems or donor database platforms.

Desired Attributes:

• Personal appreciation and the power of philanthropy.
• Displayed accomplishments in fundraising.
• Experience in complex organizations.
• Vision and ability to assess data and implement strategies.
• Ability to develop rapport quickly; communicate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders and constituents including university and foundation leadership academic leadership faculty staff students alumni corporations foundations partners and others; and inspire philanthropy.
• A strong work ethic proactive high performing team member.
• Exceptional judgment strong initiative and the ability to think strategically and analytically to move from vision to action.
• Personal drive and high motivation with the ability to manage a significant volume of diverse tasks activities and projects efficiently and effectively.