Regional Director of Development

Overview

The University’s Office for Advancement is building a talent pool for future Regional Director of Development (RDD) positions. Responsible for identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding alumni, parents, and friends of IWU for annual, major, and planned gifts. Build and strengthen relationships within an assigned portfolio and facilitate philanthropy at the major gift level. As an externally facing position, this role is expected to serve as an informed spokesperson for the University.

This is a continuous recruitment effort, intended to build a qualified talent pool for future Regional Director of Development opportunities at Illinois Wesleyan University. By applying, you are expressing interest in future vacancies. While these positions are intended to be on‑campus, remote work opportunities may be considered. Generous benefits include health, retirement, considerable time off and access to multiple tuition programs for self and dependents.

• Cultivate meaningful relationships with assigned prospects to personally solicit for annual, major, and planned gifts. Close endowed gifts and high‑level annual gifts from prospects over time; exceed annual overall production goals; make 150 personal visits to prospects a year, providing consistent and timely communication and experiences to create long‑lasting relationships; plan logistics of University leadership when meeting prospects; directly collaborate with the Director of Planned & Structured Giving.
• Document all contacts, communications, visits, opportunities, and other related information about prospects in a timely manner; in collaboration with the AVP and VP for Advancement, create and sustain annual goals for the assigned portfolio; evaluate prospects; partner within the department to support annual and major gift stewardship; periodically assigned special projects ensuring data accuracy.
• Develop key internal relationships with campus partners (athletics, school deans) to identify fundraising priorities; leverage key partnerships for fundraising visits; actively participate in department and alumni relations activities; other duties as assigned by VP and AVPs of Advancement.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, sales or a similar field preferred; experience and accomplishment in direct fundraising for mid to large sized gifts may substitute for education. A CFRE is desirable.
• Three years of externally‑focused sales and/or business development experience required. Candidates with a track record of success in goal‑oriented positions will be considered.
• Comfortable speaking with executive‑level personnel.
• Excellent oral, written, and listening communication skills.
• Strong people and relationship‑building skills with constituents from a variety of backgrounds and generations. Ability to navigate conversations across differing viewpoints.
• Ability to function with a high degree of independence and work within a team; demonstrates strong work ethic and experience producing positive results within a goal‑oriented and collaborative environment.
• Represents IWU ethically, professionally and positively, collaborating with other members of Advancement and the University to create consistent messages to constituents and/or prospects.

Frequent travel, occasional evening and weekend hours; 12 to 15 overnight trips per year. Valid US driver’s license required.

Salary range $60,000-$91,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Illinois Wesleyan University is an EEO Employer and an equal opportunity employer dedicated to promoting excellence through a variety of viewpoints. Illinois Wesleyan University is committed to recruiting, supporting, and fostering a community that values a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds among its faculty, staff, and students. The sexual misconduct policy may be accessed .edu/human-resources/Sexual Misconduct Policy .html. More diversity information is available .edu/diversity.