Description

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Executive Director of Philanthropy, the Senior Director of Philanthropy is a senior member of the College of Engineering’s fundraising team and will play a key role in preparation for a future campaign. The Senior Director will be a proven fundraiser with excellent leadership skills who appreciates and nurtures an accountable, goal-oriented and values-based work environment. The Senior Director role includes four primary areas of responsibility:

• Leading by example as a fundraiser, securing significant philanthropic support from a portfolio of donors and prospects
• Coaching frontline officers to support their success
• Staffing senior volunteers and academic leaders including the Dean
• Serving as a thought partner to the Executive Director as we develop our fundraising strategy and prepare for a future campaign

The Senior Director will contribute to strengthening the fundraising culture in the College of Engineering with a strong focus on portfolio management, pipeline building and accountability. The Senior Director is responsible for meeting or exceeding annual goals based on new prospect discovery and qualifications, in-person meetings, proposals submitted and gifts closed, as well as coaching their team toward success in achieving the goals of the College. The Senior Director will serve as a leader and thought partner in planning, coordinating and implementing fundraising initiatives by closely partnering with advancement and College leaders and colleagues. To accomplish this he/she is expected to build strong, collaborative and mutually beneficial professional relationships.

Directors and Senior Directors alike serve as liaisons for the Engineering Advancement team for one or more academic departments or programs and represent the full College through regular travel to one or more assigned regions. As appropriate, the Senior Director will staff events and meetings with the Dean as well as identify and coordinate the management of relationships with key volunteers for their assigned academic programs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities Include:

Philanthropic Major Gifts Fundraising Operations 

• Serve as a leader and thought partner in the development and implementation of short- and long-term planning for the College of Engineering’s advancement team in support of the Dean’s goals for year over year growth and creating a collaborative culture of philanthropy in the lead up to a new and ambitious fundraising campaign.
• Contribute to the growth of the major gifts program by building a pipeline of individual 5-, 6- and 7-figure donors through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship cycles.
• Coach a staff of front-line fundraisers as assigned. Serve as a resource, role model and mentor to development staff on prospect strategy, solicitation, staffing academic leaders and volunteer management.
• Gain a comprehensive understanding of the priorities of the College of Engineering, with a specific focus making a persuasive oral and written case for support for assigned programs.
• Serve as a liaison for the Engineering Advancement team for one or more academic departments or programs. Provide strategic guidance and staffing for assigned academic leaders (ie, Department Head) and develop fundraising strategies and priorities for the unit in preparation for a future campaign. Meet regularly with academic leaders and guide them in developing relationships with the top prospects for their programs. Provide training, materials and assistance for advancement colleagues in the College and across the Division who may be building relationships with alumni and friends of assigned programs.
• Represent the full College through regular travel to one or more assigned regions (both in and out of state).
• As requested, staff the College’s Dean at events or meetings, prepare briefings and manage follow-up.
• Staff committees, workgroups, project teams to represent the College of Engineering Advancement team at the request of the Executive Director

Philanthropic Strategic Administration

• Creation and implementation of comprehensive strategies to leverage networks and maximize fundraising results for assigned academic programs and in assigned geographic regions.
• Identification, coordination and management of key award recipients and volunteers in assigned academic programs (ie, department advisory boards) and geographic regions.
• Collaboration with colleagues to help align donors’ philanthropic interests with various priorities within the College and across campus.
• Coordination of engagement and stewardship efforts as needed with appropriate College advancement colleagues.
• Model and reinforce a sophisticated, non-territorial approach to donor-centric philanthropy that encourages teamwork, flexibility and responsiveness.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned. Attend a variety of College and university events throughout the year. Regular travel (local and out of state) and occasional night and weekend work is required for this position.

About the College of Engineering at NC STATE:

Engineering has been a cornerstone of NC State University since the university’s founding in 1887. Today, with more than 10,000 students and 300 tenure/tenure-track faculty, the College of Engineering is among the largest and most preeminent engineering programs in the nation. The College of Engineering seeks to actively engage its 78,000 alumni households, the largest alumni body of any academic college at NC State.

Through support of the North Carolina legislature, the College is undergoing a period of significant expansion to help meet the needs of the state’s booming technology sector. Our students and faculty are focused on meeting the Grand Challenges of the 21st Century through discovery, innovation, education and outreach. Our cutting-edge research and education programs provide the knowledge and workforce to fuel the future of our state, nation and world. In the College of Engineering, we truly Think and Do.

Requirements

Department Required Skills:

• Proven track record of success in securing 6- and 7-figure gifts and meeting or exceed fundraising goals
• Demonstrated leadership experience and potential in previous role
• Understanding of higher education fundraising best practices for leadership annual, major and principal gifts
• Ability to develop and implement complex, multi-year donor strategies involving units, leaders and staff across the College and campus applying fundraising best practices such as Plus Delta
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated understanding of how to navigate appropriate approvals of complex gift agreements, to include the legal instruments and documentation employed in planned gifts
• Exceptional reasoning, problem-solving, and analytical skills
• Strong organizational skills with a high attention to detail
• Creative, professional, and entrepreneurial spirit
• Self-motivated and self-starting
• Optimism, perseverance and a positive attitude
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively as part of a team
• Ability to prioritize work and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to serve as a critical and trusted partner displaying evidence if high integrity, honesty and trustworthiness
• Flexibility and demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, complex academic environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience managing and motivating advancement professionals, ideally frontline and major gift officers
• Experience managing and motivating volunteers and board members to support fundraising goals
• Experience working in a capital campaign
• Proven leadership skills that nurture an accountable, goal-oriented and values-based environment
• Track record of working effectively with senior faculty and administrators, assisting them in improving their effectiveness in all aspects of fundraising
• Demonstrated ability to exercise a high degree of sound judgment and diplomacy
• An understanding of the land grant, research Tier One university environment

Minimum Education:

Requires a relevant post-Baccalaureate degree with a minimum of three (3) years or greater of related professional experience, or a relevant undergraduate degree and a minimum of five (5) years or greater of relevant experience may be substituted for the advanced degree.

NC State Flexible Work Arrangements:

NC State supports flexible work arrangements based on role responsibilities and business needs. Our team primarily works on campus to support collaboration and engagement, with flexibility for occasional remote work and adjusted schedules when appropriate (travel to meet donors, events, etc).