Development Officer

University of Toronto•Toronto, ON

9d•CA$91,677 - CA$117,242•Onsite

About The Position

The Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto offers graduate programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, forestry, and visual studies — as well as unique undergraduate programs that use architectural studies and visual studies as a lens through which students may pursue a broad, liberal arts-based education. Its mission is to educate students, prepare professionals, and cultivate scholars who will play a leading role in creating more culturally engaged, ecologically sustainable, socially just, and artfully conceived environments. The greater Toronto region serves as a dynamic laboratory for both its students and faculty, while the University of Toronto, which year after year ranks among the top universities in the world, provides a wealth of knowledge and expertise that they can draw from. Like Toronto, Daniels students and faculty are incredibly cosmopolitan in sensibility, hailing from every part of the world, with their work crossing all sorts of geographic and cultural boundaries. The city’s multicultural networks and international connections make the Daniels Faculty a powerful place to start a career. The Office of Advancement was established in 1998 to build the profile of the Faculty and to raise private funds to support its mission of offering internationally recognized research, teaching, creative practice, and critical discourse in the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, forestry, urban design, and visual studies. Through a range of programs, events and special initiatives, the office raises awareness among current and prospective donors, alumni, volunteers and friends regarding the importance of investing in the Faculty and our students. Reporting to the Director of Advancement and working as part of a collaborative, high-performing advancement team, the Development Officer will play a key role in advancing fundraising and stewardship priorities at the Daniels Faculty. The incumbent will build and strengthen relationships with donors, alumni, volunteers, and colleagues; develop and implement thoughtful donor engagement and stewardship strategies; and contribute to the identification, cultivation, solicitation, recognition, and retention of annual (<$1,000) and leadership giving ($1,000-$49,999) donors. This role requires a professional who can combine strong relationship-building skills with strategic thinking, sound judgment, attention to detail, and data-informed decision-making. The Development Officer will help advance faculty priorities through donor-centered communication, effective collaboration, and a commitment to inclusive excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
Minimum of three (3) years’ recent experience in philanthropy, fundraising, or a related advancement environment, with demonstrated knowledge of donor relations, stewardship, and fundraising practices.
Familiarity with fundraising principles and best practices related to annual and leadership giving, demonstrated through experience in fundraising, donor relations, alumni engagement, or related advancement work within a complex organization.
Experience with prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship across the donor lifecycle.
Demonstrated ability to develop and implement tailored fundraising and stewardship initiatives that align with broader strategic priorities and respond to donor and organizational needs.
Experience drafting complex donor reports, proposals, and donor-facing communications.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, compelling, and audience-appropriate messaging for donors, colleagues, and other stakeholders.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills, with the ability to use donor information, trends, and reporting to inform strategy and decision-making.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain effective, respectful relationships with donors, alumni, volunteers, and colleagues, and to engage a range of stakeholders with professionalism, sound judgment, and diplomacy.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment and contribute positively to an inclusive, respectful, and high-performing team culture.
Demonstrated success managing projects involving multiple stakeholders, including senior colleagues and external partners, with the ability to coordinate competing priorities, meet deadlines, advance initiatives independently, and maintain accuracy and strong attention to detail.
Strong computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), donor database systems (e.g., ARBOR), and budget tracking tools.

Nice To Haves

Experience with the University’s policies, and the Division of University Advancement is a strong asset
Experience working with in a university environment.

Responsibilities

Developing and implementing plans to support donor management and stewardship strategies and/or activities
Conceptualizing, organizing and executing event activities
Assessing needs and contributing to the development and implementation of plans for prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation and recognition
Writing project-specific proposals related to fundraising campaigns
Determining logistics required for fundraising activities including direct mail, email and telefund
Developing components of programs and initiatives that advance strategic objectives
Analyzing complex giving and donor trends/patterns and making strategic recommendations to senior University officials
Assigning and checking the work of work-study students