Director of Development, Spears School of Business

Oklahoma State University Foundation•Stillwater, OK

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Development, Spears School of Business, plays a crucial role in advancing the mission and strategic initiatives of Oklahoma State University (OSU) and the Spears School of Business by building long-term philanthropic partnerships. This position focuses on securing major gifts through personalized donor engagement and strategic fundraising, with a primary emphasis on gifts of $50,000 or more. The role involves managing a portfolio of major gift prospects, conducting personal visits, and closing solicitations to meet annual production goals. Additionally, the Director will serve as a liaison to campus departments, collaborate on fundraising initiatives, provide strategic leadership for donor stewardship, and contribute to team and organizational goals through cross-functional partnerships and mentorship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing and communications, nonprofit management, humanities, or related fields required.
Minimum of 5-7 years in fundraising, development, major gifts, or relevant professional experience required.
Effective Communication: Listens well and diffuses conflict before it starts; highly persuasive in communications; presents ideas in a manner which actively engages people; takes action to reduce communication barriers and ensure arrangements are in place for effective communication across and within the organization; successfully carries out crucial conversations and encourages and coaches others to have crucial conversations to resolve conflict.
Execution & Initiative: Holds staff accountable for achieving standards of excellence and results for the organization; seeks out understanding of both donor needs and internal processes; continuously pursues improvement of the organization’s performance by enhancing business processes, systems, teams, facilities or equipment; takes charge in a crisis and effectively maneuvers through complex situations and makes tough decisions in a timely manner.
Teamwork/Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates commitment to employee engagement and leverages programs and tools to build business plans and monitor progress; utilizes employee recognition and reward programs to celebrate individual and team success; looks for opportunities to create cross-functional teams that leverage employee strengths; proactively takes steps to retain employees by building trust and developing their skills; builds relationships internally and externally and uses relationships to build consensus and create results; coaches others and is able to message appropriately, maintaining confidentiality; excels in maneuvering in a complex and political environment.
Problem Solving/Judgment: Builds teams understanding of how to apply approved policies and procedures to ensure compliance; looks more broadly across multiple lines of business to identify opportunities and proactively solve problems and implement solutions; challenges assumptions, bases decisions on the right mixture of data analysis as well as wisdom and experience.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Partners with other colleagues to explore implications of shifting dynamics; communicates in an effort to engage team members and partners in change efforts, explaining the rationale, impacts and benefits of change both vertically and horizontally; involves others in planning and implementing change, keeping them informed of progress; leads with confidence during times of change; drives the implementation and acceptance of change in the workplace, including innovative solutions and alternative approaches for changing circumstances.
Courage & Conviction: Takes responsibility for team outcomes regardless of success and learns from all results; creates an environment where failure is seen as an opportunity for learning; practices ethical decision making and encourages the same in others; has the courage to hold others accountable for their actions and decisions.
Donor Centered: Ensures team understands the importance of donor centered service in accordance with OSUF standards; explains difficult information while focused on the donor’s perspective and level of knowledge.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a higher education setting preferred.
Fundraising and donor management software experience desired.
Proven sense of humor and ability to have fun!

Responsibilities

Solicit and secure major gifts to OSUF with a focus on gifts of $50,000+ with a particular focus on qualifying and disqualifying prospects.
Manage a portfolio of 60+ major gift prospects with giving capability for major gifts to OSU Foundation.
Conduct a minimum of 150 personal visits with donors and prospective donors annually, with a focus on qualifying new major gift prospects.
Complete 15+ major gift solicitations annually (closing a minimum of 60% of solicitations at major gift level of $50,000+).
Responsible for annual production goal of $1M+.
Report and track fundraising progress through the use of contact reports, prospect management and other communication tools to ensure efficient and effective communication. Maintain accurate donor records and uphold data best practices in ascend.
Serve as a liaison to assigned department heads, center directors, faculty, staff, and campus leadership, collaborating on fundraising initiatives, donor engagement strategies, and program priorities while providing relevant updates to OSU Foundation team members.
Provide strategic leadership and support for Spears School of Business donor stewardship initiatives and key constituent engagement events.
Develop and execute established donor engagement strategies in partnership with OSUF stewardship managers for portfolio.
Advance OSU priorities by partnering across colleges, units, and development teams to identify and maximize philanthropic opportunities, contributing to cross-functional initiatives as needed, and fostering a welcoming culture through mentorship and onboarding support for new employees.
Other duties as assigned.