Senior Development Officer

Position Summary

Institutional Advancement at Saint John’s University invites applications for a full-time (1.0 FTE), benefit eligible position of Senior Development Officer.

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees, including:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 18 Paid Holidays Annually
• Generous Vacation and Sick Leave
• Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Tuition Remission for Eligible Dependents
• Employer Contributions to a Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program with access to free or discounted counseling, legal guidance, financial coaching, and more

Join a committed team dedicated to safety, community, and service in a supportive and values-driven work environment.

The Senior Development Officer (SDO) is responsible for helping expand the resource base for Saint John’s University by building relationships with campaign major gift prospects including alumni, parents and friends. The SDO has responsibility for the cultivation and solicitation of campaign prospects and select regional advancement activities. The SDO also takes the lead in soliciting Annual Fund Fellows Society support among assigned prospects.

The SDO is responsible for implementing strategies for successful discovery visits, and the cultivation, solicitation and recognition of individuals at major gift levels, including increasing volunteer leadership in the major gift fundraising process. The SDO employs fresh outreach tactics, new technologies, innovative solicitation strategies, and spirited professionalism in deepening the engagement and financial support of Saint John’s benefactors.

The College of Saint Benedict (CSB) and Saint John’s University (SJU) believe that an excellent liberal arts education requires an understanding and appreciation of cultural difference and that everyone deserves to feel safe and morally valued. To that end, we will challenge our own practices and systems. Our commitment to an inclusive environment will be incorporated into all decision-making processes. We dedicate ourselves to cultivating an equitable, inclusive community founded on respect for all persons.

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 150 major and leadership gift prospects for the campaign.
• Implement strategies for the cultivation, solicitation, recognition and stewardship of major gifts.
• Manage schedule to ensure personal visits with assigned prospects and regular “discovery” visits to include making a minimum of 20 personal visits per month.
• Monitor individual performance goals and objectives.
• Work closely with other senior development officers to ensure effective coordination of effort to reinforce the prospect relationship continuum.
• Complete appropriate follow up activities, including personal letters of thanks, and submit regular call reports on prospects/donor visits.

• Manage SJU regional advancement activities in several out-of-state areas.
• Develop and implement advancement strategies for these regions specifically in the area of donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Consult with University Relations team members to advance alumni relations cornerstone initiatives and to facilitate events and stewardship programs.

• Work cooperatively with the IA Development Team to identify and recruit campaign gift regional team members.
• In coordination with the Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement, help execute the training of select campaign volunteers.
• Manage the work of Regional Gift Team volunteers in the assigned regions, including monitoring call activity and providing timely support.
• Manage the work of select project Gift Team volunteers including monitoring call activity and providing timely support.

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Senior leadership experience with educational, not-for-profit or other organization. Fund raising and volunteer management experience preferred,…