Director of Development- MGO (Unit Lead)

Socket.dev; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Major Gifts Officer to manage a portfolio of donors and prospects with the capacity to make significant gifts. Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, you will qualify, solicit, and steward donors while aligning giving opportunities with university priorities.

You will collaborate with faculty and staff, develop engagement plans, document progress in the donor CRM, and travel as needed. Strong communication, organization, and independent work are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Major gift or related fundraising experience.
• A team player with a goal‑oriented approach to work.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• The ability to represent the organization professionally and positively.
• Exceptional written and oral communicative skills.
• The ability to self‑motivate and work independently.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors and execute strategy.
• Establish engagement plans aligning donor interests with university priorities.
• Work with faculty to secure project information for giving opportunities.
• Document progress and interactions in the donor database.
• Collaborate with fundraising agencies and colleagues as needed.

Skills

Prospect management

Donor cultivation

Fundraising

Communication

Time management

Independence

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM

Job description

Description

Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, this position is responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors and prospects with the capacity to make a financial commitment in the form of a major, principal, or transformational gift. This position will serve as the liaison between the cohort and a designated academic unit.

• 60 % Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors, effectively executing strategy against the Donor Commitment Continuum; Qualify prospective donors for portfolio; Create individual goals for each donor in the portfolio; achieve metric goals set forth by VP for Development and SDOD
• 20 % Establish an engagement plan for each donor and prospect in the portfolio that is focused on matching donor interests to university fundraising priorities, subsequently executing that plan and modifying it as circumstances change; Work with college faculty and staff to secure project information for creating compelling giving opportunities (front-end) and reporting to donors on how their giving made a difference (back-end)
• 10 % Utilize the donor database effectively to document progress with donors;
• 5 % Follow the policies and procedures to coordinate appropriately with all fundraising agencies on campus; Interact and collaborate with colleagues and fellow team members on a regular basis
• 5 % Other duties as assigned

Non-essential/marginal position responsibilities

• Serve on committees
• Assist with major college‑related alumni or development events
• Attend relevant seminars or trainings

Requirements

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Major gift or related fundraising experience
• A team player with a goal‑oriented approach to work
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• The ability to represent the organization in a professional, positive, manner
• Exceptional written and oral communicative skills
• The ability to self‑motivate and work independently

Preferred:

• A proven track record of soliciting and securing major gifts in a university environment
• Familiarity with electronic university advancement databases or CRM

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment Requirements

• This position is primarily performed in a professional office environment.
• The role routinely uses standard office equipment, including computers, telephones, printers, and related technology.
• The position will involve occasional travel, meetings, or attendance at events, as applicable to the role.
• Work hours are generally standard business hours, with occasional evening or weekend work as needed.

Physical Demands

While performing the essential functions of this job, the employee may be required to:

• Sit for extended periods of time
• Stand or walk occasionally
• Use hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment
• Communicate clearly in person, by phone, and electronically
• Lift or move materials weighing up to 20 pounds occasionally (if applicable)

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of the job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).