Donor Relations Officer- Development Specialist 2 (AESES)

Department of Food Science, University of Manitoba; Winnipeg; On-site; CAD 69,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Manitoba is seeking a Donor Relations Officer- Development Specialist 2 (AESES) to lead major gift fundraising efforts within Alumni & Donor Relations. The role focuses on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors including corporations and foundations.

The successful candidate will manage a portfolio with gifts ranging from $25,000 to $1,000,000, and will work closely with university leadership to advance fundraising priorities.

Qualifications

• Five years of direct fundraising experience including major gift portfolio management.
• Experience securing philanthropic support from individuals, corporations and foundations.

Responsibilities

• Act as principal donor strategist for a personal portfolio.
• Cultivate, solicit and steward gifts between $25k and $1M (major gifts).
• Maintain a balanced portfolio across identification, cultivation, and solicitation.
• Lead moves management sessions and coordinate donor outreach activities.
• Provide leadership to high level volunteers and collaborate with Deans and Directors.

Skills

Fundraising leadership

Relationship building

Donor cultivation

Communication

Moves management

Education

University undergraduate degree

CFRE designation asset

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Donor Relations Officer- Development Specialist 2 (AESES)

Donor Relations Officer- Development Specialist 2 (AESES)

Alumni & Donor Relations

Position number: 28259

Date posted: September 10, 2026

Job details

Donor Relations Officer- Development Specialist 2 (AESES)

Existing Regular Continuing Full-Time (Budget Funded)

Full-time: Yes

Permanent: Yes

Work schedule: 35 Hours/week (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm)

Salary: $37.90 to $53.92 per hour ($68,978.00 to $98,134.40 per annum)

Expected Start Date November 2, 2026

1820 hours worked

For more information please contact: Marie-Christine Beaulieu - [e-mail]

Qualifications

MINIMUM FORMAL EDUCATION/TRAINING:

• University Undergraduate Degree is required.
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation would be an asset.

EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum five years direct fundraising experience, including major gift portfolio management and securing philanthropic support from individuals, corporations and foundations, is required.
• Experience building relationships with corporate and community partners is required.
• Experience working within a university or higher education environment is considered an asset.
• An equivalent combination of work experience and education may be considered.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated ability to exercise initiative, work independently and proactively in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors is required.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with major donors, alumni, senior academic leaders, and corporate and community partners are required.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, coordinate and oversee fundraising, stewardship and donor engagement activities is required.
• Strong presentation and public speaking skills, with the ability to effectively represent the University and Faculty and articulate their mission, priorities, and impact to diverse audiences are required.
• Demonstrated skills in computer applications are required.
• Satisfactory work record, including satisfactory attendance and punctuality, is required.

Key responsibilities

• Acts as the principal donor strategist for each potential donor in their personal portfolio with specific responsibility to develop and implement a written donor strategy and relationship record of all interactions
• Responsible for the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of the institution’s donors (individuals, corporations and foundations) for gifts between $25,000 and $1,000,000, with the majority of their portfolio focused on gifts between $100,000 and $1,000,000.
• Ensures their personal portfolio of donor and donor prospects is balanced between prospects in identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Organize time efficiently and effectively, allowing for significant interface with prospects. The ultimate annual expectation for a Major Gifts Officers is to maintain a portfolio of 75 active prospective donors in either cultivation, advanced cultivation, or solicitation. Major Gifts Officers are expected to complete 40 moves per month, including 15 key moves, and solicit between 14-18 gifts per year.
• Provides leadership and direction to high level volunteers (e.g. CEOs, presidents of corporations, University of Manitoba Deans, Directors, Department Heads).
• Identifies potential donors who may be ready for a transformational gift ($1,000,000+) or a planned gift and develops and implements recommendations for cultivation/solicitation strategy.
• Actively participates in "moves management" sessions for the Faculties, Schools and Departments Philanthropy team.
• Works closely with the key members of the department to plan targeted outreach activities aimed at increasing the donor pool and cultivating/stewarding existing donors and potential donors.
• Represent the University of Manitoba to external constituencies and facilitate relationships between individuals, corporations, foundations and key members of the university, leading to gifts.
• Become experts on the units that they are supporting in terms of the details of the fundraising projects that are identified.
• Write persuasive, appropriate funding proposals communicating the university’s plans, programs, services and initiatives for potential donors.
• Establishes a relationship with the Dean and other key faculty members and engages these individuals as needed in the fundraising process.

Implementation and Monitoring of Fundraising Strategies

• Responsible for conducting sufficient numbers of discovery calls to replenish the portfolio based on solicitation plans.
• Identifies, recruits and supports senior administrators and other key stakeholders for participation in gift solicitations.
• Promotes collaboration with colleagues to engender trust in the prospect management process.
• Work in a donor centered way to match donor interests with key projects.
• Works with Deans to develop case for support for faculty fundraising priorities.
• Develops faculty fundraising plans, in conjunction with the entire Donor Relations team.
• Regularly communicates plans and progress against the goal to the Dean.
• Provides accurate advice and support to faculty who are seeking external funding, to identify appropriate funding opportunities.
• Directly addresses any and all faculty issues regarding fundraising.
• Marshall’s resources from Donor Relations to ensure a high level of service for their faculties.
• Gains general knowledge of the institutional priorities.
• Provides leadership and direction to high level volunteers (e.g., CEOs, presidents of corporations, University Deans, Directors, Department Heads).
• Identifies prospects who may be ready for a transformational gift or planned gift and develops recommendations for cultivation/solicitation strategy.
• Promotes cross-collaboration with other colleagues, building trust in the prospect management process and synergies across Faculties.
• Actively participates in moves management sessions for the Donor Relations gift team.
• Writes persuasive, appropriate funding proposals, communicating the university's plans, programs, services and initiatives for potential donors.
• Develops cases for support and Faculty fundraising plans in conjunction with the Donor Relations team.
• Regularly communicates plans and progress against the goal to the Dean and provides accurate advice to identify appropriate funding opportunities and support to faculty who are seeking external funding.
• Champions and identifies resources from Transformational Gift Officers, Planned Giving, Annual Giving and Advancement Services to ensure a high level of service for their Faculties.
• Other duties as assigned.

Additional information

The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities).

If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail] or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.

Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provisions of "The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act" (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae will be provided to participating members of the search process.