Senior Director for Development, Schools & Centers Santa Clara University

Ajcunet; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 129,000 - 161,000; Full time

Job summary

Santa Clara University is seeking a Senior Director for Development, Schools & Centers to lead major gift fundraising and donor engagement. The role demands strategic collaboration with academic leaders and senior administrators to secure gifts from $100,000 to $1,999,999.

The position offers a hybrid work arrangement, a competitive salary, and opportunities to shape philanthropic initiatives across schools and centers through a dedicated development team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 8+ years of related professional fundraising experience.
• 3+ years of direct major gift fundraising experience with a track record of securing gifts.

Responsibilities

• Lead qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of 125 high-net-worth prospects.
• Develop multi-interest proposals with academic leadership and other officers.
• Prepare comprehensive proposals, budgets, reports and letters for donor engagement and stewardship.
• Coordinate planned giving requests and integrate them into fundraising strategies.
• Interact with deans, directors, and university administrators to craft fundraising strategy.
• Track activities in Blackbaud CRM and report performance to leadership.
• Contribute to strategic planning and organizational priorities.

Skills

Donor relationship management

Major gift fundraising

Proposal development

Communication skills

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Tools

Blackbaud CRM

Job description

Senior Director for Development, Schools & Centers

Position Title: Senior Director for Development, Schools & Centers

Position Type: Regular

Hiring Range: $129,000.00 $161,265.00 per year. Compensation will be based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.

Pay Frequency: Annual

Purpose This position plays a critical role in Santa Clara University’s efforts to secure resources for its strategic funding priorities and deepen its relationships with alumni and donors. Reporting to the Senior Executive Director of Development, Schools & Centers, the Senior Director for Development will manage and maintain a portfolio of 125 major gift prospects. He or she will lead the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects targeted for gifts between $100,000 and $1,999,999, working closely with senior university administrators and with an assigned School/Center on campus to develop meaningful, donor-centered development strategies.

This position is eligible for a flexible work schedule: hybrid – work from the office and home with a 3:2 ratio.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead the qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of 125 high-net-worth prospects ensuring that each receives regular and strategic contact, including face-to-face visits, phone, and email communication. Meet annual metrics set with the Senior Executive Director of Development.
• Collaborate with academic leaders and other development officers to develop multi-interest proposals and promote organized and strategic outreach to our donors.
• Produce well written, accurate, and timely follow-up and related correspondence such as comprehensive proposals, related budgets, contact reports, cover and thank you letters, e-mails, reports, and briefings in support of cultivating, soliciting and stewarding assigned prospects.
• Incorporate planned giving alternatives as necessary and appropriate. Coordinate planned giving requests.
• Interact with deans, directors and/or University administrators in the form of fundraising strategy development, meeting and event attendance and written briefings as they pertain to assigned prospects and prospect development.
• Track and record activities as they relate to assigned prospects using Blackbaud CRM constituent management software.
• Regularly reports to the Assistant Vice President of Individual Giving on personal fundraising performance, including future projections.
• Work with the Assistant Vice President of Individual Giving to actively contribute to strategic planning, decision-making, and goal setting to further University Relations strategic priorities.
• Participate as an active member of the Office of Development, sharing information and collaborating with colleagues respectfully and professionally; contributing to a healthy and positive work environment.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of Santa Clara University’s mission.

Provides Work Direction

• May provide work direction to a shared administrative assistant and/or student worker.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The items below are representative of the knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experience required or preferred.

This position requires the ability to effectively establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within a diverse multicultural environment.

1. Knowledge

• Knowledge of higher education.
• Demonstrated understanding of major giving, annual giving, and planned giving programs, with an emphasis on personal solicitations.
• Knowledge of scholarship and financial aid programs.
• Experience in budget development, implementation, and tracking.
• Understanding and appreciation of the mission of Santa Clara University and the vision and values of a Jesuit Catholic educational institution.

2. Skills

• Must be a goal-oriented and self-motivated individual who can demonstrate accountability, initiative, creativity, and focus in a rapidly changing and intellectually stimulating environment.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate, build alliances, and achieve results within a population that may possess competing interests, opinions, and /or expectations.
• Demonstrate strong active listening skills and ability to negotiate positive outcomes.
• Positive attitude, sense of humor, and flexibility.
• Proficiency in using fundraising databases (or similar).
• Required to have a valid driver’s license and personal vehicle available for frequent travel to business meetings (mileage is reimbursed under federal guidelines).

3. Abilities

• Demonstrate a level of comfort working and communicating with top executives, community leaders, and/or University leadership. Ability to motivate, build long-term relationships with, and gain the respect of internal and external clients.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of internal and external constituents.
• Demonstrated ability to craft solicitation strategies in support of strategic initiatives.
• Verifiable track record of soliciting individuals/organizations for financial investments and the ability to articulate and advocate a strong case for support.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage time and workload, multitask, and achieve goals in a deadline-driven environment.
• Demonstrate a genuine appetite to contribute to a collaborative, ethical, and professional team environment.
• Positive attitude, sense of humor, and flexibility.
• Ability to work on the road and/or work at odd hours and on weekends.
• Demonstrated ability to multitask in a deadline-driven environment with a healthy attitude to attaining goals; to work independently and as a member of a staff team; to exercise sound judgment and discretion; to promote collaboration.

Education & Years of Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 8+ years of related professional experience.
• 3+ years of direct major gift fundraising experience. Verifiable track record of raising $1,500,000 and above annually.
• Valid driver’s license.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Experienced university fundraising with broad knowledge of the principles and practices of major gift fundraising, and a verifiable track record of having secured gifts of $100,000+

Physical Demands The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, the California Fair Employment & Housing Act, and all other applicable laws, SCU provides reasonable accommodations for qualified persons with disabilities. A qualified individual is a person who meets skill, experience, education, or other requirements of the position, and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Considerable time is spent at a desk using a computer and phone.
• Required to frequently travel to outside constituent meetings.
• Required to travel to other buildings on the campus. May be required to attend conference and training sessions within the Bay Area or in-state or out-of-state locations.

Work Environment The work environment characteristics described below are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Typical office environment.
• Mostly indoor office environment with windows.
• Offices with equipment noise.
• Offices with frequent interruptions.
• Driving related to meetings with external constituents.
• Meeting with external constituents at off-campus locations including other offices, restaurants, other private and public venues.

Telecommute

Santa Clara University is registered to do business in the following states: California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Illinois. Employees approved to telecommute are required to perform their work within one of these states.

EEO Statement

Equal Opportunity/Notice of Nondiscrimination

Santa Clara University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, parental status, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy or related conditions, reproductive health decision making, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. For a complete copy of Santa Clara University’s equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies, please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX website at https://www.scu.edu/title-ix/.

Clery Notice of Availability

Santa Clara University annually collects information about campus crimes and other reportable incidents in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. To view the Santa Clara University report, please visit the Campus Safety Services website. To request a paper copy please call Campus Safety at [phone]. The report includes the type of crime, venue, and number of occurrences.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Consistent with its obligations under the law, Santa Clara University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants who wish to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact the Department of Human Resources ADA Team at [e-mail] or by phone at [phone]. Please note: This contact information is intended for accommodation requests only. Resumes or inquiries about application status sent to this inbox will not be reviewed or forwarded. For resumes or questions regarding application status, please contact [e-mail].