Director of Development, Technology Sector

The California State University; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 56,000 - 181,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

San José State University seeks a Director of Development for Technology Sector to lead fundraising efforts across university priorities. You will manage a portfolio of major-gift prospects, cultivate relationships with technology leaders, and secure significant commitments to support student success, research, and innovation.

The role requires building strategic partnerships with campus leadership and external stakeholders, while advancing university-wide philanthropic initiatives and ensuring

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience in development or related field.
• Experience building relationships with high-net-worth individuals and securing commitments.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Experience translating priorities into philanthropic opportunities.
• Proficiency with CRM systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of major-gift prospects and donors.
• Develop and execute personalized donor engagement strategies.
• Conduct donor visits and solicit gifts including complex gifts.
• Prepare and present philanthropic proposals aligned with university priorities.
• Document prospect activities accurately in the advancement database.

Skills

Donor cultivation

Major gifts

Prospect management

Communication skills

CRM systems

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Job Summary

The Director of Development for Technology Sector at San Jose State University is a frontline fundraiser within University Advancement. The Director develops relationships with technology executives, founders, investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders whose interests may span multiple areas of the university. The Director is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding alumni, parents, friends, and other prospective donors with professional or philanthropic interests in technology, information systems, entrepreneurship, innovation, and related fields. This position operates within a university-wide advancement model and is not assigned exclusively to a particular college, school, or academic unit.

Job Summary

The Director of Development for Technology Sector at San Jose State University is a frontline fundraiser within University Advancement. The Director develops relationships with technology executives, founders, investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders whose interests may span multiple areas of the university. The Director is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding alumni, parents, friends, and other prospective donors with professional or philanthropic interests in technology, information systems, entrepreneurship, innovation, and related fields. This position operates within a university-wide advancement model and is not assigned exclusively to a particular college, school, or academic unit. Working collaboratively with advancement colleagues, university leadership, faculty, and program partners, the Director connects donors’ interests with institutional priorities and develops philanthropic opportunities that advance the university’s mission. The Director will manage a portfolio of major-gift prospects and donors, with an emphasis on securing significant commitments in support of university-wide priorities, interdisciplinary initiatives, student success, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology-enabled education, and other strategic opportunities. The Director of Development reports to the Associate Vice President for Development/Executive Director of the Campaign and works closely with central development, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, alumni engagement, research and prospect management, donor relations, and campaign operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of approximately [100–150] prospective donors, with primary responsibility for prospects capable of making major gifts of $50,000 or more
• Develop and execute individualized strategies for the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of assigned prospects
• Conduct a significant number of substantive donor and prospective donor visits and interactions annually, in person and virtually, in accordance with established performance expectations
• Prepare and present compelling philanthropic proposals aligned with donors’ interests and the university’s strategic priorities
• Solicit outright, multi-year, planned, blended, and other complex gifts in partnership with appropriate advancement colleagues
• Maintain a consistent pipeline of prospective donors at various stages of engagement and achieve annual fundraising, solicitation, qualification, and activity goals
• Build and maintain relationships with alumni and friends of the university who are founders, entrepreneurs, technology executives, information systems professionals, venture capital and private equity leaders, investors, innovators, and industry partners
• Develop a broad understanding of trends and philanthropic interests within technology, information systems, innovation, and entrepreneurial communities
• Create engagement strategies that connect technology-oriented constituents to the university through leadership briefings, faculty interactions, student programs, industry discussions and other meaningful experiences
• Identify emerging prospective donors within entrepreneurial and technology networks, including individuals whose university affiliation or philanthropic capacity may not yet be fully developed
• Help expand the university’s visibility and relationships within key technology and entrepreneurial markets
• Represent the full breadth of the university and develop philanthropic opportunities that may cross colleges, schools, departments, centers, institutes, and administrative units
• Assist in developing a university-wide philanthropic strategy for engaging technology and information systems entrepreneurs and industry leaders
• Ensure that donors receive timely, meaningful, and personalized stewardship
• Document prospect contacts, strategies, proposals, and other relevant information accurately and promptly in the advancement database

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to communicate with constituents in a professional and respectful manner
• Working knowledge of, or the ability to develop proficiency in, the appropriate and ethical use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), in higher education and administrative contexts
• Ability to apply emerging technologies to support operational effectiveness, data-informed decision-making, and service delivery to students, faculty, and staff
• Demonstrated ability to support continuous improvement and organizational learning through the responsible application of technology within assigned areas of responsibility
• Ability to evaluate potential applications, promote responsible, ethical, and equitable use, and ensure alignment with institutional policies, regulatory requirements, and strategic priorities
• Ability to identify donors and close gifts of six and seven figures
• Ability to navigate the institution/assigned unit and make the appropriate match for donor interests
• Ability to engage and support volunteer leadership with their efforts in fundraising, consultation, and advocacy
• Skilled in networking and opening doors as well as developing donor-centric cultivation and solicitation strategies
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• High level of initiative, attention to detail and organization skills
• Skilled in successfully managing multiple projects on tight deadlines and under pressure in a dynamic and open environment
• Ability to define problems, gather data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
• Proficient in Google Suite and Microsoft Office Suite and ability to utilize fundraising database programs, and learn new tech platforms for project management
• Knowledge of clear, audience-appropriate communication practices for students, faculty, and staff, while maintaining a student-centered approach

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in development, major-gift fundraising, constituent engagement, business development, external relations, or a related field.
• Experience in building relationships with high-net-worth individuals and securing significant philanthropic or business commitments
• Excellent written communication skills
• Experience working with complex organizations and translating institutional priorities into compelling philanthropic opportunities
• Proficiency with CRM systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Degree
• Experience in higher education advancement or business development in private tech related fields
• Experience cultivating and soliciting gifts of $100,000 or more
• Experience with technology, information systems, venture capital, startup, or entrepreneurial sectors
• Experience working with founders, executives, investors, or other high-capacity professional constituencies
• Experience developing interdisciplinary or institution-wide philanthropic opportunities
• Experience with planned giving, principal gifts, corporate engagement, or campaign fundraising

Compensation

Classification: Administrator II

Anticipated Hiring Range: $10,000/month - $10,167/month

CSU Salary Range: $5,053/month - $16,221/month

The final hiring salary will be commensurate with experience.

• San José State University offers employees a comprehensive benefits package typically worth 30-35% of your base salary. For more information on programs available, please see the Employee Benefits Summary .

Contact Information

People and Culture

[e-mail]

CSU Vaccination Policy

The CSU strongly recommends that all individuals who access any in‑person program or activity (on‑or off‑campus) operated or controlled by the University follow COVID‑19 vaccine recommendations adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) applicable to their age, medical condition, and other relevant indications and comply with other safety measures established by each campus. The system wide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/ and questions may be sent to [e-mail] .

Additional Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will issue a contingent offer of employment to the selected candidate, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was offered the position on a contingent basis.

The standard background check includes: criminal check, employment, and education verification. Depending on the position, a motor vehicle and/or credit check may be required. All background checks are conducted through the university's third‑party vendor, Accurate Background. Some positions may also require fingerprinting. SJSU will pay all costs associated with this procedure. Evidence of required degree(s) or certification(s) will be required at time of hire.

SJSU IS NOT A SPONSORING AGENCY FOR STAFF OR MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. (e.g. H1-B VISAS)

All San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Incumbent is also required to promptly report any knowledge of a possible Title IX related incident to the Title IX Office or report any discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation to the Office of Equal Opportunity.

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act and Campus Housing Fire Safety Notification: Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety‑related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three