Deputy Director of Development, Major Gifts

Why join Harvard University Central Administration?

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Harvard University's Central Administration (CADM) is a 5,000+ employee organization that supports the university's overall excellence by understanding and serving the needs of its schools, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and surrounding communities. Through dynamic and collaborative partnerships, CADM provides high-quality and efficient services to the schools to help them achieve their goals.

Alumni Affairs and Development is a dedicated team supporting Harvard’s advancement activity through front-line fundraising, alumni and volunteer engagement, technology, prospect management and research, business process, events, communications, and many other areas.

Our goal is to create an environment of respect that leverages the many talents, perspectives, and experiences of our employees; to deliver the strongest possible results by incorporating diverse perspectives into our daily work; and to make AA&D a great place to work for everyone. We strive to live our values of respect, inclusion, trust, collaboration, continuous improvement and innovation; and open communication and effective information sharing in our daily interactions and our work.

AA&D is comprised of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Development, Communications, Events & Donor Relations, University Development and Advancement Solutions, the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA), and AA&D Administration.

The Deputy Director, a full-time exempt position on the FAS Major Gifts team, will lead, mentor, and manage a team of gift officers to generate philanthropic support from their assigned portfolios. In addition to management responsibilities, this person will also manage a select portfolio of FAS prospects capable of making gifts at the six-, seven-, and eight-figure level.

• Manages a group of fundraisers, who will work as part of the FAS Major Gifts team to qualify, solicit, and steward College, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences alumni, parents, and friends in specified geographic regions for six and seven figure gifts, with a keen eye towards blended solicitations involving flexible current use support, gift planning vehicles, and the potential for complicated asset involvement.
• Manages all day-to-day aspects for the direct reports, including weekly 1:1 meetings, ensuring gift officers are tracking towards their goals using metrics as one tool to celebrate successes and opportunities. Give consistent, timely feedback and positive reinforcement to foster a culture of learning and development.
• Recruits, hires, trains and manages a team of Major Gifts officers. Mentors, counsels, and motivates the staff to raise maximal funds possible in a professional, ethical and mission-informed manner.
• Partners with the Senior Director of Major Gifts to ensure execution of regional planning, strategy, and engagement, including participation in regular meeting series, management of prospect pipelines, leveraging the use of academic and administrative leadership and alumni volunteers, and determining appropriate event staffing.
• Responsible for successfully meeting annual goals with a select portfolio of households capable of making six-, seven- and eight-figure gifts at various stages of their relationship with Harvard throughout the gift cycle. Strategy is often set in conjunction with other officers in the FAS and University Development Offices. Annual portfolio metrics will be reviewed with the Senior Director of Development, Major Gifts, and progress towards goals will be evaluated regularly.
• Onboards new fundraisers as needed and develop their plans for annual goal setting, and performance management.
• Ensures officers are progressing to goals and adhering to prospect management procedures through…