Principal Gifts Officer

• Are you energized by cultivating transformational philanthropic relationships with high-net-worth individuals and families?
• Do you thrive in sophisticated fundraising environments where strategy, influence, and relationship management drive long-term institutional impact?
• Are you excited by the opportunity to build and shape a newly created principal gifts program at a growing and evolving university?
• Are you motivated by the opportunity to play a leading role in a major, comprehensive fundraising campaign?

As a public comprehensive university located just 7 miles from downtown Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University (NKU) delivers innovative, student-centered education and engages in impactful scholarly and creative endeavors, that empower graduates to find their people, their path and their purpose. NKU prepares students for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives, while contributing to the economic, civic, and social vitality of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region.

About 15,000 students are enrolled.

Founded to advance Northern Kentucky University’s mission and student success initiatives, the NKU Foundation serves as a key philanthropic and strategic partner to the university. The Foundation supports fundraising, advocacy, innovation, and real estate initiatives that strengthen NKU’s long-term impact and regional relevance.

NKU Advancement strives to advance the fundraising and engagement efforts that support student success and the university. The division seeks to strengthen relationships between significant donors and the university through engagement strategies that acknowledge and communicate the impact of donor contributions while encouraging lifelong philanthropic support.

As philanthropy continues to evolve—with fewer donors making increasingly larger and more transformational gifts—NKU is making a strategic investment in principal gifts fundraising to deepen engagement with its highest-capacity prospects and position the university for significant long-term philanthropic growth.

NKU is entering the leadership phase of a major, comprehensive multi-year campaign. With engaged institutional leadership, strong presidential support for philanthropy, and continued investment in Advancement infrastructure, the university is positioned for significant fundraising growth and transformational donor engagement opportunities.

The Principal Gifts Officer reports to the Assistant Vice President of Development and will serve as the university’s lead fundraiser focused on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding transformational philanthropic investments from NKU’s highest-capacity donors and prospects. This is a newly created role designed to elevate the university’s principal gifts strategy and expand engagement with individuals capable of making leadership-level commitments of $500k+ and transformational gifts of $2M or more.

The Principal Gifts Officer will manage a highly curated portfolio of approximately 40-45 principal gift prospects and will work collaboratively across campus to align donor passions with the university’s most strategic priorities and opportunities. This individual will partner closely with university leadership, deans, faculty, and Advancement colleagues to drive sophisticated donor strategies and deepen institutional relationships.

Because this portfolio spans all colleges and units across campus, the successful candidate must possess the emotional intelligence, diplomacy, and collaborative instincts necessary to navigate complex internal relationships while building trust across academic and Advancement stakeholders.

The Principal Gifts Officer will:

• Build and manage a portfolio of approximately 40-45 high-capacity principal gift prospects and donors
• Develop and execute sophisticated cultivation and solicitation strategies resulting in transformational philanthropic commitments
• Secure leadership and principal gifts with long-term fundraising goals of $3-$5M annually
• Partner closely with senior university leadership and academic stakeholders to identify and articulate institutional priorities and funding opportunities
• Serve as a…