Director, Principal Gifts & International Development

Department: Alumni Relations & Development

Salary/Grade: EXS/13

Job Summary

This director position works closely with top donors and internal stakeholders, and requires a high level of judgement, attention to detail, customer service, organization, communication, and ability to multi-task and prioritize. The position requires the ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality, a thorough understanding of principal gift donor and prospect backgrounds, and strategic decision making in a fast paced, professional environment. The position requires the ability to record, coordinate, and track gift agreements and commitments for top donor families, which includes convening key internal partners involved with executing the agreement terms, managing special commitments, and overseeing timelines and reporting details. This position will ensure that transformational gifts are well stewarded, donor funds and gifts are being spent accurately and in a timely manner, and that all appropriate reporting and documentation is undertaken. Participate in senior leadership meetings with key university stakeholders, work directly with university administration and schools and directors to obtain and track pertinent information and implement processes and communications to keep ARD senior team informed. This position reports to the Assistant Vice President, Principal Gifts and International Development who is based in the New York Alumni Relations and Development Regional Office. This position manages one direct report, Assistant Director. Eligible for hybrid work arrangement with at least three days in the office.

Strategic Planning

• Serve as concierge for top 3-4 donor families and collaborate to manage ongoing engagement, stewardship, and cultivation plans. Develop long-term innovative stewardship and cultivation strategies to advance future solicitation plans in coordination with senior fundraisers.

• Prepare top prospect dossiers and participate in top donor strategy discussions with AVP and Vice President ARD to inform cultivation and engagement strategies.

• Develop new reports and tools to manage principal gift pipeline including the Principal Gift dashboard and other ad hoc reports.

• Partner with key internal stakeholders to develop and implement strategic initiatives that meet and advance fundraising priorities.

Collaboration

• Develop and maintain key collaborations with ARD senior fundraisers, donor relations and university partners to advance solicitation and cultivation plans.

• Participate in senior leadership meetings with key university stakeholders specific to transformational gift management and communication.

Prospects & Gifts

• Collaborate with Gift Acceptance and Fund Management to manage, coordinate, and track gift agreements and commitments for top donor families, including convening key internal partners involved with executing the agreement terms, managing special commitments, and overseeing timelines and reporting details.

• Regularly review unassigned high-net worth families, assess opportunities to deepen engagement and identify unmanaged prospects working closely with Assistant Vice President (AVP). Collaborate with AVP and prospect managers to organize wholistic and comprehensive multigenerational family engagement strategies.

Evaluation

• Manage reporting dashboard and implementation of quantitative measurements for $5M+ prospect and gift pipeline.

• Analyze trends across peer universities to help inform innovative cultivation or stewardship plans for transformational and principal gift donors and prospects.

Volunteers

• Work closely with AVP to support high-level volunteer fundraising committees to engage both principal gift and international donors through the Principal Gifts Committee (PGC) and the Global Philanthropic Advisory Council (GPAC).

• Oversee the organization of volunteer prospect review and peer engagement assignments, volunteer briefings, and tracking of volunteer outreach and drafting communications to committee members.

Events

• Defines event objectives for select volunteer hosted events including criteria to engage high net worth prospects, strategy and follow up plans.

• Oversees the design of select targeted volunteer hosted events designed to deepen pipeline of principal gift donors and prospects.

• Collaborates with internal/external partners to ensure that events are implemented and meet or exceed planned goals.

Administration

• Operationalizes goals and objectives; ensures that resources are created or obtained.

• Oversees the creation and implementation of data quality and reporting mechanisms.

Supervisory

• Supervises 1 or more staff. Responsible for individual goal setting

• Leads, coaches and evaluates performance of direct reports

Minimum Qualifications: (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.

• 8+ years of professional experience in a development role at a large university or non-profit

• Demonstrated commitment to creating and promoting a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace environment.

• Demonstrated analytical, project design/management, and creative problem solving skills

• Knowledge of higher education preferred

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Curiosity and analytical skills, global/organizational perspective; complex problem solving; ability to work in fast-paced environment; attention to detail; commitment to excellence

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal; an ability to build trust and credibility with senior internal and external stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications: (Education and experience)

Experience as a frontline fundraiser or the equivalent with executing or developing strategies to effectively cultivate, steward, and close major gifts

Target hiring range for this position will be between $140,000-$160,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.