Senior Director of Development

Position Number: 000368

Department: Development (Adm)

Employment Type: Permanent - Full-time

Months Per Year: 12

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Fundraising & Portfolio Management

• Drive efforts for the College and various University-wide initiatives to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward philanthropic gifts of $35,000+.

• Independently conduct high-volume discovery work to uncover new prospect pools, completing 125+ strategic donor meetings annually.

• Maintain and aggressively move a personal portfolio of 125–150 major gift prospects through the moves management continuum.

• Develop and deploy innovative fundraising plans specifically designed to meet the goals of the For the Love of Charlotte campaign.

Leadership & Executive Partnership

• Serve as the chief fundraiser for the William States Lee College of Engineering, act as a primary partner to the Dean and College leadership, strategically integrating them into the development cycle and preparing them for high-level solicitations.

• Craft and deliver persuasive philanthropic proposals and public presentations that articulate the College’s mission and inspire transformational investment.

• Provide leadership and professional mentorship to junior members of the Major Gifts team to foster a culture of high performance.

• Partner with faculty and department heads to translate complex academic and research initiatives into fundable philanthropic opportunities.

• Provide strategic support to the College board of advisors and volunteers that align with fundraising initiatives and event support goals.

Collaboration & Administration

• Collaborate with University Advancement partners, including Gift Planning, Annual Giving, Prospect Research, and Alumni Affairs, to maximize donor impact.

• Maintain precise and timely records in the advancement database, tracking all donor interactions, solicitations, and engagement metrics.

• Represent the University’s priorities and R1 status to external constituents, maintaining a deep knowledge of campus-wide strategic goals.

• Ensure all fundraising activities adhere to university policies, ethical standards, and legal procedures.

Other Responsibilities

• Attend a variety of University and College events throughout the year, serving as a representative of the Advancement office.

• Ability for local, regional, and out-of-state travel is required.

• Consistently meet or exceed individual metrics and annual fundraising production goals.

• Perform other duties as required and assigned.

Minimum Experience / Education:

• Bachelor’s degree with 6+ years of professional experience related to major gift frontline fundraising, nonprofit management, sales, financial advising, business administration, or relationship management.

Preferred Education Skills and Experience:

• Graduate degree and/or CFRE preferred,.

• Proven track record of securing six and seven figure philanthropic gifts, with familiarity securing high net worth major and planned gifts.

• Demonstrated experience engaging and working with volunteers, along with a passion for the University’s mission and the ability to effectively articulate its impact.

• Team-oriented, self-motivated professional with strong organizational skills and the ability to proactively manage complex tasks and multiple priorities.

• Proficiency with fundraising databases and software.