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

Harvard University•Cambridge, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Regional Director is a full-time, exempt member of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Major Gifts team and reports to the Deputy Director of Development, FAS Major Gifts. The role develops and executes sophisticated cultivation and solicitation strategies to secure six- and seven-figure major gifts from an assigned portfolio of approximately 100 or more alumni and parent prospect households on the West Coast. The position partners with Principal Gifts, Major Gifts, Gift Planning, Harvard College Fund, volunteers, academic leaders, faculty, and colleagues across Harvard. At maturity, the role is expected to generate more than $5 million annually. Remote work is an option for candidates based in California; the position is otherwise described as hybrid, with work arrangements determined by the department according to operational needs. The role is responsible for qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding prospects; meeting or exceeding goals for visits, solicitations, gift closures, and dollars raised; and developing multi-step strategies informed by prospects’ interests, capacity, and inclination. It also coordinates prospect strategies across Harvard units, supports leaders’ prospect meetings through visit planning and briefings, follows prospect-management policies, and contributes as a leader, resource, and mentor to other fundraisers. The position requires approximately 35% travel, including travel with senior academic and administrative leaders. The incumbent is expected to work certain events and campus activities, such as spring reunions, and attend department retreats on campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The schedule is 40 hours per week. An application cover letter is requested. The orientation and review period is six months. Harvard is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
At least 7 years of experience in university fundraising or relevant transferable experience.
Ability to travel approximately 35% of working days.
Computer literacy, including experience with Windows-based PCs and prospect-management databases such as Advance or other relational CRM databases.
Excellent communication skills, including persuasive writing and the ability to build strong relationships with internal and external constituents.
Ability to exercise sound judgment in handling confidential information.
Ability to organize and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced, complex environment and think strategically and conceptually.
Professionalism, discretion, honesty, trustworthiness, sound judgment, and the ability to work effectively and politely with people from varied backgrounds and in challenging situations.

Nice To Haves

Five or more years of direct solicitation, sales, or relationship-management experience is preferred.
Knowledge of complex academic institutions and experience staffing academic leaders in development work are strongly preferred.
Sophisticated and comprehensive understanding of fundraising best practices.
Proven record of significant gift closures or relevant transferable experience is strongly preferred; comfort making solicitations.
Strong active-listening skills, tact in asking sensitive questions, and ability to uncover prospective donors’ interests, motivations, and objections are strongly preferred.
Collaborative approach, ability to lead through influence, high emotional intelligence, patience, flexibility, openness to change, and commitment to excellence.
Self-starter who is organized, detail-oriented, and able to balance multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

Manage a targeted portfolio of 100 or more households in the West Coast region.
Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects, and meet or exceed assigned goals for prospect visits, solicitations, gift closures, and dollars raised.
Understand prospects’ philanthropic interests, capacity, and inclination through in-person and virtual meetings.
Develop thoughtful prospect strategies and prioritize prospects to meet revenue goals, upgrade donors, and maintain an active regional presence.
Develop and execute robust, multi-step prospect strategies, leveraging academic leadership, faculty, and other members of the Harvard community to secure six- and seven-figure gifts.
Follow prospect-management processes and policies for contact reports, proposals, stage codes, and related records.
Partner with Harvard College Fund, Gift Planning, Major Gifts, and Principal Gifts colleagues to identify prospects and volunteers and support unrestricted and flexibly restricted giving to FAS.
Build knowledge of Harvard and professional skills through relationships across campus, campus events and activities, and training.
Travel occasionally with senior academic and administrative leaders; secure visits, plan meetings to use leaders’ time effectively, and communicate strategies through written briefings and pre-visit meetings or calls.
Coordinate strategies with senior fundraising leaders in FAS Development, the University Development Office, and other Harvard Schools for prospects with multi-school affiliations or interests.
Serve as a leader, resource, and mentor to fundraisers; contribute to prospect strategy reviews and training.
Work certain events and campus activities, including spring reunions, and participate in department retreats on campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.