Senior Director of Development and Team Lead, College of Arts and Sciences

VISION: Transform the university through the power of generosity.

MISSION: Unite donor passions with university priorities to elevate the impact of Oklahoma State University.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE: Develop priorities and philanthropic strategy to cultivate, engage, solicit, and steward donors, alumni, friends, and others to raise major gifts for the College of Arts and Sciences.

PRIMARY PURPOSE: Provide strategic philanthropic direction, vision, and execution for the College of Arts and Sciences by working closely with unit fundraising team, internal collaborators and campus leaders to raise philanthropic support, focusing primarily on gifts of $50,000+.

Key Areas Of Focus

Fundraising-

• Manage a portfolio of College of Arts and Sciences prospects/donors, focusing on prospects capable of giving $100,000+.
• Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors. Create and collaboratively execute individualized engagement and solicitation plans. Seeking to identify donor’s passions, while focusing primarily on fundraising for the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Conduct a minimum of 120 personal visits, soliciting 18-24 and successfully closing 60 percent of solicitations.
• Responsible for both individual production goal and College of Arts and Sciences fundraising goal.
  
  

Team/People Leadership-

• Supervise a team of development officers and support staff. Support and mentor team to meet fundraising and performance goals.
• Responsible for team hiring, performance reviews and discussions, assists in onboarding new team members, and participates in other managerial activities.
  
  

College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Engagement-

• Build partnerships with the Dean and strategic leaders within the College. Develop philanthropic strategies that advance the College of Arts and Sciences’ key priorities and mission. Engages with top donors and prospects in collaboration with College of Arts and Sciences leaders. Acts as the primary liaison between the OSU Foundation and the College.
  
  

Strategy and Campaign-

• Advance philanthropic strategies and fundraising priorities of University and College of Arts and Sciences, through relationships with the Dean and key campus leaders. Facilitate collaboration and communicate priorities to team members, unit affiliated campaign volunteers, existing College of Arts and Sciences boards, and donors. Coordinate between College of Arts and Sciences and OSU Foundation, fostering partnerships with other teams and fundraising initiatives.
  
  

Other Duties As Assigned.

JOB COMPETENCIES AND EXPERIENCE:

Education & Certifications-

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Master’s degree preferred.
  
  

Experience-

• 7 years in major gifts or related experience required. Experience in a higher education setting preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience managing fundraising projects, programs and budgets.
• Experience with gift planning vehicles is preferred.
• Experience working with a professional school in higher education is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience planning, executing, and successfully completing fundraising initiatives.
• Fundraising and donor management software experience desired.
• Proven sense of humor and ability to have fun.
  
  

Organizational Competencies-

• Effective Communication: Listens well and diffuses conflict before it starts; highly persuasive in communications; presents ideas in a manner which actively engages people; takes action to reduce communication barriers and ensure arrangements are in place for effective communication across and within the organization; successfully carries out crucial conversations and encourages and coaches others to have crucial conversations to resolve conflict.
• Execution & Initiative: Holds staff accountable for achieving standards of excellence and results for the organization seeks out understanding of both donor needs and internal processes; continuously pursues improvement of the organization’s performance by enhancing business processes, systems, teams, facilities or equipment; takes charge in a crisis and effectively maneuvers through complex situations and makes tough decisions in a timely manner.
• Teamwork/Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates commitment to employee engagement and leverages programs and tools to build business plans and monitor progress; utilizes employee recognition and reward programs to celebrate individual and team success; looks for opportunities to create cross-functional teams that leverage employee strengths; proactively takes steps to retain employees by building trust and developing their skills; builds relationships internally and externally and uses relationships to build consensus and create results; coaches others and is able to message appropriately, maintaining confidentiality; excels in maneuvering in a complex and political environment.
• Problem Solving/Judgment: Builds teams understanding of how to apply approved policies and procedures to ensure compliance; looks more broadly across multiple lines of business to identify opportunities and proactively solve problems and implement solutions; challenges assumptions, bases decisions on the right mixture of data analysis as well as wisdom and experience.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Partners with other colleagues to explore implications of shifting dynamics; communicates in an effort to engage team members and partners in change efforts, explaining the rationale, impacts and benefits of change both vertically and horizontally; involves others in planning and implementing change, keeping them informed of progress; leads with confidence during times of change; drives the implementation and acceptance of change in the workplace, including innovative solutions and alternative approaches for changing circumstances.
• Courage & Conviction: Takes responsibility for team outcomes regardless of success and learns from all results; creates an environment where failure is seen as an opportunity for learning; practices ethical decision making and encourages the same in others; has the courage to hold others accountable for their actions and decisions.
• Donor Centered: Ensures team understands the importance of donor centered service in accordance with OSUF standards; explains difficult information while focused on the donor’s perspective and level of knowledge.
  
  

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Must use a computer terminal and view a computer screen for extended periods of time. Must talk in person or by phone (frequently and sometimes for extended periods) to people on campus and across the country. Must constantly use visual acuity to check printed and designed materials of various types. Must be able to navigate within the OSU Foundation. Typical office working conditions.