Executive Director Principal Gifts

The Tufts University Advancement Division (UA) is a development and alumni relations enterprise with approximately 200 full-time employees. Units within UA include development/fundraising, alumni engagement, donor relations and stewardship, special events, gift processing, research and prospect management, and information systems and management. UA's mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with Tufts University constituents, match donors' interests with the University's needs and priorities, and secure the financial resources necessary for Tufts to achieve excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. The Division is strongly committed to serving the academic agenda of the University, creating a culture of philanthropy in the extended Tufts community, and pursuing excellence and best practices in its work. Integrity, collegiality, accountability, mutual trust, and respect for the individual as well as the intentions of our donors are the values that guide the Division's work.

The Executive Director, Principal Gifts leads the newly formed Principal Gifts team with a focus on raising principal and transformational gifts. The Principal Gifts team facilitates top university prospect strategy in collaboration with principal gift development officers, tracks top prospects, and supports the cultivation and solicitation of principal gift prospects for professional school and university priorities. Select staff members oversee cultivation and solicitation strategies for cross-school donors and key university programs. Reporting to the Vice President for Development, the Executive Director of Principal Gifts is a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT). The Executive Director directly oversees the Principal Gifts team. They will work in close partnership with the SVP and VP and other members of the SMT to successfully undertake the strategic planning, design, and implementation of principal gift fundraising and initiatives, helping to ensure the alignment of the Division's goals, objectives, and resources with the strategic and academic priorities of the University.

Essential Function:

• Partners with Senior Vice President, Vice President, senior management team and university leadership to determine strategic fundraising plans which support university needs and priorities and advance university mission.
• Designs, recommends and implements strategic and organizational changes that will position division for success.
• Identifies and manages select portfolio of principal gift prospects who support highest priorities for the university.
• Directly manages principal gifts team. Provides leadership, support, guidance and direction for direct reports.
• Directs strategic marketing and communications strategies and plans in partnership with school and division leadership and university relations. Reviews reports and recommendations for changes in strategy.
• Builds and promotes collaboration and partnerships between central fundraising units and school-based teams.
• Sets ambitious goals, monitors, and evaluates metrics and progress toward goals for direct reports and their teams.
• Partners with and serves on university boards, alumni council and other committees.
• Deploys and manages resources to most effectively achieve division goals.

Please include a cover letter with you application.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree
• 10 plus years and a successful track record in a management/leadership role in philanthropy, preferably in a higher education environment.
• Experience working in a complex organizational environment with multiple stakeholders. Strong knowledge of institutional advancement enterprise with a deep understanding of principal gift fundraising strategies.
• Expert relationship building skills, with a demonstrated ability to build a culture of trust and develop effective teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Superior communication and interpersonal skills with proven negotiation skills.
  Exceptional verbal, written and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated experience leading, motivating and assessing high performing teams.
• Significant experience identifying, cultivating and soliciting individual and organizational prospects.
• Demonstrated success in closing seven and eight figure principal gifts.