Senior Executive Director of Development

Position Title:

Senior Executive Director of Development

Position Type:

Regular

Hiring Range:

$144,500 - $172,400, Compensation will be based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.

Pay Frequency:

Annual

Overview

Santa Clara University is a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located in California's Silicon Valley, offering its 9,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master's, Ph.D., and law degrees.

Ranked among the top 15 percent of universities nationwide by U.S. News and World Report, Santa Clara University is California’s oldest operating institution of higher education. The University is focused on creating an academic community that educates citizens and leaders who will build a more just, humane, and sustainable world.

University Relations builds Santa Clara University’s excellence and character by strengthening relations with alumni, parents, and friends of the University, raising public awareness, and increasing private philanthropy.

Purpose

As a key part of the overall effort to enhance the resources, reputation, and relationships of Santa Clara University, the Senior Executive Director of Development has a leadership role in a high-performing frontline fundraising program. The Senior Executive Director of Development is responsible for leading the strategic development and growth of a key portion of the frontline fundraising team.

This role is charged with integrating the Jesuit Catholic mission and character of the University into the life and ethos of the institution, while strengthening the University’s position as a globally recognized university.

This position plays a critical role in Santa Clara University's efforts to secure resources for its strategic funding priorities and deepen its relationships with alumni and donors. As we look to future campaigns, the Senior Executive Director of Development implements strategies for increased engagement with major-rated prospects. The Senior Executive Director of Development leads a team of Development Officers in co-creating and achieving ambitious campaign goals.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Individual Giving, the Senior Executive Director of Development has direct management responsibility for a team of development officers charged with managing relationships and securing philanthropic support from donors capable of making gifts of $100,000 and $1,999,999. The Development team will build relationships and work closely with senior university administrators and with Centers and Schools on campus to develop meaningful, donor-centered development strategies.

The Senior Executive Director of Development is also a key frontline fundraiser for the department, maintaining a portfolio of up to 100 major gift prospects. He/she will lead the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects targeted for gifts between $100,000 and $1,999,999.

This position is eligible for a flexible work schedule: hybrid – three days of work from the office and two from home.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities 

• Establish and oversee annual and long-term objectives for major gift prospects, executing these plans to meet strategic goals and University priorities.

• Develop and coordinate major gift strategies to support Santa Clara’s schools, the College, and Centers of Distinction.

• Collaborate with colleagues across the University to align major gift team goals with the overall priorities of the University. 

• Identify and implement strategies for a comprehensive program for increased engagement and the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gifts to Santa Clara University.

• Provide leadership and direct management for a team of Senior Directors of Development, integrating efforts across campus and directing their activities and strategies in support of the university's strategic priorities, charged with cultivating and managing relationships and securing philanthropic support from donors capable of making gifts of $100,000-$1,999,999. 

• Establish performance metrics for Development Officers in concert with University Relations leadership and foster a culture of accountability. Ensure active and effective strategies are in place for all assigned prospects, including timely and accurate use of the CLARA fundraising database.

• Plan and lead a comprehensive program for Development Officers for the qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of 100 high-net-worth prospects, ensuring that each receives regular and strategic cont