Managing Director, Yale Alumni Fund

Annual Giving Network LLC; New Haven (CT); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Yale University is seeking a Managing Director for the Yale Alumni Fund to lead an annual giving program and advance donor engagement across Yale College, the Graduate School, and professional schools. You will drive data-informed strategies and collaborate with university partners to optimize fundraising results and volunteer engagement.

The role directs a ~25-person team and reports to the Associate Vice President for Development, focusing on sustaining ambitious annual goals and building a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and ten plus years of relevant fundraising experience.
• Proven ability to mentor fundraising staff and manage projects.
• Excellent written, oral, and presentation skills.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills with attention to detail.
• Strategic thinker with data-driven approach and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Plan, manage, and execute all aspects of development effort and donor programs.
• Collaborate with senior management to set short- and long-term fundraising goals.
• Develop and implement plans for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship across donor lifecycles.
• Direct and grow a team of development professionals to increase activity and performance.
• Build ties with Yale faculty to align fundraising with programs and mission.
• Engage faculty, administrators, and university officials in fundraising initiatives.
• Coordinate senior management development activities and calendar for maximum impact.
• Maintain a significant portfolio of leadership and principal gift prospects.
• Contribute to strategy and content for publications and events.
• Engage with School Fund Board and broader alumni networks as needed.
• Work with development offices to align priorities and resources.
• Serve as liaison to provide information and develop prospect strategies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Mentor leadership

Fundraising expertise

Written and oral comms

Team leadership

Data-driven mindset

Education

Bachelor’s degree + 10+ years experience

Job description

Description

Working at Yale means contributing to a better tomorrow. Whether you are a current resident of our New Haven-based community, eligible for opportunities through the New Haven Hiring Initiative, or a newcomer, interested in exploring all that Yale has to offer, your talents and contributions are welcome. Discover your opportunities at Yale!

Overview

Founded in 1890, the Yale Alumni Fund is one of the world’s oldest continuously operating annual giving programs. Its purpose is to secure flexible, unrestricted support that advances Yale’s core mission: tocreate, disseminate, and preserve knowledge through research and teaching. As part of the recently concluded For Humanity campaign, the Alumni Fund contributed more than $375 million through over 350,000 gifts—demonstrating the extraordinary collective impact of Yale alumni, parents, and friends. With an annual goal of securing more than $50 million from constituents across Yale College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Yale’s professional schools, the Alumni Fund is a cornerstone of Yale’s philanthropic tradition and a vital source of support for the university’s highest priorities. Its work is championed by university leadership and carried out in close partnership with schools, units, volunteers, and colleagues throughout Yale.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Development, the Managing Director of the Yale Alumni Fund will provide strategic vision and operational leadership of Yale’s annual giving program. The Managing Director will develop and execute comprehensive, data-informed strategies for donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, acquisition, retention, pipeline development, and volunteer engagement, ensuring that the Alumni Fund consistently achieves ambitious annual goals while advancing the broader priorities of the Yale University Office of Development. The role will strengthen participation and philanthropic support across Yale’s constituencies, expand the pipeline of future volunteers and leadership-level donors, and foster meaningful, lifelong relationships between Yale and its alumni, parents, and friends. Success will require close coordination with colleagues across Development, Alumni Affairs, Yale College, the Graduate School, the professional schools, and other university partners to align strategy, share insights, and deliver a cohesive donor and volunteer experience.

The Managing Director will lead, inspire, and develop a team of approximately 25 professionals, including three deputy directors, who design and implement comprehensive annual giving and engagement strategies. The team partners with volunteers, alumni, parents, students, and colleagues across Yale to achieve fundraising and participation goals while deepening donor loyalty and volunteer commitment. The Managing Director will establish clear priorities and performance expectations, promote collaboration and innovation, support professional growth, and cultivate an inclusive, high-performing culture grounded in accountability, creativity, and shared purpose. The role will also ensure that resources, systems, communications, and programmatic efforts are aligned to maximize results and position the Alumni Fund for sustained success.

The Managing Director serves as the principal staff leader for the Alumni Fund Board of Directors, a volunteer body of nearly 100 members that convenes three times each year. In this capacity, the Managing Director will work closely with board leadership to shape agendas, advance strategic priorities, strengthen member engagement, and equip volunteers to serve as effective ambassadors and advocates for Yale. The Managing Director will also foster strong relationships with class, school, and regional volunteer leaders and will serve as an invited guest of the Yale Alumni Association Board of Governors, helping to connect annual giving priorities with Yale’s broader alumni engagement strategy.

The principal responsibilities outlined below provide a broad framework for the position. Candidates should give particular attention to the position focus, which describes the leadership priorities, strategic opportunities, and organizational needs most relevant to the Managing Director’s success.

Required Skills and Abilities

• 1.Proven ability to mentor and guide fundraising staff to collaborate with colleagues and execute immediate strategies and long-term projects. Experience in leading, coaching and motivating other professionals. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• 2.Proven track record in fundraising. Demonstrated accomplishment in managing or executing a wide range of solicitation, marketing, and stewardship activities.
• 3.Possesses excellent written, oral and presentation skills. Experience synthesizing and prioritizing information from a wide array of sources while maintaining attention to detail and effectively managing workflow. Excellent organizational and analytical skills and the ability to improve business practices and processes.
• 4.Proactive, productive team leader with a positive attitude
• 5.Possesses initiative, creativity, a data-driven work ethic, and willingness to take personal responsibility for outcomes. Results-oriented, driven to succeed, innovative, and inspired by challenging goals.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

• 1. Experience in a university setting or with development work; advanced degree; familiarity with Yale.

Principal Responsibilities

• 1. Responsible for planning, managing, and executing all aspects of development effort. 2. Works closely with senior management to develop both short- and long-term fundraising goals and strategies, including a strategic plan for building a post-campaign pipeline in anticipation of the next campaign. 3. Works with staff to develop and implement plans to carry out the organization’s goals and strategies, including establishing specific activity goals for all phases of the donor/prospect life-cycle (cultivation, solicitation, closure and stewardship). 4. Directs and grows a team of development professionals responsible for generating an increased volume of successful development activities and establishing a culture that encourages ever-improving levels of performance and responsiveness to donors. 5. Develops strong ties with the faculty in order to understand and support the organization’s programs and mission. 6. Manages engagement of faculty, administrators, and University officials in fundraising efforts. 7. Manages and staffs the senior management development activities and calendar to ensure maximum deployment. 8. Personally maintains a significant portfolio of leadership and principal gift prospects. 9. Participates in the development of strategy and content for all development publications and events. 10. If requested, develops and maintains relationships with members of the School Fund Board, if in existence. 11. Works regularly and cooperatively with other development offices to ensure overall development priorities, plans, and initiatives are coordinated. 12. Serves as the liaison with other development offices to provide information on organization needs and to develop strategies for prospects that are staffed centrally. 13. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree and ten plus years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.