Director of Development, Major Gifts, Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Harvard University • Cambridge, MA

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Development is a full-time, exempt member of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Major Gifts team, reporting to the Senior Director of Development, FAS Major Gifts, West Coast. The role develops and executes sophisticated cultivation and solicitation strategies for an assigned portfolio of alumni and parent prospect households in the West Coast region, with the goal of securing major gifts. At maturity, the position is expected to generate more than $15 million annually.

The Director partners with colleagues in Principal Gifts, Major Gifts, Gift Planning, and the Harvard College Fund, as well as volunteers and others throughout Alumni Affairs and Development, to encourage major-gift support across FAS. The position involves frequent travel with senior academic and administrative leaders, onsite work in the Cambridge, Massachusetts office on assigned days, and some remote-work eligibility for candidates based in California. The role also includes work at events and campus activities, such as spring reunions, and participation in department retreats in Cambridge.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• At least 10 years of experience in university fundraising or relevant transferable experience required.
• Ability to travel approximately 35% of working days.
• Work onsite in the Cambridge, Massachusetts office on assigned weekly days; additional onsite meetings may be required. Remote status is an option for candidates based in California.
• Knowledge of complex academic institutions and experience staffing academic leaders in development work required.
• Highly sophisticated and comprehensive understanding of fundraising best practices.
• Strong active listening skills, including the ability to ask sensitive questions tactfully.
• Willingness to learn, embrace new ideas, and remain flexible and open to change.
• Professional, confidential, honest, and trustworthy conduct; sound judgment when handling confidential information and evaluating problems.
• Ability to deal effectively and politely with people from varied backgrounds and in challenging situations.
• Collaborative approach, ability to lead through influence, and high emotional intelligence; patience to advance solutions in a complex organization.
• Strong organizational, strategic, and conceptual skills; ability to manage multiple projects and difficult situations with patience.
• Excellent communication skills, including persuasive writing and the ability to build effective relationships with internal and external constituencies.
• Computer literacy and experience with Windows-based PCs and prospect management databases.

Nice To Haves

• Proven track record of closing six- and seven-figure gifts and/or relevant transferable experience strongly preferred.
• Ability to uncover prospective donors’ interests, motivations, and objections, with pleasant persistence and sound judgment strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage a targeted portfolio of prospect households and meet or exceed goals for prospect visits, solicitations, gift closures, and dollars raised.
• Build an understanding of prospects’ philanthropic interests, capacity, and inclination through in-person and virtual meetings.
• Develop and execute multi-step prospect strategies that engage academic leadership, faculty, and other Harvard community members and lead to successful solicitation and closure of major gifts.
• Foster relationships between prospective donors and Harvard academic leaders, faculty, and other community members.
• Travel frequently with senior academic and administrative leaders; secure anchor visits, plan meetings to make effective use of leaders’ time, and communicate strategies through written briefings and pre-visit meetings or calls.
• Coordinate prospect strategies with senior fundraising leaders in FAS Development, the University Development Office, and other Harvard Schools, particularly for prospects with multi-school affiliations or interests.
• Serve as a leader, resource, and mentor to other fundraisers, and contribute to prospect strategy reviews and trainings.
• Take on programmatic responsibilities as needed, such as focusing on discrete fundraising initiatives or priorities; portfolio composition may shift accordingly.
• Enter contact reports promptly and maintain accurate prospect stage and solicitation records in alumni databases.
• Work at certain events and campus activities, including spring reunions, and participate in department retreats in Cambridge.
• Perform other responsibilities as required.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off, including parental leave.
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one.
• Retirement plans with university contributions.
• Wellbeing and mental health resources.
• Support for families and caregivers.
• Professional development opportunities, including tuition assistance and reimbursement.
• Commuter benefits, discounts, and campus perks.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior