Managing Director of Development, Planned Giving

Marquette University; Wisconsin; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Marquette University is seeking a Managing Director of Development, Planned Giving to lead the university's planned giving program. This role develops and executes a comprehensive strategy, overseeing staff and a donor portfolio, and coordinating with university leadership to advance campaign goals.

The position requires a strong track record in fundraising, excellent communication skills, and a deep commitment to Jesuit values.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree; advanced degree in Law or Business preferred.
• At least 8 years of fundraising, legal, trust officer or business development experience.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Superior interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Commitment to Marquette's Jesuit Catholic mission.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for planned giving and develop a comprehensive long-term strategy.
• Oversee staff and manage a portfolio of donors to meet gifting goals.
• Collaborate across divisions to align campaign priorities with planned giving opportunities.
• Lead marketing, stewardship and analytics to improve donor engagement and retention.
• Travel as needed to meet prospects and donors and coordinate with university leadership.

Skills

Fundraising leadership

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree in Law or Business

Tools

MarqIt

Planned giving software

Job description

Managing Director of Development, Planned Giving

Position Information

• Position Title | Managing Director of Development, Planned Giving
• State | WI
• Employment Status | Full Time
• Position Status | Regular
• Position Type | Staff
• Job Family | Advancement

Position Overview

The Managing Director of Development, Planned Giving provides strategic leadership for the university’s planned giving program and is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive planned giving strategy that supports institutional priorities and the goals of the university’s next comprehensive campaign. The position leads program development, planned giving prospect strategy, marketing, stewardship, and performance management efforts while establishing the systems, processes, and metrics necessary to grow deferred and blended gift commitments. The Managing Director serves as the university’s lead resource on charitable gift planning, manages a portfolio of planned giving prospects and donors, and works collaboratively across University Advancement to advance philanthropic opportunities. This position supervises the Planned Giving team members. This position has the opportunity to work in a hybrid work arrangement with time worked on campus as well as remotely.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership, Program Management and Gift Planning Leadership

• Develop and lead a comprehensive long-term strategy for planned giving that advances the university’s fundraising priorities and positions planned giving as a core component of the university’s next comprehensive campaign.
• Design and implement campaign-specific planned giving strategies, goals, and performance metrics, including donor pipeline development, blended gift opportunities, legacy giving objectives, and campaign counting methodologies.
• Establish and continuously improve planned giving processes, systems, and operational standards to enhance fundraising effectiveness, donor engagement, stewardship, prospect management, proposal development, and gift administration.
• Partner with Advancement leadership to develop long-term fundraising strategies, prospect segmentation models, and campaign initiatives that increase deferred gift commitments and blended gift revenue.
• Partner with principal gift officers, college advancement officers, deans, and university leadership to identify and advance blended and planned gift opportunities.
• Lead the integration of planned giving strategies across principal giving, major gifts, college advancement, athletics, and donor relations to ensure coordinated donor engagement and maximize philanthropic outcomes.
• Establish annual and multi-year goals, benchmarks, and key performance indicators for the planned giving program; regularly assess performance and implement adjustments to achieve strategic objectives.
• Oversee planned giving marketing, stewardship, donor recognition, and Legacy Society activities to strengthen donor retention, engagement, and future gift commitments.
• Monitor trends, best practices, and emerging opportunities in charitable gift planning and incorporate innovative approaches that strengthen the university’s competitive position and campaign success.
• Serve as the university’s primary resource for charitable estate planning; advise fundraisers, donors, and professional advisors on gifts involving trusts, retirement assets, life insurance, real estate, business interests, and other complex assets.

2. Staff Leadership and Talent Development

• Provide full supervision of the Senior Director of Development, Planned Giving and Directors of Development, Planned Giving, including establishing clear goals, performance expectations, fundraising metrics, and accountability measures aligned with departmental and university priorities.
• Conduct regular portfolio reviews and performance evaluations to ensure staff are effectively managing donor pipelines, advancing prospects, achieving fundraising metrics, and contributing to annual and campaign objectives.
• Develop team talent by providing coaching, mentoring, training, and professional development opportunities that strengthen fundraising competencies and planned giving expertise.

3. Portfolio Management

• Manages a portfolio of approximately 40 current and prospective donors with capacity to make major or planned gifts of $125,000 and more to achieve an annual production goal of $2,000,000 or more; regularly identifies and contacts prospects through research and referrals as part of the fund development process of identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding planned giving and major gift donors.
• Meets individually with planned and major gift prospects and donors. Responsible for making 8-10 face-to-face visits per month designed to move prospects toward making a philanthropic commitment to the university.
• Develop and present planned gift and blended gift strategies; prepare gift illustrations, proposals, solicitation materials, and briefing documents; personally solicit major and planned gifts.
• Makes personal gift solicitations. Management of the process includes maintaining a comprehensive understanding of university priorities, preparation of the solicitation materials, conducting strategy meetings, and preparing briefing materials for the President, Vice President of University Advancement, Deans and others involved in the solicitation process.
• Travels independently, and with other fundraisers, deans, and faculty, as necessary, to qualify, engage, cultivate, and solicit potential donors in person about major and planned gift opportunities (estimated travel, ranging from local appointments to out of state visits, to comprise 25%-33% of work hours on a monthly basis).
• Serves as a planned giving facilitator, collaborator and strategist with senior philanthropic advisors, regional directors, college advancement officers, athletic fundraisers and others in the university to inform prospects of blended and planned gift opportunities.
• Produces gift illustrations using planned giving software when required.
• Files timely contact reports in MarqIt, UA’s database, as well as consistently updates gift plans and proposals being tracked in MarqIt.
• Plans and implements an annual strategic plan and fundraising production goal.

4. Training and Professional Education

• Lead planned giving education efforts for University Advancement; provide training and resources to fundraising staff and campus partners.

5. Mission and Culture

• Participates in other University Advancement and all-university meetings, events and projects as deemed necessary to support the Catholic and Jesuit mission, culture, and broader goals of the division and the university.
• Integrates and promotes the university’s mission and culture into all duties and responsibilities.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

A Bachelor’s degree, advanced degree in Law or Business preferred.At least 8 years of fundraising, legal, trust officer or business development experience.Excellent written and oral communication skills.Superior interpersonal and organizational skills are essential.Commitment to Marquette’s character as an urban institution, its goals, mission and Jesuit Catholic tradition is essential.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Advanced degree in Law or Business.
• A strong technical background/knowledge of deferred giving instruments and charitable estate planning is preferred.

Department

University Advancement

Posting Date

09/15/2026

EOE Statement

It is the policy of Marquette University to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other applicable federal or state-protected classification.