Development Program Manager, College of Health

Lehigh University; Bethlehem (Northampton County); On-site; USD 56,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Above-market retirement contributions

Generous paid leave

Tuition benefits for employees and...

Tuition benefits for employees and DEI

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Lehigh University’s College of Health seeks an experienced development professional to manage a portfolio of alumni, donors, and prospective supporters. You will cultivate long-term relationships and coordinate strategic outreach to advance fundraising goals.

You will partner with faculty and campus colleagues to plan donor events, craft communications, and oversee stewardship reports while maintaining accurate donor data in CRM systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; fundraising or development experience preferred.
• 3–5 years in development, donor relations, or related field in higher education or nonprofit.
• Ability to collaborate with faculty, staff, alumni, students, and external partners.
• Experience using Trello, Asana, or similar tools to manage projects and deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication to craft clear donor messages.
• Experience planning and coordinating donor engagement events.
• Proficiency with CRM systems (Salesforce/Blackbaud/Raiser's Edge) and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a portfolio of alumni, parents, and prospective donors aligned with College of Health priorities.
• Cultivate and sustain meaningful donor relationships through regular outreach.
• Plan and execute donor engagement and stewardship events from concept to delivery.
• Develop and support volunteer programs; engage College advocates.
• Coordinate with faculty and campus partners on cohesive cultivation strategies.
• Support leadership in fundraising goals and campaigns.
• Prepare donor communications, briefings, proposals, and stewardship reports.
• Track and manage constituent data and engagement in Lehigh CRM systems.
• Identify new prospective donors via research, referrals, and activities.
• Represent the College of Health at alumni and development events on and off campus.

Skills

Communication

Stakeholder management

Event planning

Project coordination

Data tracking

Donor relations

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Trello

Asana

Salesforce

Blackbaud

Raiser's Edge

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Excel

Job description

Job no: 504035
Work type: Exempt Staff Full-time
Location: Partial Remote, Bethlehem
Categories: Development/ Alumni Relations

Lehigh's College of Health recently celebrated its five-year milestone, establishing a strong foundation of innovation, collaboration, and impact in health education and research. Now entering an exciting new phase of growth, the College is building on that foundation and growing its community of philanthropic partners. You'll help drive that momentum by connecting donors and alumni with faculty and opportunities to invest in the next generation of health professionals.

Position Number: S80033

This position is a Grade: 9 - 40 with an approximate salary range of $56,030-$68,190 and is subject to change based on experience, skills and qualifications.

What You'll Be Working On

• Build and manage a portfolio of alumni, parents, and prospective donors aligned with the College of Health's strategic priorities
• Cultivate and sustain meaningful, long-term donor relationships through consistent and personalized outreach
• Plan and execute donor engagement and stewardship events from concept through delivery
• Develop and support volunteer programs, identifying and engaging committed College advocates
• Collaborate with faculty and campus partners to coordinate cohesive cultivation strategies
• Support College leadership in advancing fundraising goals and campaign initiatives
• Prepare donor communications, briefings, proposals, and stewardship reports
• Track and manage constituent data and engagement activity through Lehigh's CRM systems
• Identify new prospective donors through research, referrals, and engagement activity
• Represent the College of Health at alumni and development events, on and off campus

What You Bring

• Bachelor's Degree
• Three to five years of experience in development, fundraising, donor relations, or a related field, ideally in higher education or the nonprofit sector
• Ability to work effectively with a range of stakeholders, including faculty, staff, alumni, students, institutional leadership, and external partners, and to represent both the institution and college leadership in professional settings
• Experience using project management tools such as Trello, Asana, or similar platforms to keep projects organized, track progress, manage deadlines, and coordinate work across teams
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, compelling messages for a range of audiences
• Experience with event planning and project coordination, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver successful events
• Proficiency with CRM systems (such as Salesforce, Blackbaud, or Raiser's Edge), Microsoft Office Suite, and Google Workspace
• Strong skills in Excel, including data tracking, reporting, and organizing information to support decision-making
• Experience working with systems, tools, and workflows that support fundraising operations, data accuracy, and process organization
• Self-motivated, goal-oriented professional who can work independently and collaborate effectively with others
• Ability to build trust and sustain relationships with a range of stakeholders

Why Lehigh

Lehigh offers a distinctive environment where research-university depth meets a genuinely connected community. You'll benefit from above-market retirement contributions, generous paid leave, and comprehensive tuition benefits for employees and eligible dependents. The College of Health is entrepreneurial in spirit and well-supported in practice - an exciting place to grow a development career with real impact. Lehigh University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate. We are committed to a culturally and intellectually diverse community and we seek qualified candidates to contribute to the university's mission.

Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing an accommodation for any part of the interview or hiring process may contact Lehigh's Accommodations Specialist.

Special Considerations

• This position is responsible for driving University-owned vehicles as a routine function, therefore a valid Driver's License and a good driving record is required.
• The duties of this position may allow the employee to work partially remote as deemed appropriate by their supervisor.

Successful completion of standard background checks including but not limited to: social security verification, education verification, national criminal background checks, motor vehicle checks, PATCH, FBI fingerprinting, Child Abuse Clearance and credit history based upon the requirements of the position.

Advertised: September 17, 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: Open until filled