Director of Regional Development (Central U.S. Region – Remote, TX)

Oklahoma State University Foundation•,

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Regional Development, focusing on the Central U.S. Region (primarily Texas/Southwest/Central), will solicit private support from alumni, friends, corporations, and foundations for Oklahoma State University (OSU). This role operates under the direction of the Assistant Vice President of Philanthropy and coordinates fundraising initiatives with other OSU Foundation activities. The primary goal is to expand major and planned gift work by securing and stewarding private gifts for OSU. The department's purpose is to strengthen and cultivate philanthropic support and alumni engagement in key geographic areas, broaden the donor base, enhance visibility, and drive local impact through tailored outreach and strategic fundraising.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing and communications, nonprofit management, humanities, or related fields required.
Minimum of 5 years in fundraising, development, major gifts, or relevant professional experience required.
Effective Communication: Listens well, diffuses conflict, highly persuasive, presents engaging ideas, reduces communication barriers, carries out crucial conversations.
Execution & Initiative: Holds staff accountable, understands donor needs and internal processes, pursues continuous improvement, takes charge in crisis, makes timely decisions.
Teamwork/Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates commitment to employee engagement, builds business plans, monitors progress, utilizes recognition programs, creates cross-functional teams, retains employees by building trust and developing skills, builds relationships internally and externally, coaches others, maintains confidentiality, navigates complex and political environments.
Problem Solving/Judgment: Builds team understanding of policies and procedures, identifies opportunities across business lines, solves problems proactively, challenges assumptions, bases decisions on data analysis, wisdom, and experience.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Explores implications of shifting dynamics, engages team members in change efforts, explains rationale/impacts/benefits of change, involves others in planning and implementing change, leads with confidence during change, drives implementation and acceptance of change.
Courage & Conviction: Takes responsibility for team outcomes, learns from results, creates an environment where failure is an opportunity for learning, practices ethical decision making, holds others accountable.
Donor Centered: Ensures team understands donor-centered service, explains difficult information from the donor's perspective.
Requires a valid driver's license.

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

Independently perform identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects capable of giving $50,000+.
Manage assigned territories and meet with identified prospects from any college or area of interest on behalf of OSU.
Collaborate with OSUF development staff on donor connections, using transparent communication and sharing information, strategy, proposal creation, and stewardship.
Work with campus leaders, including the President, Provost, Deans, and Faculty, as well as the Alumni Association, Career Services, and Enrollment Management.
Maintain an active schedule of contacts, solicitations, and stewardship activities for key prospects, including corporations, foundations, and individuals.
Conduct 150+ personal visits with donors, prospective donors, and their advisors to solicit planned and major gifts.
Manage a portfolio of 75-100 active donors and prospects, traveling locally, regionally, and nationally as needed.
Report and track fundraising progress using contact reports, prospect management, and other communication tools.
Successfully solicit 15+ major gifts annually.
Partner with colleagues in donor relations, corporate and foundation relations, annual giving, planned giving, and alumni association programs to engage the constituency base.
Identify and work with Alumni Association and Foundation representatives to execute regional events, from small lunches to large dinners.
Provide volunteer leadership and management as directed.
Develop and manage individual travel budget annually.
Assist the Assistant Vice President of Regional Development with the management of the fundraising department, potentially including day-to-day oversight of administrative positions.
Perform other duties as assigned.