Chief Development Officer

Southern Methodist University, Dedman College of Humanities & Sciences; United States; On-site; USD 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Methodist University, Dedman College of Humanities & Sciences invites applications for three inaugural Chief Development Officers to lead major academic units. These executive roles are aimed at elevating philanthropy, donor engagement, and capital campaigns, with a focus on strategic fundraising and collaboration with academic leadership.

Ideal candidates are accomplished fundraisers with a collaborative leadership style who can build partnerships across complex university structures,

Responsibilities

• Lead development strategy for a major academic unit.
• Elevate donor engagement, stewardship, and prospect strategy.
• Collaborate with deans, volunteers, and leadership to grow philanthropy.

Job description

The client is seeking three accomplished, strategic, and collaborative advancement leaders to serve as inaugural Chief Development Officers (CDOs) for major academic units. These newly created executive-level positions represent a significant investment in the future of philanthropy and underscore a commitment to building a best-in-class advancement enterprise capable of supporting ambitious academic and institutional aspirations. The CDOs will play a key role in shaping the future of advancement, establishing new standards for donor engagement, stewardship, prospect strategy, and team development while working closely with academic leadership committed to expanding external engagement efforts.

Each CDO will lead the development strategy for a major academic unit, supporting efforts to deepen donor engagement and drive fundraising success in areas such as faculty excellence, entrepreneurship, technology, experiential learning, and capital initiatives. These leaders will have the opportunity to work alongside deans and influential volunteer leaders, leveraging a loyal alumni community and access to a dynamic metropolitan region to realize substantial philanthropic potential. The roles are designed to help build a more sophisticated, collaborative, and donor-centered culture of philanthropy within the institution.

Ideal candidates will be accomplished fundraisers and collaborative leaders who bring strategic vision, intellectual curiosity, and a record of building strong partnerships across complex organizations. They will be energized by the opportunity to help shape a growing advancement enterprise, serve as trusted advisors to academic leadership, and play defining roles in the next chapter of philanthropic success. The client is committed to equal opportunity and does not discriminate in any employment practice or educational activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.