Director of Development

Illinois Institute of Technology; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Illinois Institute of Technology seeks a Director of Development to manage a portfolio of major gift prospects. Responsibilities include identifying and cultivating donors, conducting visits and solicitations, and aligning fundraising strategies with academic unit priorities. Candidates should have a minimum of 5 years in fundraising, strong communication and organizational skills, and preferably an advanced degree. Experience with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT is also desired. The salary range is $110,000-$135,000, commensurate with experience.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of fundraising experience with direct donor engagement and solicitation.
• Demonstrated success closing major gifts.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects (approximately 125).
• Conduct approximately 100 donor visits per year, including at least 20 formal solicitations.
• Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Achieve annual revenue goals aligned with experience and unit priorities.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor engagement

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Advanced degree

Tools

Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT

Job description

Salary range for this role is $110,000-$135,000 and is commensurate with experience.

The Director of Development is a frontline fundraiser responsible for identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gift prospects capable of commitments of $100,000+. Directors manage a portfolio of prospects and support the university’s fundraising priorities across all academic units. Directors are assigned based on institutional priorities and will have primary fundraising responsibility for one or more academic units.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects (approximately 125), with capacity of $100,000+.
• Conduct approximately 100 donor visits per year, including at least 20 formal solicitations (may include blended or planned gifts).
• Qualify prospective donors through discovery to assess philanthropic interest, capacity, and alignment with university priorities.
• Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies aligned with academic unit priorities.
• Achieve annual revenue goals aligned with experience and unit priorities (generally ~$1M–$3M).
• Maintain strong stewardship practices and solicit annual leadership gifts from assigned prospects.
• Partner with Managing Director and Prospect Research & Management (PRM) for portfolio optimization and pipeline development.
• Participate in regular portfolio reviews with the Managing Director and PRM.
• Prepare proposals, gift agreements, and donor correspondence in collaboration with Donor Relations and Gift Administration.
• Ensure timely and accurate documentation of all prospect activity in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT; adhere to stage movement and data integrity standards.
• Prepare briefing materials for meetings involving deans, faculty, or university leadership.
• Participate in Advancement meetings, prospect strategy reviews, and professional development trainings.

Academic Partnerships – 15%

• Serve as key liaison for one or more academic units; align fundraising strategies with dean-defined priorities and program needs.
• Develop deep knowledge of university and unit priorities. Partner with faculty and program leaders and understand student success initiatives, to align donor interests with institutional needs.
• Represent Advancement at donor and university events as assigned.
• Contribute to special projects and cross-unit initiatives that advance institutional and campaign fundraising goals.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of fundraising (or closely related) experience with direct donor engagement and solicitation.
• Demonstrated success closing major gifts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree.
• 7+ years of frontline major gift experience.
• Experience with STEM and/or professional school donors.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Experience with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT.