Senior Director of Development, American University, Kogod School of Business

Position Title: Senior Director of Development, Kogod School of Business

Reports to: Assistant Dean of Development, Kogod School of Business

Position: Full-Time, On-site, Exempt

Location: Washington, D.C.; Maryland; Virginia

Salary: $140,000 - $150,000 annually

About American University

“We are a University of strivers and dreamers, of activists and artists, of scholars and servant-leaders. We realize that when we all contribute, we all succeed. We are, quite literally, one AU.” – President Sylvia Burwell

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly ranked schools and colleges, internationally renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world. Our students distinguish themselves with their service, leadership, and ability to rethink global and domestic challenges and opportunities.

At AU passion becomes action; students actively engage in the world around them; and the leaders of today train the leaders of tomorrow.

We are looking for candidates who reflect the diversity of our student body. At AU, we are deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. American University was founded to respond to the needs of a changing world, with a set of guiding values—among them diversity, equity, and inclusion. AU cannot be excellent without being truly inclusive, and without taking the concrete, specific steps to improve our campus climate.

BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrants, multilingual, mature or differently abled candidates, and people of all faiths or none at all are encouraged to apply.

About Change Can’t Wait: The Campaign for American University

With a $500 million goal, Change Can’t Wait will create transformative educational opportunities for students, advance research with impact, and build stronger communities locally, nationally, and globally. Why us? Changemaking is in our DNA. Why now? We know change can’t wait.

Find out more about the campaign here.

The Role

The Senior Director of Development is a principal and major gifts fundraiser at the Kogod School of Business at American University responsible for managing a dynamic prospect portfolio with giving capacities of $100,000-$2M and above in assigned geographical regions. The Senior Director of Development reports directly to the Assistant Dean of Development for the Kogod School of Business and serves as a key member of the Dean’s external relations team by helping develop and execute a range of strategic initiatives as it relates to American University’s historic comprehensive campaign.

The incumbent works within an entrepreneurial and fast-paced school environment and is responsible for independently managing a top tier of at least 100+ prospects and donors by closely collaborating with faculty, staff, and senior administration officials to design and implement major gift plans that strengthen the Kogod School of Business’s donor base to include Corporations and Foundations; concurrently, the Senior Director of Development will proactively build the donor pipeline by identifying new prospective major and principal gift donors and developing long-range plans for their involvement with the school. 

Additionally, as part of the Senior Director of Development’s responsibilities, the incumbent will serve as a development liaison for assigned academic departments, centers, and/or program areas, interfacing with directors and department heads regularly to secure program support as well as maintain pipelines for fundraising and volunteer leadership; concurrently, the incumbent will collaborate with other fundraisers in the department and across the university in the overall relationship building of alumni with the school.

As part of this work, the incumbent will work with senior leaders to strategize and facilitate development trips and will coordinate any or all aspects of development travel including prospect identification, scheduling, logistics, travel arrangements, event logistics, briefing, staffing, and follow-up correspondence. To this end, this position requires the willingness and ability to frequently travel approximately 50% of the time, as well as the ability to work some occasional evenings and weekends when helping coordinate and staff regional cultivation and stewardship events when appropriate. 

The incumbent will be responsible for assuring that pertinent information and strategic moves for assigned prospects are properly recorded in the institutional database. 

Organizational Characteristics

This position reports directly to the Assistant Dean of Development and has no direct reports.  The Senior Director of Development is responsible for raising major and principal-level gifts for the Kogod School of Business.  This position works closely with the Assistant Dean of Development to establish and meet mutually agreed-upon annual goals for moving donors through the development cycle, including visits, dollars solicited, and dollars raised. 

The Senior Director of Development operates under the University’s prospect management system, APEX (American Prospect Engagement and Cultivation System), with the expectations of achieving the metrics below through demonstration of a high degree of professionalism, discretion, and refined written and oral communication.

Responsibilities  

Major and Principal Gift Fundraising/Stewardship (50%)

• This position is responsible for identifying, qualifying, visiting, cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding donors to raise major gifts for the Kogod School of Business. Manages a portfolio of key relationships with 100+ rated prospects and donors in assigned region(s), with a heavy emphasis on donors rated $100,000 and above. The incumbent will maintain an entrepreneurial inclination and capacity for hard work within an intensely goal-oriented and collaborative environment. Works closely with KSB Assistant Dean of Development and collaboratively with colleagues to achieve campaign goals and has a key role in supporting the school’s volunteer councils and strategic events and projects to advance KSB development goals and priorities. 

• Success will be measured by the incumbent's ability to identify and cultivate prospective donors' philanthropic interests; the quality of their prospect strategies; their ability to move donors from cultivation to solicitation, and the successful closure of five- and seven-figure gifts.

Planning and Development Programs Support (25%)

• Conceive, develop, implement, and manage fundraising initiatives to meet KSB priorities, coach KSB leadership for prospect meetings and communications. Collaborate with on-campus partners, including faculty members, in moving potential donors through the pipeline and closing gifts to benefit KSB's priorities.

 Prospect Management (10%)

• Work in concert with the Office of Advancement colleagues, including particularly close collaboration with the Planned Giving Team, Parents Team, Leadership Annual Giving Team, KSB’s Office of Career Engagement, and Office of Prospect Research & Management to conduct prospect identification and qualification. 

Reporting & Recording (10%)

• Conducts timely updating of reports, recording of action items in the database, filing of appropriate donor records and updates, files and reconciles credit card receipts and cash reimbursements.

Other duties as assigned (5%)  

• in support of the broader objectives of the Assistant Vice President for Advancement and the Vice President for Advancement.

Dimensions

This position interacts with alumni donors and major gift prospects for the Kogod School of Business, members of the Development & Alumni Relation team, KSB faculty and staff members, the Dean of the Kogod School of Business, and the senior leadership team for KSB.  This visible position represents the school and university externally, and as such the incumbent will serve as an ambassador of the university.  This position requires domestic travel to visit, cultivate, solicit, close, and steward key alumni donors.  No staff members report to this position. This position is expected to generate annual and multi-year term commitments for KSB in line with goals set annually based on an active portfolio assessment.

Requirements

Education, Training, and/or Experience Required: 

• Master’s degree preferred 
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in institutional development with emphasis on major gifts from individuals and organizations, or equivalent combination of education and experience; preferred experience in higher education, with experience in alumni relations, and/or volunteer management a plus
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. (A writing sample may be required.) 

Other Skills and Abilities Required: 

• Integrity and trust with a demonstrated ability to manage highly confidential information
• Ability to manage a fast-paced office with competing demands; not easily flustered nor easily overwhelmed by a high volume of activity and projects.
• Experience interacting comfortably with faculty and C-suite level contacts.
• Familiarity with databases and/or other fundraising systems, and strong command of MS Office Suite of products. 

Additional Information About the Position

This position will require travel outside the Washington metropolitan area at least 50% of the time, as well as seasonal evening and weekend work for scheduled KSB and University events and programs. 

Hiring offers for this position are contingent on the successful completion of a background check.

Benefits

American University offers a comprehensive benefits package and competitive compensation. 

American University has retained the services of Charity Search Group to coordinate the search for this position. To apply, please complete this online application. If you have questions or need accommodations, please contact Pascale Hughes at pascale@charitysearchgroup.com ​or visit www.charitysearchgroup.com

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.