Assistant Director of Philanthropy, Engineering

NC State College of Engineering

Raleigh (NC)

On-site

USD 85,000 - 110,000

Full time

40 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Flexible Spending Account

Retirement Programs

Disability Plans

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

12 Holidays

Tuition and Academic Assistance

Childcare benefits

Wellness Programs

Job summary

NC State Engineering Foundation, Inc. is seeking an Assistant Director of Philanthropy Engineering to grow private support for the College of Engineering at NC State University.

You will identify, qualify, and advance alumni and friends with gifts of $100,000+ through outreach and meetings, often conducted virtually. The role develops leadership annual giving solicitations and collaborates with gift officers to advance cultivation, solicitation, and closure of major gifts within a 12–24 month

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and one year of professional‑level fundraising or related experience.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to build relationships with donors and colleagues.
Experience identifying and qualifying major gift prospects and managing discovery portfolios.

Responsibilities

Identify and qualify up to 200 prospective major gift prospects.
Manage a portfolio of discovery prospects and conduct outreach to schedule meetings.
Document contact reports and follow‑up communications; support with stewardship and gift acceptance.

Skills

Fundraising

Prospect research

Communication

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Donor management system

Job description

Posting Details

Posting Information

Posting Number PG194876EP Internal Recruitment No Working Title Assistant Director of Philanthropy, Engineering

Anticipated Hiring Range Commensurate with education and experience

Work Schedule Monday - Friday; 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, additional hours as needed

Job Location Raleigh, NC

Department Engineering Advancement About the Department

The NC State Engineering Foundation, Inc. (NCSEF) is a private 501©3 non‑profit organization which raises funds from over 50,000 alumni, friends, industry‑related foundations and other sources to support the College of Engineering at NC State University.

Securing private support is critical to advancing the College in rankings of academic and research universities. More focus is being placed on private endowed support for scholarships, fellowships, and professorships in order to recruit the best students and faculty for our programs. Focus is also being placed on support for capital improvements in order to help offset ongoing significant budget cuts that are being implemented. All of this is necessary in order to have the space and resources available for increased enrollment in engineering.

Wolfpack Perks and Benefits

As a Pack member, you belong here, and can enjoy exclusive perks designed to enhance your personal and professional well‑being. As you consider this opportunity, we encourage you to review our Employee Value Proposition and learn more about what makes NC State the best place to learn and work for everyone.

What We Offer

Medical, Dental, and Vision
Flexible Spending Account
Retirement Programs
Disability Plans
Life Insurance
Accident Plan
Paid Time Off and Other Leave Programs
12 Holidays Each Year
Tuition and Academic Assistance
And so much more!

Attain Work‑life balance with our Childcare benefits, Wellness & Recreation Membership, and Wellness Programs that aim to build a thriving wolfpack community.

Disclaimer: Perks and Benefit eligibility is based on Part‑Time or Full‑Time Employment status. Eligibility and Employer Sponsored Plans can be found within each of the links offered.

Essential Job Duties

The Assistant Director of Philanthropy Engineering is primarily responsible for assisting the College of Engineering Advancement team in identifying and qualifying new major gift prospects for NC State. This role is an excellent entry point for those interested in pursuing a career in frontline major gift fundraising.

The Assistant Director will identify and manage a discovery portfolio of alumni and friends with the potential to make $100,000+ gifts and conduct outreach and meetings (primarily virtual) with these potential prospects. Using a set of criteria and key indicators, they will make a determination of prospects’ readiness to be cultivated toward a major gift within the next 12-24 months and make referrals to major gift officers. As part of their professional development, the Assistant Director will gain exposure to and in some cases, shadow, the process of advancing these relationships toward the cultivation, solicitation and closure of major gifts in collaboration with the assigned gift officer, as well as make their own Leadership Annual Giving ($1,000-$99,999) solicitations.

