Senior Executive Director of Philanthropy, College of Aviation

Job Description

Since its inception, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has remained a global leader in aerospace education, innovation, and research. Founded in 1926, the University is preparing to celebrate a century of achievement while shaping the future of aviation and aerospace. As Embry-Riddle launches its Centennial Campaign, Imagine What’s Next, the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement seeks a dynamic and seasoned fundraiser to serve as Senior Executive Director of Philanthropy for the College of Aviation at the Daytona Beach campus.

Reporting to the Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement and collaborating closely with the Dean of the College of Aviation, 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.

• Major Gifts:
  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.
• Unit Liaison:
  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.
• Collaboration and Communication:
  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.
• Staff Management:
  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.
• Other Duties:
  Perform other duties as assigned and appropriate to the position’s rank and the University’s mission.

For over 100 years, Embry-Riddle has been the world's leading aviation and aerospace university, educating more than 30,000 students across residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, as well as through a global network of Worldwide locations and online programs. With more than 165,000 alumni around the world, our impact reaches every corner of the aerospace, aviation, defense and technology industries.

Today, our faculty, researchers and professional staff are advancing innovation across aviation, space, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and next-generation engineering.…