Job Details
Director of Development, Intermediate or Senior Development Director

Director of Development, Intermediate or Senior Development Director
Northern Arizona University
Special Information
- These positions are hybrid positions which allows the incumbent to complete their work at both an NAU site, campus, or facility and at a non-centralized site with or without accommodation.
- This position is posted as Director of Development, Intermediate and Senior Development Director, which are working titles. The NAU system titles for this position are Director of Development 2 and Director of Development 3.
- Driving a vehicle on behalf of the university is anticipated to be a regular part of this position. Arizona Administrative Code Fleet Safety Policy requires all employees who drive on university business become authorized by submitting Driver's license information for driving record monitoring, and completion of training appropriate to the level of driving performed. The law applies to all faculty, staff, and students who drive personal or university-owned motorized vehicles for any business purpose. More information on the NAU Authorized Driver Policy can be found on the NAU website.
About the Department/College
NAU Advancement | Foundation engages students, alumni, parents, friends, and the broader NAU community to connect, invest, and inspire current and future Lumberjacks.
About the Position
Northern Arizona University seeks two experienced, dynamic Directors of Development to pursue philanthropic support from individuals, foundations, and corporations for the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering (SCE). The Steve Sanghi College of Engineering is designed for students who want an active role in where tomorrow takes us. The world demands more experts in technological fields, and the SCE is at the helm of addressing the need. SCE provides high-return on investment opportunities for students to apply what they learn in the classroom. The Sanghi College is building the future in alignment with NAU's Elevating Excellence strategic priorities (NAU 2025 - Elevating Excellence).
This position is posted for a Director of Development, Intermediate or Senior Director of Development position(s).
The Director of Development Intermediate and Senior positions are responsible for overall leadership and management of the college's development efforts. The position(s) plan and direct comprehensive strategies for the qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gift prospects for the SCE. Major gift development (defined at NAU as $50,000 or more) is the primary focus of the position(s). Additional responsibilities include working with staff in Alumni Engagement, Planned Giving, Donor Relations, Annual Giving, Communications, and Corporate and Foundation Relations to meet NAU engagement and fundraising goals and metrics. One of the positions will lead the college's extensive corporate fundraising program and strategic partnership development.
Both Director of Development positions will also interact with volunteer and advisory boards both at the department/unit level as well as at the college level. One of the positions will lead SCE volunteer and advisory boards, including: Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Construction Management, the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, and Dean's Advisory Council. The Director of Development position(s) will collaborate and partner with colleagues and peers across campus while building strong alumni and donor relationships. Significant personal interaction with alumni, friends, prospects, parents, donors, and corporate partners is required. The university is currently in the public phase of its comprehensive campaign.
The Senior Development Director will also participate in and help influence the college's strategic planning efforts.
This Senior Director of Development position will report to the SCE Dean with a dotted reporting line to the Associate Vice President of College Fundraising. The Director of Development, Intermediate position will report to the Senior Director of Development.
Responsibilities Include
Intermediate:
70% - Fundraising
- Prioritize, engage, and manage a major gifts prospects, including corporate partners capable of philanthropically supporting SCE priorities.
- Annually solicit and close major gifts of $50,000 or more in support of SCE and campaign priorities.
- Responsible for the overall leadership, strategy, and management of SCE's significant development program efforts, including the coordination of the cultivation-solicitation-stewardship cycle.
- Depending on position, work with OR lead and facilitate all aspects of the SCE volunteer advisory board including, relationship building, goal setting, assessments, strategic planning, fundraising, and overall support of SCE student success and program initiatives.
- Work with SCE leadership to support top priorities, and coach internal partners on fundraising strategies, and ensure all parties understand plans and timetables.
- Facilitate interaction with prospects for the SCE dean, faculty, staff, and other natural partners.
- Participate fully in the university's comprehensive fundraising program, including its prospect management system.
- Serve as a strategic partner to Advancement | Foundation colleagues by providing timely updates and recommendations on SCE programs and initiatives.
- Produce strategy and meeting reports to capture a detailed history of donor engagement effectiveness.
