Senior Development Manager, Athletics

University of Guelph; Guelph; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Guelph is seeking a Senior Development Manager for Athletics to lead major gift fundraising efforts and enhance donor relationships. This role focuses on creating opportunities for philanthropic support, especially for women in sports, and aims to generate significant funding to support student-athletes. The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal skills, extensive fundraising experience, and a passion for athletics.

Benefits

Comprehensive Extended Health Care Benefits

Strong vacation allocation and paid time off

Wellness programming with yearly flexible spending credit

Professional development opportunities

Discounts on food and apparel

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years fundraising experience.
• Proven track record of securing major gifts.
• Ability to interact effectively with senior executives.

Responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors.
• Maintain a pipeline of 60-80 donors/prospects.
• Collaborate with university leaders to enhance donor relationships.

Skills

Fundraising experience

Interpersonal communication

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Undergraduate degree

Graduate degree or relevant diploma

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Donor databases / CRM systems

Job description

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Location : Guelph, CA, N1G 2W1

Primary Category Page : Staff and Management

Division : Alumni Affairs and Development

Requisition ID : 1453

Department : Major Gift Advancement

This position is represented by the agreement between the Professional Staff Association and the University of Guelph

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page in order to be considered as an internal applicant.

General Purpose

Alumni Affairs & Development (AA&D)'s purpose is to maximize philanthropic support for the University of Guelph’s mission of creating unique solutions for the challenges facing our world. We achieve this purpose by building deep and sustained relationships with our donors, alumni and friends that increase awareness of, engagement with, and investment in the University of Guelph's work. As a member of this campus-wide team, the Senior Development Manager, Athletics, epitomizes the department’s shared values of respect, empowerment, integrity, appreciation, and forward focus.

The University of Guelph is currently planning to launch its first fundraising campaign since 2014. The campaign aims to expand the University’s recent fundraising growth so that AA&D becomes a team that consistently raises $ 75M a year by 2030 (a record $ 55M was raised in FY24 / 25). By aligning donor passions with the university's ambitious goals, the campaign will boost revenue, elevate the university's global profile, deepen donor relationships, and create a highly developed culture of philanthropy across the University community. Institutional leaders and volunteers will be highly engaged in advocating for the university's global impact and the vital role of philanthropy in achieving this vision.

Discover a rewarding career at the University of Guelph with a role that focuses on fundraising for athletics initiatives, creating opportunities for donors to support our student-athletes to enhance their experiences and well-being. A particular focus is placed on women in sport through the vital "She's Got Game" initiative, empowering female student-athletes and fostering gender equity.

Reporting to the Director, Major Gift Advancement, the Senior Development Manager is responsible for major gift fundraising (contributions of $25,000 or greater and planned gifts) to support the fundraising priorities of the athletics department. The Senior Development Manager is expected to personally generate a minimum of $1 million in new major gifts and pledges annually and works to advance priorities with alumni, parents, corporations, foundations, and friends of the University.

We believe that fundraising is a team sport, and collaboration with colleagues across the board is essential for success. Working in tandem with senior development managers in other colleges is expected.

More Specifically, Responsibilities Include

• Identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors and prospects through the fundraising cycle
• Maintaining a robust pipeline of 60-80 donors / prospects and undertaking 10-15 meetings per month with donors / prospects.
• Preparing briefing materials to support the participation of senior administration in fundraising activities.
• Collaborating with the Provost & Vice-President (Academic), Vice Provost (Student Affairs), Director of Athletics and other internal partners to advance donor relationships as well to identify university priorities that will resonate with donors.
• Creating and presenting materials to advance fundraising asks such as generic cases for support and customized proposals.
• Negotiating the closure of major and planned gifts, including the creation of gift agreements and other supporting documentation.

Requirements

The university recognizes that no one individual will have the following skills / experience in equal

measure but the qualifications below will be used to assess the suitability of candidates throughout the process :

• Undergraduate degree, with preference given to demonstrated commitment to professional development, graduate degree, relevant diploma or equivalent combination of education / experience
• A minimum of five (5) years fundraising experience, with a proven track record of success in securing major and planned gifts, or equivalent experience in a related field.
• The ability to think and act quickly and effectively under pressure, exercising tact, diplomacy, discretion and good judgment.
• A proven ability to interact effectively with senior executives in the corporate community
• Management of large and complex fundraising projects, especially capital campaigns
• Superior written and interpersonal communications skills, including effective relationship building and experience in managing senior volunteers.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite and donor databases and / or CRM systems
• A passion for athletics and / or background in athletic and student focused charities is an asset
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation an asset

Please include a cover letter along with your resume in your application.

Why choose the University of Guelph

• Comprehensive Extended Health Care Benefits : Immediate enrollment in extended health to cover yourself and your family
• Time off : Strong vacation allocation, floater days, and paid time off during the December closure to ensure that you are at your best
• Wellness : In addition to extensive wellness programming, the University offers a yearly flexible spending credit that can be allocated to any of the following : Health Spending, Wellness or Professional Development
• Learning & Development : Learning and development curriculum and other professional growth opportunities
• On-campus Activities : Discounts on food and apparel, fitness programming, access to networking events and team building opportunities
• Improve Life : Work that directly impacts a brighter future by turning knowledge into action

The university provides a flexible work arrangement. This position is required to be fulfilled both remotely and on-campus (Guelph Campus).

Employee Type : Regular

Position Number : 10917048

Classification : P&M FT- Band 05

Professional / Managerial Salary Bands

The target hiring salary for this position is minimum and up to 96% of midpoint for the salary grade.

• Tentative evaluation; subject to committee review.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date : 06 / 23 / 2025

Closing Date : 07 / 14 / 2025

Seniority level

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Job function

Engineering and Information Technology

Higher Education

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