Sr. Major Gift Officer - Engineering

Overview

Sr. Major Gift Officer - Engineering

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Sr. Major Gift Officer - Engineering at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

• Provide expertise and experience while participating in fundraising efforts, strategies and initiatives for the James and Patricia Anderson College of Engineering. Manage a prospect portfolio to achieve aggressive fundraising and contact goals annually. Cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift donors to meet established fundraising goals within the allocated expense budget. This position reports to the Senior Director, Major Gifts – James and Patricia Anderson College of Engineering.
• Serve in the role of seasoned professional by providing expertise and guidance in identifying fundraising needs and priorities. Collaborate with the AVP and Sr. Director of Major Gifts, Dean, Department Chairs, and faculty. Develop major gift fundraising plans and strategies. Establish realistic and achievable timeline. Remain current with fundraising trends. 25%
• Manage a prospect portfolio to achieve aggressive fundraising and contact goals annually. Establish and implement prospect qualification, cultivation, and solicitation strategies with a particular focus on securing commitments of $25,000+. Engage university leadership and college-based colleagues as appropriate to support prospect strategies. 25%
• Responsible for achieving annual fundraising goal and assisting in meeting unit and division goals; allocating and prioritizing time and resources to achieve the greatest return on investment. Performance and productivity will be measured on core metrics including dollars raised, number of major gift solicitations and closures at $25,000+, number of face-to-face prospect and donor meetings, and number of meaningful contacts each month.
  
  20%
• Serve as seasoned resource with Development units and other university units to ensure operational efficiencies within the unit. 15%
• Draft and negotiate gift and pledge documentation ranging from moderate to high complexity. Ensure timely routing of donor contributions to central development for processing. 10%
• Perform other related duties as assigned. 5%

This grid characterizes the position scope.

• Job
  
  Reports to:
  
  Senior Director/Chair
• Leadership Accountability:
  Develops strategic plans and interprets policy
• Supervisory Accountability:
  None
• Organizational Accountability:
  None
• Financial Accountability:
  Monitors expenditures
• Customer Accountability:
  Interfaces with customers outside the S/C/D
• Freedom to Act:
  Operates with significant autonomy
• Unique duties:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s degree;
  Graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in marketing, public relations, business administration or related field.
• Experience:
  
  Specialist (minimum 5 years of job-related experience). Minimum five (5) to eight (8) years of experience working as a fundraising professional in direct major donor solicitations in excess of $25,000. Direct experience preparing proposals and conducting major gift solicitations required. Higher education development and prior volunteer management experience preferred.
• Professional understanding of, and interest in, Development and Alumni Affairs best practices and general operations. Understanding of trends and best practices related to major gift solicitation. Positive and collaborative professional philosophy, recognizing that this position is integral to the achievement of the goals and objectives of Development and Alumni Affairs.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Analytical and Presentation
  
  Skills:
  
  Ability to evaluate, interpret, and present complex information effectively in professionally prepared documents or presentations. Must possess a demonstrated attention to…