Senior Director of Development

THE OPPORTUNITY The Senior Director of Development joins the Cronkite School at a defining moment for journalism, philanthropy, and public trust.

This is more than a fundraising position — it is an opportunity to help shape the future of journalism. The Senior Director will build and expand a high-impact donor portfolio, steward transformative foundation partnerships, and drive ambitious revenue growth.

The Senior Director will partner closely with ASU Foundation colleagues, School leadership, faculty, and University partners to deepen alignment, unlock new philanthropic opportunities, and strengthen collaboration across the Cronkite School, ASUF, and the broader University.

For a development leader passionate about journalism, innovation, and democratic institutions, this role offers the rare opportunity to align significant philanthropic capital with one of the nation’s most respected journalism schools.

The Senior Director of Development will execute plans to qualify, cultivate, steward and solicit donors to secure and increase significant philanthropic support in partnership with other development staff, School/Unit Directors, deans and/or faculty and campus leadership, depending on their assigned area(s) of responsibility, aimed at assuring long-term financial support for the ASU Foundation and Arizona State University.

• Create and lead a coordinated program of fundraising and engagement activities designed to increase the number and level of annual, major, and/or principal gift donors; set direction and approach in partnership with ASU leadership’s vision in assigned area(s) of responsibility
• Manage a personal major gift donor/prospect portfolio with a primary focus on securing gifts at or above the $100,000 level and a personal fundraising goal of at least $3M in accordance with performance metrics
• Lead efforts to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual, foundation, and corporate prospects on behalf of assigned area(s) of responsibility
• Guide the direction of written proposals, white papers, strategic plans, budgets, and other collateral materials as needed for securing significant ($100k+) philanthropic investments
• Ensure the proper stewardship and recognition of donors in portfolio
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge on key alumni and high-level donors and/or oversee continuous research and development of prospect intelligence

• Lead a development department/program and develop strategies to involve campus leaders, alumni, friends, and volunteers in philanthropic engagement
• Collaborate with faculty, institute/center directors, and unit-based and foundation-based fundraisers to align prospects with the direction and scope of their philanthropic interests and leverage maximum giving potential
• Maintain a high level of collaboration with internal departments and broader University partners to identify common goals and advance coordinated prospect and donor strategies
• Sustain and elevate working relationships with deans, chairs, directors, and faculty members within assigned area(s) of responsibility
• Participate as a member of the ASUF development team and serve as a resource to development colleagues across the University.

• Recruit, motivate, develop, and retain a high-performance team (Assoc. Director, Development Officer and Development Coordinator)
• Set and evaluate individual goals, implement training and mentoring, and ensure coverage of priority areas
• Manage projects with moderate oversight, including serving as a project manager for complex, multilayered, university-wide proposals supporting major campaign priorities
• Ensure compliance with prospect management guidelines, including tracking, reporting, and documentation of donor contact and progress
• Manage budgets related to area(s) of assignment, ensuring a strong return on university investments while controlling expenses

• Ability to represent the institution well and possess an advocate’s belief in the vision of ASU as the New American University and the Cronkite School’s role in…