10% - Planning and Goal Setting
- Develop an understanding of the mission and goals of NAU, including knowledge of SCE and its various units and major entities within the university.
- Work with SCE and NAU leadership, along with SCE faculty and staff to identify prospective donors, establish strategic fundraising plans, and execute cultivation/solicitation strategies.
- Assist leadership in setting significant goals for visits, contacts, and fundraising targets; then be directly accountable for achieving the goals.
5% - Leadership
- Partner with Advancement Coordinator who assists with travel preparations, budget reconciliation, meeting scheduling, and data processing.
- Support in the management of assigned unit/college development program budget.
5% - Communication and Marketing
- Collaborate with Advancement | Foundation leadership and SCE Dean to set and communicate fundraising priorities and vision for meeting NAU's strategic goals with internal and external stakeholders.
- Work with volunteers, advisory board members, and Foundation Board members to promote SCE and NAU.
- Partner with Advancement Communication team on the development of materials such as proposals, impact reports, fundraising one-pagers, thank you cards, etc.
5% - Stewardship
- Collaborate with SCE leadership and Donor Relations team to plan and execute a comprehensive stewardship program including, but not limited to gift agreements, acknowledgements, and annual donor stewardship.
- Provide stewardship to scholarship/award stewardees not in the major gift portfolio.
5% - Other
- Other duties as assigned.
Senior:
65% - Fundraising
- Prioritize, engage, and manage a major gifts prospects, including corporate partners capable of philanthropically supporting SCE priorities.
- Annually solicit and close major gifts of $50,000 or more in support of SCE and campaign priorities.
- Responsible for the overall leadership, strategy, and management of SCE's significant development program efforts, including the coordination of the cultivation-solicitation-stewardship cycle.
- Depending on position, work with OR lead and facilitate all aspects of the SCE volunteer advisory board including, relationship building, goal setting, assessments, strategic planning, fundraising, and overall support of SCE student success and program initiatives.
- Work with SCE leadership to support top priorities, and coach internal partners on fundraising strategies, and ensure all parties understand plans and timetables.
- Facilitate interaction with prospects for the SCE dean, faculty, staff, and other natural partners.
- Participate fully in the university's comprehensive fundraising program, including its prospect management system.
- Serve as a strategic partner to Advancement | Foundation colleagues by providing timely updates and recommendations on SCE programs and initiatives.
- Produce strategy and meeting reports to capture a detailed history of donor engagement effectiveness.
- Senior: Annually solicit and lead the development of complex proposals for high-net worth individuals, corporations and foundations and close major gifts of $50,000 or more in support of SCE and campaign priorities.
- Senior: Collaborate on principal-level fundraising of $1M or more in support of NAU and campaign priorities.
10% - Planning and Goal Setting
- Develop an understanding of the mission and goals of NAU, including knowledge of SCE and its various units and major entities within the university.
- Work with SCE and NAU leadership, along with SCE faculty and staff to identify prospective donors, establish strategic fundraising plans, and execute cultivation/solicitation strategies.
- Assist leadership in setting significant goals for visits, contacts, and fundraising targets; then be directly accountable for achieving the goals.
10% - Leadership and Management
- Partner with Advancement Coordinator who assists with travel preparations, budget reconciliation, meeting scheduling, and data processing.
- Support in the management of assigned unit/college development program budget.
- Senior: Provide supportive leadership, assign work, and monitor execution of SCE Coordinator position.
- Senior: Coach and mentor development director positions on best practices in donor engagement.
- Senior: Provide insights and feedback to leadership regarding donor trends and market dynamics.
5% - Communication and Marketing
- Collaborate with Advancement | Foundation leadership and SCE Dean to set and communicate fundraising priorities and vision for meeting NAU's strategic goals with internal and external stakeholders.
- Work with volunteers, advisory board members, and Foundation Board members to promote SCE and NAU.
- Partner with Advancement Communication team on the development of materials such as proposals, impact reports, fundraising one-pagers, thank you cards, etc.
5% - Stewardship
- Collaborate with SCE leadership and Donor Relations team to plan and execute a comprehensive stewardship program including, but not limited to gift agreements, acknowledgements, and annual donor stewardship.