Job Duties

Discovery and Identification of Prospects

Partner with Prospect Development and College of Engineering Advancement team to identify a pool of up to 200 prospective major gift prospects through personal research using tools such as NC State’s alumni/donor database, LinkedIn, and by requesting referrals from colleagues, alumni and friends
Manage and prioritize a portfolio of discovery prospects. Conduct, document and report on a high volume of personalized, professional outreach by phone, email, social media, video and/or mail to schedule meetings with prospects to achieve goals for outreach attempts, qualifications and meetings
Write detailed contact reports and send personalized follow‑up communication
As time allows, conduct projects to identify prospects for and reach out to potential prospects for members of the College of Engineering Advancement team as well as support with stewardship and gift acceptance

Meeting And Qualification Of Prospects

Meet and qualify alumni and friends by learning more about their “NC State story” – what the university meant to them personally and professionally; express gratitude for prior philanthropic or volunteer support; understand why they choose to give back; and establish how they would like to be involved with the university going forward
Determine prospects’ affinity, financial capacity, inclination and readiness to make a major gift to NC State within 12-24 months
Build a high level of trust with gift officers on the team and across campus. Collaborate with colleagues to align donors’ philanthropic interests with priorities across campus
Make referrals to major gift officers for newly identified prospects, including a strategy for cultivation toward a major gift and clear next steps. Make referrals to leadership annual giving officers and/or where appropriate, manage leadership annual giving solicitations ($1,000-$99,999)
Represent the university in a professional manner, maintaining knowledge of NC State and key engagement and philanthropic priorities across the university
Participate in College of Engineering, University Development and University Advancement meetings and activities
Perform other duties as requested

Other Responsibilities

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and one year of professional‑level experience in direct solicitation / fundraising or a closely related field (such as sales) are required.

All degrees must be from appropriately accredited institutions.

Other Required Qualifications

Able to analyze data points in order to prioritize suspect/donor outreach
Understanding and comfort with cold calling
Excellent interpersonal skills and relationship building skills
Strong written and oral communication skills
Strong organizational and analytical skills, with high attention to detail
Commitment to a collegial and collaborative team approach
Self‑motivated and driven with an entrepreneurial approach to problem‑solving
Optimism, perseverance and a positive attitude
Computer literacy and competency with electronic donor information systems

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in higher education institutional advancement
Experience with a high call volume on a weekly basis
Proficient in explaining call purpose efficient and effectively
An understanding of the land grant, research Tier One university environment
Familiarity with NC State University

Required License(s) or Certification(s)

A valid North Carolina Driver’s License is required within 60 days of the start date. Must be maintained as a condition of employment.

Valid NC Driver's License required Yes Commercial Driver's License required No

Recruitment Dates and Special Instructions

Job Open Date 09/14/2026 Anticipated Close Date Open until filled Special Instructions to Applicants

Please include a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least three professional references.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.

Position Details

Position Number 00110480 Position Type Exempt Professional Staff Full Time Equivalent (FTE) (1.0 = 40 hours/week) 1.0 Appointment 12 Month Recurring Mandatory Designation - Adverse Weather Non Mandatory - Adverse Weather Mandatory Designation - Emergency Events Non Mandatory - Emergency Event Department ID 143801 - Engineering Advancement EEO

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

NC State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal opportunities for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. The University encourages all qualified applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, to apply. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability‑related accommodations in the application and interview process are welcome to contact 919-513-0574 to speak with a representative of the Office of Equal Opportunity.

If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.

NC State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Supplemental Questions

* How did you learn of this opportunity?

NCSU Website
NCSU Executive Search Services
Monster.com
CareerBuilder.com
InsideHigherEd.com
Other Online Job Board
Carolina Job Finder / Employment Guide
Job / Career Fair
The Chronicle of Higher Education
HERC
Professional Journal
Print Advertisement (Newspaper / Periodical)
Professional Organization
Direct Contact from NCSU HR Representative / Recruiter
NCSU Employee Referral
Social Media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Other)
Other

If you learned about this vacancy from "other source" or "other website", please provide the source. (Open Ended Question)
* Do you have (or will you have by date of hire) a bachelor's degree or higher?

* Do you have one or more years' experience in fundraising and/or relevant experience in sales and marketing, or other related fields?

* Please briefly summarize your fundraising experience (or equivalent comparable professional experience). (Open Ended Question)
* Do you have experience handling a high volume of outbound calls? If so, please describe your experience. (Open Ended Question)
* Do you have any experience working in a nonprofit or university fundraising office and/or with alumni or constituency groups? if so, please describe your experience. (Open Ended Question)