As MSU begins efforts to strategically positions itself to enter its third billion-dollar plus campaign, the Senior Director will play a pivotal leadership role in planning and spearheading the campaign effort – focused on endowment and expendable support – for the College.  This includes conducting a needs assessment of programs, developing the case for support, refining funding priorities, recruiting and mobilizing volunteers, preparing and reviewing proposals, identifying prospects, and actively soliciting contributions with a focus on gifts of $100,000 and more.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising:

• Plans and implements methods of prospect identification, solicitation and cultivation in order to achieve successful solicitations for funds and matches donor interests with the needs of the College.  The Senior Director will manage a portfolio of 120 major gift prospects, strive to conduct 8-10 significant personal visits per month which will include discovery visits to qualify new prospects, and deliver 2-4 proposals per month.
• Plans and implements the major, planned and principal gifts program for the College as well as funding from other sources, including corporations and foundations.  The Senior Director will focus on 6- and 7-figure gift fundraising with in- and out-of-state travel required.
• Prepares annual operating plan that outlines goals, objectives and strategies for the overall advancement program as well as for self and each member of the advancement team.
• Provides assistance to donors regarding tax laws, policies and procedures and resolves problems in order to maintain a positive image of the University.

Personnel Management:

• Hires, supervises, directs, motivates, and evaluates professional and support staff in order to assure high performance and consistency with quantity and quality of work performed.
• Set clear direction and priorities for professionals and administrative support personnel.  Promote excellence through well-defined and measurable goals.
• Lead by example; foster a work environment that recognizes and rewards cross functional collaboration and team-based efforts.  Celebrate current achievements and set clear expectations for future success.
• Actively mentor and train staff, providing frequent opportunities for professional learning and growth; emphasize retention as a means of increasing capacity and expertise of the team.  Fully leverage human and financial resources and promote greater efficiency.
• Provide the structure and guidance necessary to promote a high-performance culture that meets the needs and expectations of a successful and diverse alumni community.
• Recruits, trains, motivates and evaluates volunteers in order to accomplish college goals and objectives.

Programmatic Management:

• Audits internal operations in order to develop standardized procedures and to ensure conformity with established policy.
• Plans, hosts and communicates at meetings of the public and University personnel in order to provide information on the College and/or University.
• Assists in budget preparation in order to ensure consistency with departmental goals.
• Collaborates with external relations staff, including development, alumni, public relations and communications, in order to ensure coordination of information to alumni and friends of the College.
• Coordinates the composing, editing and publishing of college development literature in order to provide staff and volunteers with campaign progress reports and appropriate stewardship.

Communications/Interpersonal Relationships

• Michigan State University Alumni/Individuals/Major Corporations/Businesses/Employees and Corporate Leadership – in order to solicit as potential donors, handle their donor requests and to cultivate and train them as potential volunteers.
• Faculty – in order to educate, train and partner with them in the Development process, to seek their advice on needs, to answer funding questions, and collaborate on prospect/proposal strategy.
• Staff – in order to train, provide work oversight and to establish priorities.
• Department Heads/Michigan State University Executive Management – in order to consult and coordinate work within University structure to aid in the identification of potential donors and gain support of special projects.
• Michigan State University Vice President and Associate Vice President of University Advancement – in order to advise on the progress of specific College campaigns.
• Michigan State University campaign leadership – in order to seek their advice on the cultivation and solicitation of major donors and to assist them in soliciting donors.
• Michigan State University Trustees – in order to seek advice and obtain assistance for solicitation.
• Peers/Professional Organizations – in order to obtain advice and council on options being considered for programs.
• Government Agencies/Foundations – in order to assess current funding priorities and particular donor procedures.

Supervision Received

Direction is received from the Executive Director of Constituency Programs and from the Dean of the College of Education.

Supervision Exercised

This position supervises the Associate and Assistant Directors of Development for the College, and College advancement administrative staff.

Minimum Qualifications

Required:  Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing and/or Business; five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in professional and higher education fundraising, public relations, marketing, development of budgets, preparation and presentation of case statements and analysis of operations; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.  Travel is required.

Desired:

• A Bachelor’s degree; Communications, Public Relations, Marketing and/or Business preferred.
• Eight years of successful fundraising experience (preferably in higher education) including several years at a director or manager level.   Experience in related fields such as public relations or marketing may be taken into consideration.
• Demonstrated organizational, interpersonal and written/oral communications.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating major gifts through planned giving instruments.
• Working knowledge of tax laws affecting charitable giving.
• Travel involving automobile.