Director of Development

Advancement

Join the dynamic UMSL Advancement team as we prepare for an ambitious public campaign to advance the University and our region. A career at UMSL is about being part of something big - of wanting more! From our own backyard to the broader world, we are committed to building a future in which our greatest outcome is transformative change for all. As a proud anchor institution in north St. Louis County, we position ourselves not only as good neighbors but as active partners in the development of education, health care, public safety, social service, business and industry initiatives that strengthen our communities, our city and our state. Innovative research, creative scholarships, connection, collaboration, lifelong learning and endless opportunity - UMSL has it all.

UMSL's Office of Development is a high-performing, mission-driven team that thrives on collaboration, support, and shared success. This role offers the opportunity for an experienced major gifts professional to build meaningful relationships with UMSL alumni and donors and create lasting philanthropic impact that drives greater access to higher education, innovation, and student support. Our development officers are empowered to think strategically, work creatively, and contribute to a culture that values both excellence and purpose in donor engagement. UMSL offers a generous benefits package that includes significant tuition discounts for employees, spouses, and dependents at all four UM System campuses to support lifelong learning and growth and a stellar healthcare benefits package.

As a member of the Office of Development this position is responsible for planning, developing, and executing comprehensive gift strategies to secure private donations in support of the University. The person in this position will possess strong communication and analytical skills, superb work ethic, proven problem-solving skills, and proven ability to manage through change and foster teamwork and collaboration.

• Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of 125-150 major gift prospects capable of making gifts of $50,000 or more.
• Conducts approximately 120 strategic in-person donor visits annually.
• Successfully solicits approximately 15-20 major gifts annually.
• Meets metrics established with supervisor on an annual basis for metrics including but not limited to number of prospect or donor meetings, major gift solicitations, and dollars raised.
• Represents the entire range of university fundraising priorities to major gift prospects as appropriate.
• Develops deep knowledge base of assigned college, unit, and/or campaign priority to articulate a case for support to both donors in assignment portfolio and assist development colleagues with the solicitation of prospects in their respective portfolios. Assigned units include College of Education and School of Engineering.
• Develops strategic fundraising plans and executes on major, high-profile gift and fundraising initiatives.
• Effectively collaborate with Deans/Directors to advance major donor relationships in support of for college/unit fundraising priorities.
• Routinely collaborates with Gift Planning to solicit prospects capable of making a planned gift.
• Routinely collaborates with External and Donor Relations on Division and individual donor recognition efforts and practices.
• Maintains expert knowledge on gift documentation practices. Submits gift forms and agreements within established time frames and ensures consistent accuracy.
• Writes detailed correspondence, completing gift proposals, and stewardship reports.
• Effectively and proactively communicates with donors, colleagues, and university leadership verbally, in writing, or through a variety of presentations.
• Implements policies and practices for the area, noting where efficiencies can be made.
• Develops and provides guidance to various Advancement processes, plans, and programs.
• Develop and submit Annual Business Plan; sets functional priorities and allocates budgetary and staff resources to align with business objectives and annual plan(s).
• Report and track fundraising progress through the use of contact reports, prospect and moves management, and other communication and planning tools in the CRM.
• Reviews data and pulls reports to utilize for decision making.
• Travels locally and regionally for donor appointments and nationally if needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

40 hours per week

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 5 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

• Masters degree
• Five years fundraising experience required
• Seven years in higher education preferred.
• Must be able to travel locally and regionally and periodically work evenings or weekends.
• Must be able to maintain data management standards including data confidentiality, CRM entry requirements, and accessing reporting tools
• Demonstrated success closing major gift funding, including face-to-face solicitation of gifts.
• Ability to develop effective partnerships with internal and external constituencies.
• Ability to build and maintain positive constituent and colleague relationships through constructive communication skills and professionalism
• Ability to work with people from a variety of backgrounds.
• Effective communication skills including ability to write and speak persuasively about the institution.
• Strong interpersonal and motivational skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work independently while also working as a member of the University Advancement team

Salary Range: $90,000 - $100,000
Grade: GGS- 012
University Title: Internal applicants can determine their University title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

*Application materials include a cover letter and resume. Finalists will be asked to provide references at a later date.
*Applicants must combine all application materials into one PDF or Microsoft Word document and upload as a resume attachment to the UMSL Careers:
https://www.umsl.edu/services/hrs/careers/index.html
*Limit document name to 50 characters. Maximum size limit is 11MB. Do not include special characters (e.g., /, &, %, etc.). For questions about the application process, please email employment@umsl.edu. If you are experiencing technical problems, please email umpshrsupport@umsystem.edu.

Visa Sponsorship Information:
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University will not sponsor applicants for this position for employment visas.

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please email the Office of Human Resources at umslhr@umsl.edu.