Director​/Senior Director of Major Gifts, College Liberal Arts

POSITION SPECIFICS

Penn State is currently seeking a top frontline fundraiser in the role of Senior Director of Major Gifts to engage alumni and friends as partners in supporting the College of the Liberal Arts, considered one of the leading public liberal arts colleges in the U.S. As a member of the Division of Development and Alumni Relations (DDAR), you can play an integral role in Penn State’s future and contribute to one of the most successful fundraising and alumni relations operations in the country.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations and working closely with the college’s leadership, as well as other partners and central development offices, this Senior Director of Major Gifts will:

• Identify and cultivate a prospect pool of graduates and other key constituencies;
• Articulate Penn State’s needs, ambitions, and values through excellent informal and formal communications, including written proposals;
• Plan and execute solicitation strategies leading to major gifts;
• Travel extensively throughout the region and across the country to pursue these strategies and build enduring relationships, tracked to a fixed and appropriately aggressive set of fundraising metrics.

The successful candidate will also have:

• A track record of success in securing major gifts and meeting fundraising goals;
• Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills required to build relationships with sophisticated and high-net worth audiences;
• The ability to create and maintain an inclusive and respectful environment for all students and colleagues;
• A proven ability to self-motivate and work both independently and as part of a team;
• A passion for higher education and an understanding of complex institutions;
• A commitment to professional development, learning, and being mentored.

DDAR is supportive of flexible work arrangements when aligned with the ability to meet the needs of the unit and the essential duties of the position. Questions related to flexible work arrangements should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.

If filled as Major Gift Officer
- Senior Professional, this position requires:

Bachelor’s Degree6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

Required

Certifications:

None If filled as Major Gift Officer
- Advanced Professional, this position requires:

Bachelor’s Degree3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

Required

Certifications:

None

Philanthropy will have a special impact in the College of the Liberal Arts, whose extraordinary success has been built upon support from alumni and friends. The College of the Liberal Arts is a national leader in education and research and an exciting community of ambitious students and acclaimed scholars. Our degree programs combine traditional liberal arts values of communication, analytical thinking, ethical decision making, civic engagement, and appreciation for other cultures and other times, with 21st century skills in digital fluency and rich preparation for a global world.

Our faculty are outstanding teachers and researchers who have elevated our departments to national leadership positions and who have enhanced both undergraduate and graduate education at Penn State: http://www. la.psu.edu

If you believe in the power of higher education—and philanthropy—to shape the public good, you’ll excel right here in Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations (DDAR). Our organization includes more than 500 professionals engaging a community of more than 700,000…