Executive Director of Development

Cal Poly Pomona•Pomona, CA

4d•$60,636 - $190,008•Hybrid

About The Position

The Division of University Advancement is responsible for enhancing private support and knowledge of the university through programs, events, and activities that engage alumni, friends, parents, corporations, and foundations. This division manages the Cal Poly Pomona Philanthropic Foundations, which receives and manages all contributions to the University. The role involves working under a telework policy, with the understanding that physical presence may be required on scheduled remote days based on campus needs. The Executive Director of Development will serve as the primary director for two colleges, the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS) and the College of Education and Integrative Studies (CEIS). This role also oversees and leads directors of development for other colleges and divisions, including the Huntley College of Agriculture, College of Environmental Design, Athletics, and the Division of Student Affairs. The position requires regular meetings with supervisors and peers to ensure strategic alignment in philanthropic goals, including the development of strategies for major gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. The role is integral to envisioning, developing, implementing, and managing the divisional strategic plan, including fundraising for Future Career Paths, managing a development team, and overseeing capital campaigns, endowment development, grant writing, and budget management. The Executive Director will maintain and enhance an individual major gift prospect pool, actively cultivating and soliciting significant gifts, and coordinating with the university prospect management system. This role also plays a key part in the university-wide comprehensive capital campaign and collaborates with various departments like advancement services, alumni affairs, and strategic communications. Additionally, the position provides support to the Philanthropic Foundation and its committees. As a leader within the Advancement team, the Executive Director will be responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a strategic philanthropic program for assigned colleges/areas. This includes establishing funding priorities and goals in partnership with deans and directors, and serving as a liaison to coordinate college and program fundraising strategies. The role ensures adherence to all university fundraising guidelines, gift policies, and state/federal regulations. Regular meetings with directors of development will provide leadership, guidance, and performance evaluation. Mentorship, goal-setting, and counsel will be provided to facilitate consistent strategy development and execution. The Executive Director will evaluate the effectiveness of fundraising strategies, appropriateness of annual fundraising targets, and advise the AVP Chief Development Officer on planning, goal setting, and progress. The role also involves strategic partnership with fellow Executive Directors to ensure alignment with institutional goals and objectives. Administrative responsibilities include serving as a senior member of the Advancement leadership team, contributing to divisional strategic planning, and collaborating with Advancement Services on protocols and systems. In communications, the role is a critical partner in developing strategies to convey the importance of philanthropic contributions and assisting in the collection of information for advancement communications and donor impact reports. Other duties as identified and assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree - From an accredited university.
Driver License, Valid and in State
Minimum (5) five years professional experience as a seasoned performance-driven senior development officer of a higher education or nonprofit institution which may include major gifts, planned giving, and capital campaign.
Minimum (5) five years management or supervisory experience with major gifts and six-figures plus program with performance-driven metrics and accountability.
Demonstrated ability to be an effective team builder and ability to maintain positive work relationships, on- and off-campus with a diverse population of individuals from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and will support and contribute to diversity and opportunity in higher education.
Must show demonstrated ability and success in major gift fundraising and donor cultivation, experience with successful gift solicitation to individuals and corporations, and management of performance metrics and data-driven decision making.
Must be able to demonstrate creativity and leadership in strategic planning including prioritization based on return of investment (ROI), with the ability to implement and provide oversight of ongoing development efforts at the college level, including deans and college leadership.
Must have knowledge and understanding of higher education practices and collaborations with a variety of constituents and colleagues, while maintaining the highest standards of professional integrity, work ethics, and conduct.
Must show demonstrated effective, interpersonal and communication skills to build trust and motivate staff, volunteers, donors, and others to achieve their maximum potential.
Requires a creative, dynamic, strategic planner with the ability to implement and provide oversight of major gifts and stewardship.
Must have excellent oral and written skills communicating with a variety of constituents, including high-profile leaders.
Must possess strong supervisory management and organizational skills with excellent time management and follow-through abilities.
Must have the ability to function on multiple tasks with self-motivation and initiative and the ability to develop solutions to complex problems, which requires the use of ingenuity and creativity.

