Senior Director of Development

Senior Director of Development College of the Environment and Life Sciences & the Graduate School of Oceanography Kingston, RI Position Summary

The University of Rhode Island Foundation (URIF) seeks an experienced, strategic, and entrepreneurial fundraising leader to serve as Senior Director of Development for the College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS). This position provides leadership for a comprehensive major and principal gifts program, advances college and university fundraising priorities, and serves as the senior philanthropic partner for the Dean of CELS and advisor to the Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) at the Narragansett Bay Campus.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Unit Development, the Senior Director of Development leads, plans, and executes a comprehensive fundraising program for CELS. The Senior Director manages a portfolio of approximately 125+ major and principal gift prospects and donors, primarily focused on individuals with the capacity to make gifts of $100,000 or more. The position works closely with the Dean, Foundation leadership, faculty, advisory council members, and development colleagues to secure transformational philanthropic support for student success, faculty excellence, research, innovation, experiential learning, and capital priorities.

The Senior Director also provides leadership, mentoring, and strategic direction for development staff assigned to CELS and GSO and plays a key role in university-wide campaign initiatives.

• Serve as the senior development leader for CELS and provide strategic leadership for a comprehensive, donor-centered fundraising program aligned with College and University priorities.
• Collaborate with the Dean to identify, articulate, and advance philanthropic priorities; establish annual and long-term fundraising goals; and foster a culture of philanthropy among alumni, faculty, students, and external partners.
• Develop and implement comprehensive cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for a portfolio of 125+ major and principal gift prospects and donors.
• Personally solicit and close major and principal gifts, including annual, major, planned, capital, and endowment commitments.
• Develop solicitation and closure strategies aligned with College priorities, University campaign objectives, and Foundation fundraising goals.
• Partner with the Gift Planning Office to develop strategies for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding planned gift donors.
• Partner with Principal Gifts leadership to identify and advance high-capacity prospects capable of transformational philanthropic investments.
• Review, analyze, and expand prospect pools to ensure an effective pipeline of major and principal gift opportunities.
• Advise the Dean on prospect management issues, fundraising opportunities, and strategies that enhance the College’s philanthropic success.

• Lead, mentor, and coach development staff assigned to CELS and GSO, ensuring achievement of performance expectations, professional development, and alignment with Foundation fundraising standards. Provide direct supervision for development staff supporting the GSO.
• Provide strategic leadership and support for the Dean’s Advisory Council, including member recruitment, onboarding, engagement, fundraising participation, and stewardship.
• Prepare and oversee proposals, briefing materials, stewardship reports, and engagement strategies for senior university leaders, volunteers, and board members.
• Coordinate donor engagement activities involving the Dean and other academic leaders, including visit planning, follow-up, and stewardship.
• Represent CELS and URIF at internal and external events and participate in signature university events that create opportunities for strategic donor engagement.

• Coordinate prospect strategies with Foundation leadership, principal gifts, corporate and foundation relations, annual giving, donor relations, alumni engagement, communications, and gift planning staff.
• Partner with Donor Relations to ensure exemplary stewardship of named funds, endowments, and current-use…