Alumni Relations & Development

A career in alumni relations and development at Columbia University connects you with the brightest minds doing the most compelling work in every sphere, in one of the world's most inspiring cities.

You could join a team raising funds to provide a student with the transformative experience of a Columbia education or celebrate our filmmakers at Sundance with the Columbia Alumni Association. You could introduce potential donors to a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist or post on social media about climate change research breakthroughs. That's a stimulating work environment!

If you are a passionate professional who wants to make a difference, consider joining our dynamic and accomplished team as we partner with alumni, donors, and friends who share a dedication to furthering Columbia’s global impact. You will find that we are a cohesive community committed to a process of self-reflection, both to generate new strategies for fundraising growth and to become a leader in our field.

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Latest Alumni & Development Jobs

Title	Location	Summary
Senior Director of Development, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute	New York	The Senior Director of Development reports to the Assistant Vice President of Development for Strategic Initiatives in Columbia's central Office of Alumni Relations and Development (OAD), with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Director and CEO of the Zuckerman Institute. The Senior Director collaborates with colleagues across Columbia's schools and central departments and joins a vibrant community of fundraising professionals supporting more than two dozen strategic initiatives across the University.
Officer of Major Gifts	Manhattanville	Reporting to the Senior Director, Major Gifts, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) Major Gift Officer identifies, cultivates and solicits alumni, parents and friends of Columbia Engineering with the capacity to make gifts in the range of $250,000 to $10,000,000. The incumbent is responsible for a portfolio of approximately 150 individuals in their portfolio. They will also design and develop solicitation strategies, personally solicit and close gifts, and continually steward and cultivate donors. The incumbent is a collaborative team player who will work closely with the Dean, the Dean’s Senior Leadership, the Vice Dean for Advancement and Alumni Relations, the Columbia Engineering Development and Alumni Relations (EDAR) team, and others at Columbia University Office of Alumni and Development (OAD) to identify priorities and execute our fundraising goals. The incumbent must have effective writing and presentation skills and be a persuasive advocate for Engineering priorities. They are a member of the Engineering Development and Alumni Relations team and help raise money for School priorities.
Associate Director, Alumni Giving	New York	The Columbia College Development and Alumni Relations (CCDAR) team serves the more than 55,000 living alumni of Columbia College along with current and past College parents and friends. We are an innovative team of development and alumni relations professionals committed to fostering strong, lasting relationships between Columbia alumni, parents, students and friends through engagement, participation and philanthropic investment. We connect stakeholders to opportunities that support College goals and advance engagement and fundraising priorities. Reporting to the Director of Alumni Giving on the Columbia College Fund team, the Associate Director is responsible for leading the College’s reunion giving program. With guidance from the Director, the Associate Director is responsible for helping cultivate a culture of “stretch” giving and grow the Reunion Giving program, putting emphasis on milestone classes and generating energy, support, and involvement from volunteers and donors in those classes. The incumbent’s duties will include but are not limited to goal setting for milestone classes, volunteer committee recruitment and management, individual meetings with reunion volunteers, and identifying key reunion prospects and working closely with prospect managers to secure gifts from those prospects. The Associate Director works independently but partners closely with the Assistant Director of Alumni Events and Programs on all reunion related items. They handle multiple responsibilities, requiring strong prioritization skills. A successful candidate is interested in forming relationships with alumni volunteers and donors and creating opportunities for alumni to engage with and financially support Columbia College.
Executive Director, Planned Giving	Columbia University Medical Center	The Executive Director of Planned Giving will report to the Vice President, Development, and work closely with senior development leaders, to enhance and lead a comprehensive planned giving program for the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as providing support as needed to the other health sciences schools. The focus will be on working with prospects, donors and collaboratively with colleagues to generate support through testamentary bequests, charitable trusts, life income arrangements, and other complex gifts including real estate and closely held securities. The position manages a personal portfolio of major and planned gift prospects, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding donors locally and nationally. Annual expectations include closing multiple deferred gifts, raising significant dollars from the portfolio, and completing a robust schedule of donor visits. Donors and prospects include alumni, patients, and friends.
Associate Director of Major Gifts	New York	Reporting to the Director of Development, Major Gifts and International Fundraising, the incumbent is expected to be a highly energetic professional with the ability to engage donors and work with volunteers.
Sr Director of Major Gifts	New York	Reporting to the Executive Director, Development and Strategic Initiatives at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), the Senior Director of Major Gifts provides leadership and strategic direction for the major gifts program at Columbia Engineering. The Senior Director of Major Gifts is responsible for planning and executing year-on-year major gifts activity and goal setting for major gifts of $1,000,000 - $10,000,000 on behalf of the School. The Senior Director of Major Gifts will manage the frontline major gifts officers process, and set annual fundraising targets through careful coordination of the pipeline, strategy development, solicitation timeline, and ask outcomes for major gifts of $1,000,000 - $10,000,000 as a key partner to the Executive Director. Together with the Executive Director, the Senior Director sets ambitious and annual achievable targets for growing the major gift pipeline over time as Columbia Engineering focuses on ongoing high-priority areas, in addition to the School’s building campaign, an exciting School expansion to Manhattanville. In addition to management responsibilities for the major gifts program, the Director also serves as an active fundraiser focused on growing six- and seven-figure donors to the school. The Director will also take a role working with the Vice Dean of Development and Alumni Relations and the Senior Director, Alumni Relations, high-level volunteer boards as needed.