• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $155,000 to $175,000

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Development for Leadership Giving and Annual Fund at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), provides leadership and strategic direction for the execution of the front-line fundraising, broad-base marketing and communication, stewardship, and volunteer management programs of both undergraduate and graduate alumni, parents and friends in partnership with the Vice Dean of Advancement and other senior team leaders on the Engineering Development and Alumni Relations (EDAR) team that result in the growth of dollars and donors to the Leadership Giving and Annual Fund programs.  

The Senior Director oversees a team of two to four front-line fundraisers, two stewardship officers, a strategic marketing officer, and a development coordinator. Through this team, the Senior Director leads the Engineering Annual Fund, parents, reunion, volunteer boards, and student philanthropy programs across the School’s unique community, as well as donor relations and stewardship. The Senior Director serves as the primary point of contact between the School of Engineering and the centrally administered Marketing Strategy & Enablement (MSE) team at Columbia University.  In addition to strategic direction and management responsibilities, the Senior Director serves as an active prospect manager with a portfolio focused on growing leadership-level annual donors. The Senior Director will play a lead role in reconfiguring the School’s volunteer boards. In partnership with the Senior Director of Major Gifts, they will ensure collaboration among all fundraisers.

Responsibilities

• (40%) Management of all elements of the Annual Giving programs, including population analysis, retention, and acquisition strategies and metrics.

  • Synchronized multi-channel solicitation and stewardship campaigns, and development of communications pieces for deployment through communication channels.

  • Working in partnership with Columbia University's Marketing Strategy and Enablement team, specifically with the School of Engineering liaison, the Marketing & Strategic Planning Officer, and the School's Communications team, to set and meet annual and five-year goals for the Engineering Fund and the Engineering Parents Fund.

  • The incumbent has oversight of the Parents Council and sets annual targets for parent giving.

  • Explores and implements A.I. tools to support these efforts and conducts regular segmentation analyses to help inform new strategies for activating donors and driving participation across our graduate and undergraduate alumni and parent constituencies.

  • Use data analysis to develop team and individual plans and to adjust course, as necessary, throughout the fiscal year to ensure the program is on track to meet quarterly, annual, and long-term goals.

• (25%) Management of a portfolio of up to 75 leadership annual fund donors, including completion of 150 personal visits over 12 months to cultivate and solicit leadership donors/prospects and close gifts.

  • Maintain records on the Advance/Athena database in a timely fashion, and ensure team members do as well.

• (25%) Manage and provide strategic and tactical direction to a team of two to four front-line fundraisers, two stewardship officers, a marketing and communications officer, and a development coordinator.

  • Assist the team in developing clearly defined goals using standardized metrics.

  • Provide mentoring and coaching to promote team and individual success.

  • Lead and maintain primary responsibility for the School's successful planning and execution of two critical twenty-four-hour fundraising events: Columbia Giving Day and Columbia Engineering Pi Day.

  • Lead volunteer boards and management efforts as they relate to the annual giving program.

  • Responsible for oversight of the donor relations and stewardship efforts for Engineering Development and Alumni Relations, including reporting, communications programs, giving societies, and events.

• (5%) Collaborate closely with the Engineering Alumni Relations and Major Gifts teams to create strategic programming and events that strengthen our communities of alumni and donors. 

• (5%) Performs other related tasks as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred. A minimum of seven (7) years of related experience is required. At least one (1) year of previous leadership/management is necessary.

• Proficiency in Google Workspace and Microsoft Office is a must.

• This position requires evening and weekend work and travel as required.

• Program development or related transferable experience preferred, with demonstrated success in annual giving or relevant field, with transferable skills and abilities.

• Experience in higher education is preferred. Strong volunteer management skills are essential.

• The incumbent must have effective writing and presentation skills, be a persuasive advocate for Columbia Engineering priorities, and be able to make a strong case for both current use support and endowed support in the annual giving efforts.

• Demonstrated success in all phases of the giving cycle: identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

• Track record of success in developing relationships and successfully soliciting gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations.

• Experience staffing senior institutional leaders.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively leverage the time of senior volunteers and academic and administrative staff.

• Experience collaborating with, preparing, and coaching volunteers and academic and administrative staff for meetings and communication with prospects.

• Ability to present complex information clearly and compellingly, both in writing and in person.

• Both personally and on behalf of Columbia University, energy, initiative, and ambition are desirable traits. Excitement about the mission of Columbia University and the School of Engineering is crucial.

• Commitment to accurate record-keeping and information sharing is essential.

• Intelligence, resilience, and an entrepreneurial spirit are preferred qualities.

• Must have a passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality.

• The incumbent must uphold and model our core values--Respect, Partnership, Ownership, and Integrity, which define standards of conduct and collaboration in all actions, interactions, and management.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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