Senior Associate Director, Principal Gifts - University Advancement

Washington University in St. Louis•Clayton, MO

23h•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Associate Director, Principal Gifts partners with the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Principal Gifts to manage a portfolio of Principal Partner prospects for WashU Medicine, including those with the capacity to make gifts of $5M+. This role involves working collaboratively with advancement colleagues, faculty, students, and university staff to secure significant support for WashU Medicine priorities. The position requires experience, sensitivity, and diplomacy, understanding of high-level relationship-building and strategies for securing complex gifts, and talent in guiding projects. The Senior Associate Director proactively facilitates the implementation of strategies to engage high-level prospects through cultivation and stewardship efforts, and reactively responds to urgent requests for donor engagement. With a broad understanding of the university’s strengths and in-depth knowledge of institutional priorities, the Senior Associate Director contributes to setting and delivering principal gifts fundraising and engagement strategies and goals. Strong writing skills are essential for success in this position.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Relevant Experience (3 Years)

Nice To Haves

Patience for the process and time-frame of developing gift ideas within an academic decision-making environment.
Knowledge of and appreciation for the mission of a major research university and ability to represent it broadly.
Understanding of the concepts and principles of nurturing fundraising, campaign and/or project fundraising, and speculative fundraising.
Comfort and familiarity with prospect identification, relationship building, strategizing, and solicitation at the principal or major gifts level.
Master's degree
Business Interactions
Communication
Complexity Management
Complex Systems
Confidentiality
Creativity
Data Research
Deadline Management
Diplomacy
High-Integrity
Interpersonal Communication
Major Donor Fundraising
Major Gifts Fundraising
Managing Ambiguity
Microsoft Office
Optimism
Proactive Strategies
Professional Ethics
Professional Integrity
Project Management
Proven Commitment
Social Interaction
Sound Judgment
Time Management
Work Collaboratively

Responsibilities

Contribute to the management of principal gift prospect portfolios, advancing university-wide fundraising priorities as well as new and emerging initiatives.
Accountable for key action items, follow-up, and project management in the delivery of prospect strategies within a rapidly evolving environment with competing priorities, opportunities, challenges, and deadlines.
Partner with Assistant Vice Chancellor and Donor Experiences team to deliver innovative, creative, and individually tailored engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
Provide source material for writers to draft complex and highly individualized proposals to attract transformational gifts to advance Washington University’s mission.
Coordinate with Leadership Travel on briefing materials to prepare university leaders for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of principal gift prospects.
Interface with Donor Experiences, Donor Operations, Stewardship and Communications teams to develop plans, strategies and agendas around gift announcements and multifaceted prospect experiences and events.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Up to 22 days of vacation
10 recognized holidays
Sick time
Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance
Free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees
Defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%
Wellness challenges
Annual health screenings
Mental health resources
Mindfulness programs and courses
Employee assistance program (EAP)
Financial resources
Access to dietitians
4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child
Family care resources for childcare needs
Adult care resources
Tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us