School of Arts & Sciences Director, Advancement

University of Rochester

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The School of Arts & Sciences Director, Advancement serves as a senior fundraising strategist and frontline major gift officer for the School of Arts & Sciences. Reporting to the Executive Director of Advancement – School of Arts & Sciences, this role advances the University of Rochester’s strategic plan and Ever Better campaign by developing and executing coordinated philanthropic strategies that drive transformational support for the School of Arts & Sciences and Mount Hope Family Center (MHFC). The director will manage a robust portfolio of major gift prospects. Extensive domestic travel is required to appropriately cultivate, solicit and steward these prospects. S/he will carry a portfolio of approximately 100 prospects and will be considered a 75% major gift officer, with the remaining 25% focused on leadership of programmatic aspects of advancement for the school. The Director leads strategy for the identification, engagement, and advancement of donors for Mount Hope Family Center as a key campaign growth segment, building a sustainable pipeline of major gift prospects. In partnership with leadership, the Director translates institutional priorities into compelling, mission-driven opportunities that inspire philanthropic investment and engagement. Operating within a matrixed Advancement model, the Director leads collaborates across central and unit-based teams to align prospect strategy, coordinate moves management across shared portfolios, and maximize philanthropic outcomes for the School of Arts & Sciences and Mount Hope Family Center.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree required
7 years development experience including experience soliciting gifts, or closely related experience required; comparable combination of experience and education will be considered.
Evidence of ability to work effectively with faculty and distinguished major prospects required.
Excellent skills in written and oral communication required.
Strong collaborative skills required.
Sufficiently well-organized to deal effectively with donor stewardship issues and “moves” to advance donors according to a plan required.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of approximately 100 major gift prospects, closing major gifts exceeding $100,000.
Develop and execute long-term cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies aligned with University and campaign priorities.
Advance prospects through a disciplined moves management framework, ensuring coordinated strategy across shared prospects and portfolios.
Identify, qualify, and shape new opportunities in collaboration with Advancement partners to optimize portfolio composition and institutional impact.
Achieve performance metrics with emphasis on qualifications, pipeline growth, proposal volume, and stage progression.
Lead and manage strategic efforts to identify, engage, and advance cultivation of prospects rated $1–5M, aligning regional, unit, and central Advancement partners to execute cohesive strategies that advance prospects toward major gift commitments.
Lead strategy to identify, engage, and advance prospect cultivation for Mount Hope Family Center as a key campaign growth segment, building a sustainable pipeline of prospects.
Serve as a primary Advancement liaison to the Director of Mount Hope Family Center, as well as the chairs of assigned departments, and Dean of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs, aligning fundraising strategies with priorities and opportunities.
Partner with the Dean’s Office, including Associate Deans, to integrate campaign priorities and philanthropic opportunities into deans, director, and chair meetings, presenting as needed.
Translate institutional and academic priorities into compelling, mission-driven cases for support that resonate with prospects and align with campaign priorities.
Monitor and drive performance across the Mount Hope Family Center pipeline, ensuring strong pipeline health, strategic movement, and measurable growth in high-capacity prospects.
Lead cross-functional alignment with central and unit-based Advancement teams to execute integrated engagement, cultivation, and stewardship strategies that advance shared prospects through the pipeline.
Serve as a primary liaison to assigned departments, developing deep knowledge of academic priorities, faculty research, and funding needs, including Mount Hope Family Center.
Advancement leadership partner with department chairs, faculty, and Associate Deans and director of MHFC to identify, shape, and advance philanthropic opportunities aligned with campaign priorities.
Lead coordination with the Dean’s Office to ensure Advancement and campaign priorities are integrated into department chair meetings, faculty forums, and school-wide planning discussions.
Align department-level priorities with institutional goals, ensuring cohesive donor engagement across units and programs.
Provide strategic counsel to the Executive Director of SAS Advancement, Deans, and Director of MHFC on donor engagement, portfolio strategy, and campaign positioning.
Holds chief responsibility for coordinating and managing relationships with leadership volunteers for SAS, Mount Hope Family Center and graduate alumni within the campaign structure, and key internal stakeholders (faculty, academic leadership), positioning them for maximum influence on philanthropic outcomes and departmental advocacy.
Leads prospect management strategy for assigned prospects and strategic advisor to Advancement colleagues, guiding cultivation, solicitation strategy, and positioning for SAS departments and Mount Hope Family Center, ensuring coordinated moves, clear ownership, and alignment with campaign priorities.
Own and advance cross-portfolio prospect strategy for the Mount Hope Family Center, strengthening pipeline development and major gift outcomes.
Serve as Advancement liaison to department-led advisory councils (e.g., History Alumni Advisory Council), aligning volunteer engagement with prospect strategy and campaign priorities to drive pipeline growth.
Advise and prepare senior leadership (Dean, Associate Deans, department chairs, faculty—including Director of MHFC) for high-impact donor strategy and solicitation decisions.
Translate prospect strategies into coordinated execution plans, ensuring timely and aligned follow-through across Advancement partners.
Partner across Advancement functions (events, communications, donor relations, regional teams) to deliver integrated donor engagement experiences.
Ensure accurate and strategic use of CRM systems (Ascend, Oasis) to document moves, track progress, and maintain visibility across shared portfolios.
Coordinate execution of key donor engagements, including briefings, proposals, and stewardship follow-up, in partnership with leadership.
Contribute to a collaborative, high-performing Advancement culture aligned with campaign goals.
Other duties as assigned