Major Gift Officer, West Coast

Cornell University; New York (NY); Remote; USD 102,000 - 126,000; Full time

Job summary

Cornell University seeks a Major Gifts Officer for its West Coast Development team to manage donor relations and secure major gifts. This remote role focuses on engaging with potential donors in California, requiring a bachelor’s degree and significant experience in development.

Benefits

Comprehensive health care options

Generous retirement contributions

Tuition-free Extramural Study

Three weeks of vacation

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience in development, alumni and volunteer engagement.
• Preferred experience working with non-alumni parent donors.

Responsibilities

• Driving philanthropic partnerships and managing donor relationships.
• Collaborating with leadership for engagement and solicitation strategies.
• Traveling for donor meetings and events across California.

Skills

Excellent oral communication

Excellent written communication

Problem solving

Good judgement

Relationship building

Results-oriented

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Cornell University’s regionally based West Coast Development team seeks to hire a Major Gifts Officer based in San Francisco Bay Area or Greater Los Angeles Area.

Cornell University's West Coast Development team seeks a dynamic Major Gift Officer to help advance our mission of being a place where "any person can find instruction in any study." Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, or the Greater Los Angeles Area, this role offers an exciting opportunity to connect passionate donors with transformative philanthropic opportunities.

As a key member of our West Coast team, you'll drive philanthropic partnerships that advance Cornell's strategic academic initiatives. You'll manage relationships with approximately 120 households across California, focusing on securing major gifts of $1-3 million. This is an ideal role for a relationship-builder who thrives on creating meaningful connections and delivering impactful results.

Key Responsibilities

• Serves as a resource, advocate, and spokesperson for Cornell University (with campuses in Ithaca, NY and New York City).

• Manages a portfolio of up to 120 prospective households, with the goal of developing and qualifying long-term philanthropic partners, and a special focus on engaging West Coast parents.

• Works collaboratively with members of College and University leadership, including college deans and associate deans, vice presidents, and faculty, as well as with colleagues across the division of Alumni Affairs & Development, in order to develop and implement engagement, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.

• As a member of the regionally-embedded West Coast Team, the incumbent also serves as a member of the University Major Gifts Team within the Alumni Affairs & Development division of Cornell University.

• Works fully remotely from a home office; attends occasional in person team meetings and retreats in a San Francisco office.

• Travels frequently within the state of California and to Cornell University’s Ithaca and New York City campuses. Local travel for donor meetings and events on a weekly basis, regional travel several times a year, as well as 2-6 campus trips a year.

Core Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of relevant experience in development, alumni and volunteer engagement, and communications/marketing, or an equivalent combination.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with a keen eye for detail

• Problem solving skills and initiative

• Good judgement, capable of having high-stakes conversations with tact and diplomacy

• Strong listening and relationship building skills, including in a virtual environment

• Results oriented, entrepreneurial and driven by metrics.

• Commitment to securing philanthropic support to advance Cornell’s higher education mission

• Experience working with non-alumni parent donors preferred.

Rewards and Benefits

Cornell receives national recognition, as an award-winning workplace. Benefits include:

• Comprehensive health care options, including access to wellness programs;

• Generous retirement contributions;

• Impressive educational benefits including tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program; Tuition Aid for external education; and the Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance program, which provides aid for employee’s children’s college education (after four years of service).

• Leave provisions including three weeks of vacation and 12 holidays

• Learn more about benefit opportunities here: https://hr.cornell.edu/understand-your-benefits

This position is an AAD Major Gift Officer with a salary range of $113,021- $138,137 (please disregard the salary listed below; that is the salary for Ithaca, NY). This position is based in San Francisco or Los Angeles metropolitan areas; this is a remote-work/home office-position.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

University Job Title:

Major Gifts Ofcr III

Job Family:

Alumni Affairs Development

Level:

G

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

Pay Range:

$102,747.00 - $125,579.00

Remote Option Availability:

Remote

Company:

Endowed

Contact Name:

Laura Clark

Job Titles and Pay Ranges:

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2025-04-17