Senior Development Officer

University Of Toronto; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 101,000 - 129,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Toronto Mississauga invites applications for a Senior Development Officer to lead major gift fundraising and donor stewardship within the UTM Advancement team. You will identify, cultivate, and solicit donors while partnering with academic leaders to create compelling funding opportunities.

You will meet donors, engage volunteers, and help structure gift opportunities to advance the Defy Gravity campaign while supporting inclusive excellence and student success at Canada’s top

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum five years experience in a staff fundraising role with proven track record of success in managing a substantial pool of major gift donors and prospective donors
• Demonstrated experience in the identification, cultivation, solicitation of donors and prospective donors, preferably at the $50,000+ level
• Proven ability to manage and motivate high net worth prospective donors, alumni and volunteers
• Exceptional interpersonal, spoken and written communication skills
• Evidence of strong initiative, tact, diplomacy, judgement and decision making in complex environments with competing priorities
• Strong organizational and analytical skills; keen attention to detail
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment|Effective team player who values collaboration

Responsibilities

• Identify prospective donors at the major gift level ($50,000 and above); design and execute steps to bring a prospective donor to make a major financial commitment to the University.
• Collaborate closely with academic leaders to identify and construct compelling funding opportunities.
• Meet face-to-face with current and prospective donors to discuss giving interests and funding proposals.
• Work closely with faculty members and volunteers on appropriate prospective donor solicitation strategies.
• Manage donor relations by developing and implementing customized stewardship plans and strategies to sustain donor engagement.
• Write donor-facing materials such as funding proposals, acknowledgements and recognition communications; drafting briefing notes, solicitation plans and call reports

Skills

Communication skills

Relationship building

Team collaboration

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Date Posted: 10/05/2026

Req ID: 50402

Faculty/Division: UofT Mississauga

Department: UTM: Ofc of Advancement

Campus: University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)

Position Number: #

Existing Vacancy: Yes

About us

U of T Mississauga—the second largest campus of Canada’s top-ranked university and the only research university in Ontario’s booming Peel Region—is one of the world’s great catalysts of human potential.

Our employee community hums with the energy of 3,400 faculty, librarians and staff, who power our campus with curiosity, connection and care. We work together to spark life-changing research and innovation, make an indelible mark on the world by building equitable cities and societies, enable healthy lives, create a sustainable future and ignite entrepreneurship. Above all, we prioritize student success, and seek to give our 16,500 students the lift of a lifetime through learning and discovery. We love to open opportunities available nowhere else for our community to achieve their ambitions and make their unique contributions to Canada and the world.

This work all comes together on a spectacularly green campus, alongside the Missinihe-ziibi (Trusting Creek or Credit River), where we seek to honour truth, reciprocity and reconciliation on the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, Seneca and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We’re thrilled to welcome those who want to learn more about us and to be part of what we do.

Your opportunity

As Senior Development Officer (SDO) you will be a key member of a team of dynamic advancement professionals working under the general direction of the Director of Development. You will also join a distinguished group of specialists who are devoted to the highest standards of work and motivated to advance the mission of the University of Toronto. As a U of T employee, you will enjoy the many benefits that come from working at an institution consistently ranked as one of Canada’s top 100 employers.

As SDO you will be responsible for identifying and cultivating prospective donors at the major gift level. Drawing on your strong relationship building and management skills you will maintain a robust portfolio of donors and prospective donors (individuals and organizations). You will be responsible for solicitations and ensuring proper stewardship takes place following a gift to maintain the donor's interest and support. You will be involved in training and working alongside volunteers in fundraising activities. As the incumbent, you will work closely with other members of the UTM Advancement team, academic leaders, senior volunteers, and Division of University Advancement colleagues to structure gift opportunities and realize the success of the fundraising program. You will be comfortable working in a fast-paced and high-performance environment as the Defy Gravity campaign continues to reach new heights. You will be an individual passionate about working at Canada’s top university, dedicated to inclusive excellence, and driven by a commitment to making a positive impact.

Your responsibilities will include

• Identifying prospective donors at the major gift level ($50,000 and above); designing and executing the necessary steps to bring a prospective donor to make a major financial commitment to the University
• Collaborating closely with academic leaders to identify and construct compelling funding opportunities
• Meeting face-to-face with current and prospective donors to discuss giving interests and funding proposals
• Working closely with faculty members and volunteers on appropriate prospective donor solicitation strategies
• Managing donor relations by developing and implementing customized stewardship plans and strategies to sustain donor engagement
• Writing donor-facing materials such as funding proposals, acknowledgements and recognition communications; drafting briefing notes, solicitation plans and call reports

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum five years experience in a staff fundraising role with proven track record of success in managing a substantial pool of major gift donors and prospective donors
• Demonstrated experience in the identification, cultivation, solicitation of donors and prospective donors, preferably at the $50,000+ level
• Proven ability to manage and motivate high net worth prospective donors, alumni and volunteers
• Exceptional interpersonal, spoken and written communication skills
• Evidence of strong initiative, tact, diplomacy, judgement and decision making in complex environments with competing priorities
• Strong organizational and analytical skills; keen attention to detail
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment
• Effective team player who values collaboration

To be successful in this role you will be

• Accountable
• Communicator
• Goal oriented
• Resilient
• Self-directed
• Tactful

Closing Date: 10/26/2026, 11:59PM ET

Employee Group: USW

Appointment Type: Budget - Continuing

Schedule: Full-Time

Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone

USW Pay Band 15 -- $101,242 with an annual step progression to a maximum of $129,471. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.

Job Category: Administrative / Managerial

Lived Experience Statement

Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged , and their lived experience shall be taken in to consideration when the posted position.

Job descriptions are available upon request for internal applicants.