Senior Director of Parent Philanthropy - University Development and Alumni Engagement

Senior Director of Parent Philanthropy - University Development and Alumni Engagement

Apply now Job no: 554578
Work type: Management (MPP)
Location: Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo Campus, Cal Poly - Mustang Business Park (San Luis Obispo)
Categories: MPP, At-Will, Fundraising & Alumni Relations, Full Time, On-site (work in-person at business location)

Under the supervision of the Associate Vice President for Colleges and Units, the Senior Director of Parent Philanthropy provides strategic leadership and vision for Cal Poly’s comprehensive parent philanthropy program. This role is responsible for designing, implementing, and advancing a campus-wide parent engagement and giving strategy that supports university priorities. The Senior Director leads the development of scalable parent programming, fosters cross-campus collaboration, supervises and mentors the Director of Parent Philanthropy, and personally manages a portfolio of high-capacity parent donors.

The role of the University Development and Alumni Engagement (UDAE) Division is to foster strong relationships with internal and external partners to enhance philanthropic support for Cal Poly. University Development and Alumni Engagement establishes and implements an integrated advancement program that includes coordinated fundraising, donor relations, gift processing, trust and endowment management, training and systems support for the donor database, and Cal Poly Foundation support and administration.

• Provide strategic vision and leadership for a comprehensive, campus-wide parent philanthropy program aligned with institutional priorities and advancement goals.
• Design, implement, and assess parent engagement and giving strategies that support annual leadership gifts, major gifts, and long‑term philanthropic growth.
• Establish goals, metrics, and evaluation tools to measure the effectiveness and impact of parent programming and fundraising efforts.
• Serve as the primary campus expert on parent philanthropy strategy, trends, and best practices.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of high-capacity parent prospects for leadership annual and major gifts.

• Bachelor’s Degree and five years of progressively responsible professional experience in development, advancement, fundraising, sales, or a related field, including demonstrated leadership or supervisory experience. Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
• Licenses, Certificates, Credentials:
  • Possession of a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain one by date of hire.

The anticipated hiring range for this role is $123,000 - $150,000. Note that the offer is calculated based on the background and relevant years of experience of the individual selected.

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Anticipated Hiring Range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Classification Range may be broader than what the University anticipates paying for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees. See our benefits website for additional information.

Cal Poly is a nationally‑ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, and known for its Learn by Doing philosophy. Each year more than 20,000 top‑tier students come to San Luis Obispo to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands‑on philosophy, small class sizes and close student‑faculty…