Senior Executive Director of Philanthropy, College of Aviation

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University • Daytona Beach, FL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University seeks a dynamic and seasoned fundraiser to serve as Senior Executive Director of Philanthropy for the College of Aviation at the Daytona Beach campus. This leader will chart the course for fundraising success by cultivating relationships with alumni, foundations, corporate partners, and other key constituents. The role offers an opportunity to advance aerospace education, champion innovation, and leave a lasting impact on the University’s future.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; foreign equivalent or higher accepted.
• Ten years of full-time fundraising experience in higher education, a complex healthcare system, or a large nonprofit organization.
• Proven record of success cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts of $100,000 or more from individual donors.
• Experience managing numerous priorities and a broad portfolio of donor or client relationships.
• Experience with Salesforce or a comparable donor relationship management application.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree.
• Additional fundraising experience in higher education, a large nonprofit organization, or a healthcare institution.
• Experience working in an academic or medical center.
• Experience managing volunteers or an advisory board.
• Comfort working with high-net-worth individuals and maintaining confidential information.
• Basic knowledge of planned giving vehicles and techniques.
• Experience developing a new donor constituency.

Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of individual, corporate, and foundation prospects through discovery, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, with a focus on closing more than $3 million annually in philanthropic support.
• Engage donors through correspondence, calls, events, and extensive face-to-face visits.
• Track solicitation and stewardship progress in Salesforce in accordance with University prospect management guidelines.
• Develop and implement long-term strategies for each prospect and collaborate with division colleagues to achieve unit and institutional goals.
• Coordinate and participate in development activities within the College of Aviation and attend the Dean’s leadership meetings to understand the College’s needs, challenges, and opportunities.
• Coordinate with central advancement on annual giving, advancement communications, data acquisition, planned giving, donor relations, and donor impact reporting.
• Advise the Dean on philanthropic policies, practices, schedules, strategies, and best practices.
• Build effective relationships with administrators, faculty, and staff and engage them in fundraising efforts.
• Translate complex scientific concepts and programs into compelling, donor-friendly language for proposals and outreach.
• Prepare fundraising communications, foundation reports, faculty updates, acknowledgment letters, and other materials.
• Monitor University outreach events for major gift leads and develop meaningful donor and prospect events that showcase opportunities for support.
• Lead and manage the Director of Philanthropy and Associate Director of Philanthropy for the College of Aviation.
• Support professional development through inclusive, transparent, and empowering leadership.
• Participate in regular staff and frontline fundraiser meetings to coordinate development and alumni relations activities, and serve on committees as requested.
• Perform other duties as assigned and appropriate to the position’s rank and the University’s mission.

Benefits

• Enjoy up to 18 days of paid leave in your first year, including 3 days granted upon hire and 15 days accrued throughout the year.
• You'll also receive 9+ paid holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.
• Get 100% tuition coverage for yourself for one undergraduate and one graduate degree, and discounted rates for your spouse and dependent children up to age 26.
• ERAU contributes 6% of your base salary to your retirement plan and offers a 4% matching contribution – with no vesting period.
• Relax with 15 days of personal leave for non-exempt employees or 18 days for exempt full-time employees in your first year.

What This Job Offers

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