Director of Development

La Roche University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

La Roche University seeks a Director of Development to lead its fundraising program, aligning prospect management, development operations, and reporting with strategic goals.

The role partners with the Vice President for Advancement, freeing frontline fundraisers to cultivate donors while ensuring data-informed decisions and donor experiences.

Candidates should bring 7+ years in fundraising or related fields and a track record of managing complex portfolios and performance dashboards.

Qualifications

• Seven+ years of progressively responsible fundraising/advancement experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the University’s prospect management efforts.
• Provide oversight to portfolio assignment and guide qualification and moves management processes.
• Conduct regular portfolio reviews and monitor fundraiser activity and pipeline progression.
• Ensure prospects are strategically assigned and actively managed.
• Oversee prospect research and prospect identification efforts.
• Develop standards for prospect profiles, donor intelligence, and capacity assessments.
• Produce prospect research and briefing materials as needed while building long-term prospect development capacity.
• Support frontline fundraisers in identifying and prioritizing major gift opportunities.
• Oversee gift administration, donor stewardship processes, and operational workflows.
• Establish policies and procedures that promote efficiency, consistency, and strong donor experiences.
• Partner with university colleagues to ensure accurate gift reporting and reconciliation.
• Oversee development and maintenance of fundraising dashboards, reports, and key performance metrics.
• Monitor fundraising activity, portfolio health, and pipeline movement.
• Support accountability and performance management across the advancement team.
• Provide strategic oversight of advancement systems and data practices.
• Promote data integrity, reporting consistency, and active use of fundraising technology.
• Support faculty, administrators, and university leaders engaged in donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Coordinate information, stories, and funding opportunities that strengthen donor engagement.
• Serve as a resource to campus partners in advancing philanthropic priorities.

Job description

TheDirector of Developmentserves as the operational leader ofLa Roche University’s fundraising program, providing the systems, structure, and accountability necessary to support fundraising growth. This role partners closely with the Vice President for Advancement to strengthen fundraising effectiveness by overseeing prospect management, prospect development, reporting, gift administration, and operational processes.

The position is designed to free frontline fundraisers and university leadership to focus on donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship while ensuring the advancement program operates with discipline, consistency, and data-informed decision-making.

La Roche University embraces its Catholic identity while welcoming people of all faiths and backgrounds, fosters global citizenship, and creates a community of scholars from around the world. The University empowers all members of the community to become lifelong learners, achieve success in their chosen careers, and promote justice and peace in a constantly changing global society.

CORE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Prospect Management and Portfolio Strategy

• Lead the University’s prospect management efforts.
• Provide oversight to portfolio assignment and guide qualification and moves management processes.
• Conduct regular portfolio reviews and monitor fundraiser activity and pipeline progression.
• Ensure prospects are strategically assigned and actively managed.

Prospect Development and Research

• Oversee prospect research and prospect identification efforts.
• Develop standards for prospect profiles, donor intelligence, and capacity assessments.
• Produce prospect research and briefing materials as needed while building long-term prospect development capacity.
• Support frontline fundraisers in identifying and prioritizing major gift opportunities.

Development Operations and Gift Administration

• Oversee gift administration, donor stewardship processes, and operational workflows.
• Establish policies and procedures that promote efficiency, consistency, and strong donor experiences.
• Partner with university colleagues to ensure accurate gift reporting and reconciliation.

Fundraising Performance and Reporting

• Oversee development and maintenance of fundraising dashboards, reports, and key performance metrics.
• Monitor fundraising activity, portfolio health, and pipeline movement.
• Support accountability and performance management across the advancement team.

Advancement Systems and Business Intelligence

• Provide strategic oversight of advancement systems and data practices.
• Promote data integrity, reporting consistency, and active use of fundraising technology.
• Support faculty, administrators, and university leaders engaged in donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Coordinate information, stories, and funding opportunities that strengthen donor engagement.
• Serve as a resource to campus partners in advancing philanthropic priorities.

Education & Experience

• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, advancement, external relations, sales, community engagement, governmental relations, or related field.

STRATEGIC VALUE

This position creates the operational infrastructure necessary for a high-performing advancement program. By providing leadership in prospect management, research, reporting, and fundraising operations, the Director of Development increases organizational accountability, strengthens donor pipeline management, and allows frontline fundraisers to focus on securing philanthropic support for the University.

GENERAL STATEMENT

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of this position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

In order for applications to be fully processed, a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least three professional references must accompany a completed application. Candidates are subject to background clearances. Review of applicants will begin immediately, and the position will remain open until filled.

Applicants for this position must have current legal authorization to work in the United States. La Roche University will not sponsor or take over the sponsorship of an employment visa for this opportunity.

No Relocation Assistance

It is the policy of La Roche University to promote equal opportunity to all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, creed, age, religion, gender, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, non-job-related disability or medical condition, or any other legally protected status.

Employment Policy

It is the policy of La Roche University to promote equal opportunity to all qualified individuals regardless of race, color creed, age, religion, gender, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, non-job related disability or medical condition, or any other legally protected status.

This policy provides for equal opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship. This includes, but is not limited to: recruitment, employment, job assignment, transfer, promotion, demotion, compensation, training and development, employee benefits, layoff, discharge and general working conditions.

This policy is administered in accordance with all applicable federal and state statutes. La Roche University does not take action against an employee because he or she has opposed a practice made unlawful under federal or state law or has filed charges, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or lawsuit pursuant to those statutes.

All employees are expected to implement and abide by La Roche’s policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity employment within their assigned work areas. Any violation of this policy by an employee of La Roche University may result in disciplinary action, including, when appropriate, discharge.

The Associate Vice President of Human Resources/Compliance Officer is assigned the overall responsibility for effective administration of this program throughout La Roche University. Individuals who believe that they may have experienced illegal discrimination should immediately report their complaint to the Associate Vice President of Human Resources/Compliance Officer.