Remote/Hybrid opportunities available with a strong preference to be located in the Midwest

The Gies College of Business Office of Advancement invites applications and nominations for a full-time major gift officer. The Associate Director/Director/Senior Director of Development will secure private support for funding priorities within the College as determined by the Associate Dean for Advancement and the Dean. The major gift officer will play a critical role in efforts to implement an integrated approach for impact and mission driven priorities across our college, departments, and units.

For more than 100 years, Gies College of Business has intentionally designed its innovative programs, leading-edge curriculum, and experiential learning opportunities to empower and prepare students to turn big ideas into meaningful actions. Today, Gies faculty prepare more than 7,000 future business leaders, including 3100 undergraduates, from around the world to put their purpose into practice and provide transformative leadership in a global economy. The college has a loyal community of over 70,000 alumni and friends around the globe.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a global, preeminent university. Since its founding in 1867, it has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, reaching, and public engagement. In 2022, the University successfully completed its most ambitious philanthropic campaign, “With Illinois,” raising $2.7 billion during the eight-year campaign and remains resolute towards its future philanthropic efforts. Developing a robust Advancement operation to support the growth and success of the Gies College of Business is critical towards fulfilling the University’s Boldly Illinois strategic plan and future fundraising campaign goals.

Organizational Relationship

The Associate Director/Director/Senior Director of Development reports to the Executive Director of Development and works closely with advancement colleagues, the Heads of the departments and members of the faculty.

Job Summary

This position will assist the College and its departments in designing strategies to broaden and strengthen development activities in defined territories within the United States and will require travel of varying durations, up to 30-50%, including some evenings and weekends. The successful candidate will be a collaborative team member who values inclusion and is skilled at building strong internal and external collaborative relationships. This position will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gift prospects and donors to increase private giving in support of the college and the philanthropic interests of donors. 

Duties & Responsibilities

1. Identify, assess, analyze, and design appropriate strategies for approaching prospects and donors in a specified geographic region. Plan and implement effective outreach and cultivation activities to enhance prospect identification and move solicitation and stewardship processes forward. Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major gift prospects, with an emphasis on gifts of $100,000 or more, making the vitally important match between donors’ philanthropic interests and the programmatic and curricular vision of the college. Document all activities and interactions in the alumni/donor database.
2. Develop and maintain close collaborative partnerships with faculty and staff to gain a strong knowledge of the academic and research programs in order to identify and define priorities to be funded through private support. Partner closely with other advancement professionals, including gift officers and corporate relations professionals.
3. Determine and prioritize lists of donor prospects, alumni, and other stakeholders to be contacted for personal visits within a defined territory.
4. Prepare faculty and other volunteers to participate in cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree.
2. For the title of Associate Director, a minimum of three years of successful advancement experience or more than six years of experience in a closely related field which requires strong relationship-building and outcome driven components. For the title of Director, a minimum of five years of successful experience or ten years of experience in a closely related field which requires strong relationship-building and outcome driven components. For the title of Senior Director, a minimum of seven years of successful advancement experience.
3. Experience working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Documented success as a major gift fundraiser, preferably in higher education.Advancement experience in an academic unit that produces degrees and conducts rigorous academic research.
2. Experience working with faculty leaders.
3. Experience managing alumni and/or student programs and devising innovative programs to engage alumni and/or donors to support academic priorities.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

1. Demonstrated understanding of major donor prospect qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, preferably in a higher education environment.
2. Superb oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with an emphasis on engaged, active listening.
3. Demonstrated ability to represent an organization in visits with key constituents.
4. Strong relationship management skills.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after closing date. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity. The salary range for this position starts at $80,000 for the title of Associate Director, and $90,000 for the title of Director and $115,000 for the title of Senior Director.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on June 14, 2024.

Direct link to job posting.

Please upload a resume, cover letter, and the names, addresses, phone numbers and the email addresses of three professional references. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Zsayla Brummett at zbrummet@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

Please note: Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.