Senior Director of Development

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $180,000 - $220,000

Position Summary

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Execution (30%)

• Lead the design and implementation of a five‑year revenue‑generation, sustainability, and diversification strategy across all Columbia Global entities and geographies, while actively contributing to its execution during a period of organizational growth.
• Translate the five-year sustainability strategy into prioritized pipelines, target funding mixes, and clear annual revenue benchmarks aligned with organizational capacity.
• Serve as a hands‑on strategic partner to Columbia Global senior leadership, translating institutional priorities into actionable funding strategies, proposals, and donor and government engagement plans.
• Establish organization‑wide goals, standards, and expectations for revenue generation and stewardship in collaboration with program, finance, communications, and leadership teams, as well as central partners such as the Office of Alumni Development (OAD) and Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA).

Revenue Generation and Direct Engagement (30%)

• Personally drive a selective portfolio of high-priority, complex, or cross-cutting fundraising and partnership efforts, including donor cultivation, solicitation, proposal development, and institutional engagement, with a focus on complex or cross‑cutting opportunities.
• Lead the development of fundable concepts and proposals in collaboration with Columbia Global directors, program, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) and finance teams.
• Support senior leadership and Columbia Global staff in donor, foundation, corporation, and government engagements through strategy development, briefing preparation, and active participation.

Sponsored Funding (15%)

• Identify and pursue government, bilateral, multilateral, and institutional funding opportunities, working closely with Columbia Global teams and SPA to advance competitive proposals.
• Help establish clear standards, workflows, and expectations for sponsored funding development and management across Columbia Global’s global platform.

Team Leadership and Capacity Building (10%)

• Manage a small, high‑performing development team—currently one staff member—while laying the groundwork for future growth, including at least one planned additional role.
• Mentor and support Columbia Global team members through coaching, shared execution, and clear performance expectations.
• Build development capacity across Columbia Global by strengthening fundraising literacy, planning, and execution among staff in leadership, programs, communications, and operations.

Cross‑Functional and Matrix Leadership (10%)

• Lead through influence across Columbia Global’s ten global markets, aligning distributed teams around shared revenue goals, standards, and practices.
• Support change management as Columbia Global continues to professionalize and align development practices across a distributed global platform.
• Reinforce consistent approaches to goal setting, portfolio management, stewardship, and accountability across the organization.
• Partner closely with finance, monitoring and evaluation, and communications teams to ensure funding strategies are credible, compelling, and measurable.

Stewardship, Accountability, and Institutional Alignment (5%)

Minimum Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience securing funding from diverse sources, including individuals, foundations, corporations, and government or multilateral donors, with hands-on involvement in proposal development and donor engagement.
• Experience developing and executing revenue or fundraising strategies in complex, decentralized, or global organizations.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in matrixed environments, establishing goals, standards, and accountability across distributed teams without direct supervisory authority.
• Background in academic, higher-education, or research-intensive institutional settings, including experience working with faculty and institutionally driven funding models.
• Success leading in small-team or build-phase environments, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to apply innovative, creative, and nontraditional approaches to problem solving, including developing and advancing unconventional or disruptive funding, partnership, or operating models to address complex institutional and resource constraints.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex academic or programmatic work into compelling funding narratives.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities across geographies and funding streams.
• Working knowledge of sponsored funding pathways and coordination with central research or sponsored projects offices.
• Experience leading or contributing to multi-year sustainability and revenue-diversification strategies within a complex institutional or global context.
• Demonstrated success securing large and complex awards, including six- and seven-figure gifts, grants, contracts, or government funding.
• Experience building, scaling, or professionalizing a development or resource-mobilization function, including hiring, mentoring, and establishing systems, processes, and standards.
• Experience engaging boards or advisory bodies, including preparing senior-level materials, supporting strategic discussions, and leveraging board or advisory engagement to advance fundraising, partnerships, or institutional priorities.
• Deep familiarity with fundraising, compliance, stewardship, and ethical development practices in higher-education or research-intensive institutions.
• Experience operating across multiple international regions or markets beyond a single geographic context.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.