Director of Development, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (Major Gift Officer)

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Job Summary

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) seeks applications from experienced development professionals serve as our next Major Gift Officer in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS).

The Major Gift Officer will serve as the Director of Development for the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and the lead Advancement Officer in the school. The incumbent is responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive advancement program to secure philanthropic resources for the top priority projects of the Institute and the school.

As a member of the Division of Institute Advancement Constituent Relations team, the Major Gift Officer will work cooperatively and collegially with members of the Institute’s Division of Institute Advancement to effectively build successful fundraising programs for the school.

The Major Gift Officer will lead on behalf of and support the Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences on matters pertaining to school project fundraising. The Major Gift Officer will carry a portfolio of approximately 125 major gift prospects who have the capacity to make gifts in the range of $100,000 to $2.49 million.

The Major Gift Officer, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences will report to the Associate Vice President, Advancement & Constituent Development, John Prizner, with a dotted line relationship to the Dean, School of School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Dr. William Gibbons.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES The Major Gift Officer, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences will

• raise new commitments from prospects capable of gifts of $100,000 to $2.49 million;
• prepare and submit proposals and conduct face-to-face prospecting and cultivation visits;
• create compelling cases for support;
• coordinate and collaborate with the Dean in the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of top prospects for philanthropic support while planning, directing, and implementing activities required to secure the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences’ fundraising goal;
• engage and partner with the members of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences faculty and Leadership Council in fundraising activities for the school;
• identify additional potential donors for the school and coordinate their cultivation and solicitation through the Central Advancement Office, working cooperatively with members of the Institute’s Central Advancement staff in developing a comprehensive operational plan in the areas of annual giving, corporate and foundation philanthropy, planned giving, and alumni engagement;
• actively participate and present in prospect strategy sessions; and
• be responsible for annual goals in line with those of a Major Gift Officer

Minimum Qualifications

The successful candidate will have:

• A commitment to the mission of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute—to educate the leaders of tomorrow for technologically based careers, celebrating discovery and the responsible application of technology to create knowledge and global prosperity
• Experience in higher education and a history of cultivating and closing major gifts
• An ability to establish and maintain relationships with major gift prospects and to close gifts
• An ability to set priorities while also contributing to a team effort in Institute Advancement
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong organizational skills
• An ability to deal with technical information and to translate this information into a product salable to non-technical internal and external constituencies
• Flexibility in dealing with a wide variety of people
• An ability to process information quickly and accurately
• An ability to work effectively under pressure and meet established goals and objectives
• An ability to demonstrate an understanding of Rensselaer and its major initiatives
• An ability to multi-task, handle multiple projects and deadlines
• An ability to thrive in a team environment.