Director, Athletics Development

DePaul University•Chicago, IL

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Development for Athletics will serve as a crucial front line fundraiser, soliciting private support as part of DePaul’s Mission Forward campaign. Serving as a crucial member of the Athletics Advancement team, this position will also provide crucial leadership in the areas of annual giving campaigns and external engagement (inclusive of special events, communication and stewardship).

Requirements

Bachelor's degree, required.
Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.
Experience with fundraising CRM systems; Salesforce, preferred.
Experience in relationship building, cold calling, fundraising or sales.
Excellent personal presentation and superior communication skills.
Candidates with backgrounds in fundraising, business development, sales, corporate partnerships, alumni relations or related relationship-driven fields are encouraged to apply.
Willingness to develop relationships with colleagues across all areas of Advancement and the ability to work successfully with a wide variety of colleagues throughout campus.
Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate data into action plans.
Ability to develop and organize long-term plans and execute those plans.
Ability to prioritize and execute multiple tasks to meeting deadlines and goals.
Ability to work independently, identify opportunities, and proactively develop solutions with limited direction.
Demonstrated success achieving measurable fundraising, sales, business development, or engagement goals.

Nice To Haves

Salesforce, preferred.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain an active portfolio of approximately 100 major gift prospects, with a heavy emphasis on the Chicagoland area.
Identifies untapped donor segments and emerging engagement opportunities to assist with identification.
Develops fundraising strategies (annual, multi-year, others) that are aligned with Athletics Strategic Plan goals of increase unique donor growth.
Regularly evaluates campaign performance and adjusts strategies based on donor behavior, engagement trends, and ROI.
Create, develop, and implement a comprehensive stewardship program for athletics that includes donor events, acknowledgements, impact reports, and ensuring all stated benefits are delivered.
Representation at numerous external functions, home athletic contests and participation, as appropriate, in university-wide initiatives, task forces, and committees, representing assigned areas in select engagement activities.
Supervisor for one position (Assistant Director, Development for Athletics).
Provide oversight in the areas of annual giving and stewardship/donor relations.
Approximately 20% of this positions time will be spent supervising.