- Provide stewardship to scholarship/award stewardees not in the major gift portfolio.
5% - Other
- Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Intermediate:
- Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, or related field.
- 2 years of experience as a front-line fundraiser in a comprehensive development program or equivalent experience in a related field.
Senior:
- Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, or related field.
- 3 years of as a front-line fundraiser in a comprehensive development program or equivalent experience in a related field.
*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree or PhD in communications, marketing, or related field.
- Fundraising experience in higher education or non-profit setting.
- Experience in major gift and/or corporate fundraising principles and practices at a major university.
- Capital/comprehensive campaign experience.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
Knowledge
- Expert knowledge of fundraising methods, processes, and policies, including previously used strategies.
- Knowledge of development trends in higher education.
- Firsthand knowledge of best practices related to advancement.
Skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Skilled in preparing reports and summaries and analyzing data.
- Skilled in use of advancement databases.
- Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to initiate, collaborate, implement, monitor, evaluate, advance, and report strategic plans that support the activities of, and contribute to, NAU Advancement | Foundation's overall strategic goals and targets.
- Superior interpersonal skills with proven ability to successfully interact and collaborate with varied constituencies in a professional manner, exhibiting excellent communication skills, and demonstrating tact, poise and diplomacy while working with a wide variety of personalities.
Abilities
- Balances competing priorities.
- Analyzes complex situations and anticipates issues.
- Demonstrates strong problem solving, organizational, and analytical capabilities.
- Communicates effectively.
- Demonstrated team player with the ability to gain trust and confidence of colleagues and constituents.
- Experience and credibility when presenting materials to both internal and external constituents including individuals from a variety of backgrounds.
- Demonstrated commitment to excellence, honesty, transparency, and high levels of collaboration.
- Must be a detail-oriented, self-starter with a demonstrated ability to work independently and manage multiple projects and priorities to meet aggressive timelines and challenging deadlines with minimal staff support.
- Deep commitment to higher education and with the knowledge and ability to champion Northern Arizona University and its mission.
- Working knowledge of electronic mail and calendars, the Microsoft environment, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and other software such as donor databases, etc. and ability to run, analyze, and summarize computer-generated reports
- Must be able and willing to travel frequently to attend relevant programs and events, and to meet with current and prospective donors to further cultivation and solicitation strategies (approximately 25 - 50% time).
- Ability to make travel arrangements using prudent fiscal considerations.
- Must be able and willing to work occasional evenings and weekends.
- Entrepreneurial spirit, taking initiative and actively seeking to deepen current donor relationships and forge new ones.
- Experience working with sensitive information and ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
Compensation
Intermediate:
- Salary range begins at $102,983. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.
Senior:
- Salary range begins at $118,430. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.
Pre-Employment Check
Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Also, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees' right to work in the United States.
This position has been identified as a safety/security sensitive position. Therefore, per AZ Revised Statute, Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, employment history investigation, degree verification (in some cases) and fingerprinting. If you are applying for a job that requires a CDL, you will be required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and adhere to the clearinghouse requirements.
Notice of Availability of the Annual Fire and Security Report
Each year Northern Arizona University releases an Annual Security Report. The report is a result of a federal law known as the Clery Act. The report includes Clery reportable crime statistics for the three most recent completed calendar years and discloses procedures, practices and programs NAU uses to keep students and employees safe including how to report crimes or other emergencies occurring on campus. In addition, the Fire Safety Report is combined with the Annual Security Report for the NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus as this campus has on-campus student housing. This report discloses fire safety policies and procedures related to on-campus student housing and statistics for fires that occurred in those facilities. If you would like a free paper copy of the report, please contact the NAUPD Records Department at (928) 523-8884 or by visiting the department at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive in Flagstaff.
Immigration Support/Sponsorship
Northern Arizona University will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.
Submit your Application
To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button on this page. You must submit your application by midnight of the application deadline.
If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact the Disability Resources Office at 928-523-8773, DR@nau.edu, or PO Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011.
To apply, please visit: https://careers.nau.edu/jobs/director-of-development-intermediate-or-senior-development-director-flagstaff-arizona-united-states
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