Nice To Haves

Masters degree from an accredited university preferred.
Five to eight years of management or supervisory experience with a major gift program with performance-driven metrics and accountability.
Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification.
Demonstrated understanding of the contemporary issues and the operational characteristics of higher education fundraising.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary director of development for two colleges, the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS) and the College of Education and Integrative Studies (CEIS).
Oversight, manage and lead the directors of development for the Huntley College of Agriculture, College of Environmental Design, Athletics, and the Division of Student Affairs.
Meet regularly with direct supervisor, AVP Chief Development Officer (CDO); and fellow Executive Director for Development, and Executive Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations, Steward and Annual Leadership Giving, of the Director of Planned Giving, and Deans and campus leaders to assure strategic alignment in the advancement of philanthropic goals, including the development of strategies for major gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Works as a team member to envision, develop, implement, and manage the divisional strategic plan which includes the mission statement, goals, objectives, priorities, development of policies and procedures, and assessment/identification of problems and recommendations associated with the implementation of a comprehensive major gift program.
Lead efforts to advance fundraising and development for Future Career Paths by: (Lead/managing a development team: supervising staff- development associates, coordinators, volunteers, board committees focused on development/Identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donors)
Develop communication materials about fundraising and stewardship (case statements, annual report sections, donor communications)
Oversee or Lead - capital campaigns, endowment development, grant writing and management, events and sponsorships/manage budget.
Maintain and constantly work to enhance an individual major gift prospect pool and actively cultivates and solicits some of these prospects for significant gifts to the university by presenting the goals and objectives of the funding needs in a manner which effectively informs and persuades others.
Coordinates with the university prospect management system to ensure effective coordination with fundraising professionals, soliciting and cultivating support for the various schools and programs of the university.
Works with the advancement partners on prospect discovery and qualification.
Play a key role in the feasibility, strategic planning, delegation, and achievement of goals for the university-wide comprehensive capital campaign.
Works closely with consultants, administrators, advancement staff, volunteer groups, and donors to identify, solicit, and steward major donors.
Collaborates with other divisional departments such as advancement services, alumni affairs, government relations and strategic communications to ensure that the best level of support, training, and assistance required by the fundraising professionals is met.
Provides support to the Philanthropic Foundation and its committees as assigned.
Under the general supervision of the AVP, Chief Development Officer, the Executive Director of Development is responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of a strategic philanthropic program for the Huntley College of Agriculture, College of Environmental Design, Athletics, and the Division of Student Affairs.
In partnership with deans and directors of development, and in consultation with the VP for University Advancement, AVP for Advancement Operations/COO and AVP Chief Development Officer, establishes the funding priorities and goals for the aforementioned colleges/areas.
Serves as liaison to the respective deans and University Advancement to coordinate college and program fundraising strategies to assure strategies are aligned to the mission and strategic advancement of the college, program, the university, and the dean's objectives.
Assure the adherence of all university fundraising endeavors to the guidelines, gift policies, structures, and prospect management protocols of University Advancement, CPP, the CSU, and state and federal regulations.
Meet with the directors of development on a regular basis to provide leadership, ensure priorities and goals are being met, share knowledge, and provide guidance to meet goals.
Evaluate the performance of each director of development and major gifts annually.
Annual evaluation should occur in consultation with the respective Dean/campus leader.
Provide on-going mentorship, goal-setting guidance, and counsel to facilitate consistent strategy development and execution across units in alignment with institutional fundraising priorities.
Evaluates the effectiveness and appropriateness of fundraising strategies related to the plan and ensures plan's adherence to the university advancement prospect management system guidelines and assignments.
Evaluates appropriateness of the college or program's annual fundraising target and provides written and verbal feedback to the deans, directors, and fundraising professionals.
Advises the AVP Chief Development Officer as to the effectiveness and appropriateness of the individual and aggregate college fundraising planning, goal setting, and progress towards achieving goals.
Ensure adherence to prospect management protocols and Advancement policies.
Works as a team member to envision, develop, implement a philanthropic donor and engagement strategic plan.
Strategically partner with fellow Executive Director for Development to ensure strategic alignment and advancement with the goals and objectives.
Serve as a senior member of the Advancement leadership team.
Contribute to divisional strategic planning and operational excellence.
Collaborate with Advancement Services to ensure adherence to prospect management protocols, stewardship processes, and systems optimization.
Serve as an advisor to the Vice President for Advancement.
Serve as a critical partner in the development and implementation of a comprehensive advancement communications strategy to convey vital importance of the philanthropic contributions to the University and its mission of student success.
Assist in the collection of quantitative and qualitative information for inclusion in advancement communications, including annual donor impact reports.
Other duties as identified and assigned.