Senior Director, University-wide Philanthropy

Senior Director, University-wide Philanthropy

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Senior Director, University-wide Philanthropy at its Detroit campus location. Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

Essential Functions (Job Duties) :

Job Purpose :

Provide vision, leadership and direction for the University-wide Philanthropy team. Establish strategic plans and initiatives to increase philanthropic support for research activity and academic programs. Direct the team and collaborate closely with the Division of Research and Innovation to increase research support and strengthen partnerships with external funders. Cultivate, solicit and steward relationships with funders, research partners and foundations to meet established fundraising goals within the allocated expense budget. This position reports to the Vice President of Development and Alumni Affairs.

Essential Functions :

Collaborate with the Division of Research and Innovation, deans, faculty, institutes, foundations, and development colleagues to identify fundraising needs and priorities; create opportunities to generate foundation gifts / grants; develop fundraising strategies and action plans; and establish realistic and achievable timelines.

Manage a prospect portfolio to achieve aggressive fundraising and contact goals annually. Establish and implement prospect qualification, cultivation, and solicitation strategies with a focus on securing commitments $1,000,000 or more.

Responsible for achieving annual fundraising goal and assisting in meeting unit and division goals : allocating and prioritizing time and resources to achieve the greatest return on investment. Performance and productivity will be measured on the following core metrics as determined annually : Dollars raised for campaign gift commitments Number of proposals submitted Number of proposals secured Number of visits with external funders.

Establish and direct national and global solicitation initiatives in collaboration with the Division of Research and Innovation and other academic partners to attract increased research and programmatic funding as part of the university's comprehensive campaign.

Provide oversight and direction for the interdisciplinary initiatives, health affairs and academic programs fundraising teams.

Provide oversight and direction for the comprehensive stewardship program to ensure timely and accurate reporting; consistent training and engagement of school / college / unit business managers; and management of external funders stewardship plans and creation of impact reports and other recognition tools and events to effectively steward donors and foster increased giving.

Supervise staff, effectively managing performance to meet individual and team initiatives; foster a collegial and highly productive work environment. Recruit, interview, hire, train, coach, evaluate, and discipline staff. Establish and communicate performance expectations in a manner that motivates and empowers staff to fulfill job duties. Encourage, support, and ensure employee participation in training and development programs.

Manage unit annual expenditure budget. Develop revenue and expense projections, approve expenditures at unit level and monitor transactions for compliance with university policies and procedures.

Network with outside professional groups and organizations to keep abreast of current industry trends and best practices related to fundraising. Represent the Division of Development & Alumni Affairs at industry or community meetings at the request of leadership. Special projects and other duties as assigned.

Work Context :

This grid characterizes the position scope. Job Reports to : Vice President / AVP / Dean Leadership Accountability : Develops policy and strategic plans Supervisory Accountability : Supervises through management personnel Organizational Accountability : Manages department Financial Accountability : Manages operating budget Customer Accountability : Interfaces with officials and executives Freedom to Act : Sets broad policies and objectives Unique duties :

Qualifications :

Minimum Qualifications :

Education Bachelor's degree Graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in marketing, public relations, or business administration. Master's degree preferred. Reasonable knowledge and understanding of university policies and procedures. Experience Expert (established subject matter expert, 7+ years' experience) Minimum of eight (8) years' experience working as a fundraising professional in direct solicitations in excess of $250,000. Minimum of four (4) years' experience managing personnel, developing and implementing policies and procedures. Direct experience with creating development fundraising plans, preparing proposals and conducting high-level solicitations required. Higher education or non-profit development experience preferred. Positive and collaborative professional philosophy, recognizing that this position is integral to the achievement of the goals and objectives of Development and Alumni Affairs.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities :

Analytical and Presentation Skills : Ability to evaluate, interpret, and present complex information effectively in professionally prepared documents or presentations. Must possess a demonstrated attention to detail in order to achieve a high degree of accuracy. Proposes and evaluates alternative solutions to achieve organizational goals.

Collaboration : Exhibit a willingness to partner with units across the university with integrity and high character to reach unified goals. Possess the ability to navigate difficult situations with grace and understanding.

Communications Skills : Ability to communicate clearly, concisely and professionally both orally and in writing. Strong interpersonal skills are a must. Demonstrates the ability to plan and deliver oral and written communications that are impactful and persuasive including presentations to university management and committees.

Leadership Skills : Demonstrated strong leadership skills to influence and motivate individuals and groups to achieve results. Maintain accountability for the university's and division's mission, vision and values. Inspire your team to uphold these core values.

Learning Agility : Independent and innovative self-starter who displays an ability to learn quickly and easily adapts to changing situations. Experience researching topics to gain knowledge and understanding when information gaps exist.

Planning and Organization : Ability to manage several projects simultaneously, prioritize and plan work activities while meeting respective deadlines. Strong organizational and time-management skills required. Maturity, sound judgment and ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a deadline-oriented environment.

Teamwork : Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues within the division and other units to gain full understanding of the project and desired outcome; ability to produce high quality and consistent results with assistance of team members; provide support to teammates when tackling complex projects.

Technical Skills : Proficient in the use of complex administrative systems software, preferably in the higher education environment. Proficient with Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Excel and Teams. Ability to understand and translate complex concepts into lay terms.

Working Conditions : Normal office environment. Adhere to confidentiality and data usage policy for the division. This position requires a high level of commitment and enthusiasm. Due to travel requirements, evening meetings and special events, etc., candidate must be willing to work extended hours as needed.

Preferred qualifications :