Director of Development College of Business – Hybrid

• Are you passionate about building meaningful donor relationships that create transformational impact in higher education?
• Are you energized by the opportunity to partner directly with academic leadership to advance strategic priorities through philanthropy?
• Do you thrive in a relationship-driven fundraising role focused on elevating donor engagement?
• Are you excited by the opportunity to help shape and execute a major comprehensive fundraising campaign?

ABOUT THE COMPANY

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.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

The Director of Development for the Haile College of Business reports to the Assistant Vice President of Development and serves as the lead development representative for the college. This individual will partner closely with Dean Hassan Hassab Elnaby and academic leadership to develop and execute fundraising strategies that advance the college’s key priorities and initiatives.

The Director will manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, guiding relationships through the full donor cycle to secure philanthropic support and strengthen engagement with the college and university. This individual will play a critical role in driving fundraising success and advancing transformational opportunities for the Haile College of Business.

The Director will:

• Serve as the primary development partner to the Haile College of Business, collaborating with college leadership to shape fundraising strategy and translate academic initiatives into compelling philanthropic opportunities
• Build and steward meaningful relationships with donors and prospects by aligning philanthropic interests with college priorities and delivering personalized engagement opportunities
• Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors with the goal of securing annual philanthropic commitments, with the opportunity to grow the college’s fundraising performance over time
• Identify, qualify, and cultivate new major gift and corporate partnership prospects in partnership with Prospect Research and Management
• Partner collaboratively with Advancement colleagues and university stakeholders to support donor engagement, proposal development, stewardship, and strategic initiatives
• Serve as a trusted liaison between the college and Advancement, helping faculty and academic leaders think strategically and holistically about…