Job Description: 

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Advancement – Colleges and Units, the Director of Major Gifts and Leadership Development will first and foremost secure major gift philanthropic support while secondly provide oversight of leadership gift ranges and the impact leadership gifts have on a broad range of university priorities.

Traveling extensively both regionally and nationally, the director will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors to the university. Outside of individual major gift fundraising obligations, the  Director also organizes, assesses, and monitors leadership gift fundraising activities within designated timeframes; develops comprehensive operating plans to outline goals and strategies, and assists with other university leadership gifts fundraising needs by overseeing the leadership gift range ecosystem. Additionally, the Director of Major Gifts and Leadership Development will:

• Travel, on average, five to eight days per month to cultivate, solicit, steward, and identify prospects capable of making a gift of $250,000 – $1,000,000 for the broad range of university priorities.
• Have a portfolio of between 75 to 100 prospects.
• Have typical solicitation ranges of $250,000 to $1,000,000.
• Close $1,000,000 per year using a three-year rolling average.
• Close on average 10 to 13 gifts per fiscal year.
• Develop and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies, which include building, managing, and soliciting a portfolio of major gift prospects.
• Establish strong working relationships with central advancement, collegiate and constituent development officers and the College staff to foster a productive work environment.
• Work closely with other Directors of Development, Assistant Deans of Advancement, Chief Advancement Officers, Deans, department heads, program and center directors to develop and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies in support of their programs.
• Manage central leadership gift officers while assisting CAOs/Assistant Dean’s with leadership gift officers already embedded in colleges/units.

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree with significant and progressively responsible fundraising and leadership experience, or Master’s degree, required.
• Demonstrate successful record of accomplishment in fundraising, preferably within a university setting, or extensive sales achievement.
• Strong communication, organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrate capability of motivating volunteers, professional staff, and donors.
• Ability to work as a team member within a diverse, multifaceted organization requiring collaboration, teamwork, and communication.
• Willingness to travel regionally and nationally, including overnight and weekends.
• Demonstrate ability to lead a program including goal setting, evaluation, and planning.
• Must be able to communicate with key faculty and administrative professionals

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Preference given to candidates who demonstrate relevant change management experience and experience building new programs.
• Demonstrate success in major gift fundraising within a university setting.
• Demonstrate success managing annual giving and/or leadership gifts fundraising within a university setting.

Salary Information: Commensurate with Experience

Review Date: February 22, 2022

Additional Information: The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.