Associate Director, Leadership Giving

PURPOSE STATEMENT

Northeastern University seeks a highly entrepreneurial, energetic Associate Director, Leadership Giving (Associate Director) to join its Advancement team during the University’s largest and most ambitious fundraising campaign, Experience Powered by Northeastern. An exceptional opportunity for the individual looking to develop management skills while continuing to build their career as a frontline fundraiser, the Associate Director will supervise at least one direct report and carry a portfolio of their own in support of Northeastern’s mission.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Reporting directly to the Executive Director, Leadership Giving, the Associate Director will join the newly formed Leadership Giving team, whose primary focus is to cultivate donors showing considerable promise for evolving to higher giving capacity over time. The Associate Director will execute the strategy established by the Executive Director, Leadership Giving to ensure the success, growth and development of the Leadership Giving program. Managing a portfolio of a select group of college, program or unit leadership level alumni, parents, and friends, the Associate Director will work to engage leadership level donors ($10,000 - $100,000) who exhibit considerable promise (capacity and inclination) to elevate their giving to ensure greater long-term success for the leadership, major and principal gift programs. The Associate Director will work in close collaboration with University Advancement, college and unit staff to identify, cultivate and solicit those donors. They will also acquire and articulate an understanding of Northeastern University and its various colleges and units to be able to have informed and educated conversations with donors/prospects. By working collaboratively across the university, the Associate Director will play an active role in the success of the Leadership Giving program.

The Associate Director will manage and supervise at least one Assistant Director of Leadership Giving. This management and supervision will include but not be limited to weekly/biweekly fundraising activity meetings, monthly progress meetings, and quarterly portfolio reviews. Additionally, the Associate Director will prepare and present quarterly and fiscal year-end performance reviews in conjunction with the Executive Director.

The ideal candidate will be a natural relationship builder with three or more years of development experience who takes a solutions-focused approach to their work and believes there are no dead-ends, only other roads to pursue. As an Associate Director, Leadership Giving, they will embody what it means to be donor-centric, motivated by the desire to help people create meaningful impact through philanthropy. They will be a natural leader with the presence, interpersonal skills, and energy to build relationships at all levels in service to Northeastern University. They will be a true team player who has collaborative instincts, an inclination to integrate efforts, and the tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty in a complex, interdisciplinary environment.

While prior success managing and supervising frontline staff resulting in increased fundraising results and enhanced fundraising skills is preferred, candidates who possess the professional maturity and readiness to step into a management role will also be considered.

RESPONSIBILITIES

LEADERSHIP GIFT FUNDRAISING

• Build and manage a portfolio of 100-120 donors/prospects at the leadership level who exhibit considerable promise for evolving to major gift level capacity over time.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individuals to strategically enhance their giving potential and likelihood.
• Work across University Advancement and the greater university to build relationships that will enhance active solicitations of leadership giving donor/prospects and help move these prospects to higher giving levels.
• Meet and exceed established metrics and benchmarks.
• Utilize Advancement’s data management system, Ascend, to log activity, create call and progress reports, and maintain data integrity of leadership giving donors and prospects.
• Collaborate with University Advancement colleagues and staff along with college colleagues and staff to enhance cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship as necessary
• Acquire and articulate an understanding of Northeastern University’s various colleges and units to be able to have informed and educated conversations with donors and prospects.

MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISION

• Manage and supervise at least one Leadership Giving frontline fundraiser to: (1) increase overall Leadership Giving fundraising results; (2) benefit the respective college, program or unit; and (3) to help enhance their development and fundraising skill set.
• Work in close collaboration with the Executive Director, Leadership Giving to maximize Leadership Giving program results and growth, and to hire, onboard, train, and develop Leadership Giving staff.
• Hold weekly/bi-weekly fundraising activity meetings, monthly progress meetings, and quarterly portfolio reviews with direct reports.
• Prepare and present quarterly and yearly performance appraisals for direct reports in conjunction with the Executive Director.
• Operate as a flexible and nimble fundraiser and manager as the Leadership Giving program evolves.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 3+ years of progressive development experience.
• Proven success in fundraising, including but not limited to donor/prospect portfolio management and experience making gift solicitations at the $10,000+ level. Higher education fundraising experience is not required but is a plus.
• Prior success managing and supervising frontline fundraising staff is preferred. Will also consider candidates who possess the professional maturity and readiness to step into a management role.
• Strong working knowledge of development, including but not limited to gift processing, portfolio management, prospect research, and donor stewardship.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, and the interpersonal skills necessary for building relationships with various university constituents, both internal and external.
• Ability to manage multiple priority projects at once with ease and efficiency.
• Excellent attention to detail; strong organizational skills.
• Highly collaborative in approach.
• Ability to take direction.
• Flexibility to adapt as the Leadership Giving program evolves.
• Proficiency in Ascend, or a similar relationship management solution desired, as well as Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Ability to travel, including nights and weekends.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.

ABOUT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Northeastern University, a global, experiential, research university built on a tradition of engagement with the world and creating a distinctive approach to education and research, is forming the world’s first true global university system. Under the leadership of President Joseph Aoun, Northeastern has redefined the global university by expanding its hallmark co-op program and other experiential learning opportunities to 128+ countries and creating new educational and research partnerships that align with the increasingly global nature of higher education.

Classified as a top-tier research institution and listed at #44 according to the U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023 Best National Universities Rankings and one of the top universities for international students, Northeastern has elevated itself to a powerhouse on par with the nation’s elite research colleges and universities. These achievements build upon Northeastern’s unprecedented momentum, which includes continued investments in research and faculty recruitment, record-high student applications, and momentous fundraising success.

The university’s global network of campuses includes the Boston flagship campus, which offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools, as well as regional campuses in Arlington, Burlington, Charlotte, Miami, Nahant, Portland, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, and London.

The Office of University Advancement plays an integral role in furthering Northeastern’s game-changing vision of transforming the University into diverse networks of learners and innovators, empowering members of its global community to succeed in an era of extraordinary technological and cultural change. Maintaining a staff of approximately 200, the Office of University Advancement is a thriving environment with an engaged, dedicated, and generous donor universe assuring a sustainable future for Northeastern.

In October 2022, Northeastern launched its major fundraising campaign, Experience Powered by Northeastern, as excitement builds for the next stage of the university’s evolution as a global, experiential research institution. With emphasis on empowering a global network of students, parents, faculty and alumni changemakers, Experience Powered by Northeastern will support the vision set out in the academic plan, Experience Unleashed. The Campaign’s six fundraising priorities (Student Opportunities, Faculty Excellence, Research, Diversity Across Communities, Entrepreneurship, Global Exploration) are designed to continue building on the university’s strengths while launching it into the future.