Director, Global Advancement, Europe

Department

ARD Regional Major Gifts & International Advancement

About the Department

Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

The Global Advancement Team implements a comprehensive collaborative campus-wide program that deeply engages the international community of UChicago alumni, parents, and friends with a focus on raising significant philanthropic support for the University’s top priorities, academic units, and faculty and students across the campus ecosystem. Working closely with University and academic leadership, the UChicago Global Office, academic divisions, and colleagues across ARD, the team is responsible for developing, executing, and coordinating the university’s strategic global advancement program with a goal of building a robust and sustainable donor pipeline through curated meaningful engagement opportunities and delivering $25M - $40M or more in fundraising progress annually.

Job Summary

The Director, Global Advancement-Europe plans and implements a coordinated program of fundraising and engagement activities for the University of Chicago in Europe and beyond. This encompasses identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major gift prospects in Europe for a wide range of the University’s units, schools and Divisions. The Director will manage a personal portfolio of donors and prospects with capacity to make 6- and 7-figure gifts to the University. The portfolio will concentrate on the UK and continental Europe and may selectively extend to the broader EMEA region. This position will participate as a strategist in building the University’s international major gift and principal gift fundraising capacity in the region. The Director acts as a general resource and advisor to senior development colleagues, Deans and other University academic leaders whose units are active in Europe.

This role has deep specialized knowledge in the planning and implementation of development activities; typically within the undergraduate college, an academic department, a professional school, the central development office, or another University unit. Executes fundraising projects, cultivation programs for prospective donors and for advisory councils.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements regional engagement strategies for prospects in Europe, including University alumni and parents, among others. Constructs and refines Europe-focused strategies in the context of a University-wide capital campaign.
• Manages a personal portfolio of high-net-worth donors and prospects consisting of 70+ individuals or families capable of gifts of $100K+, with a focus on those who can give $1M+.
• Leads new prospect identification activity in Europe.
• Cultivates new and existing relationships with alumni and parents who have significant capacity, as well as unaffiliated friends whose philanthropic interests intersect with University priorities.
• Develops and manages a personal fundraising pipeline capable of yielding 20+ major gift solicitations and $4M+ in new gift commitments annually at steady state. Achieves fundraising activity metrics, including 75+ prospect visits annually.
• Serves as counselor and implementation partner to units active in Europe to help advance international major gifts relationships across the University. The expectation is for the Director to be ARD’s chief Europe expert, acting as a general resource and advisor to senior development colleagues, Deans and other University academic leaders whose units are active in Europe.
• Works closely with unit directors of development, Deans, Officers, Faculty Directors, and other University leadership to help shape and implement regional fundraising plans and drive engagement activity on behalf of these campus partners.
• Plans, briefs and accompanies University leadership (Deans, Officers, Faculty Directors, etc.) on prospect and donor visits and community engagement activities in Europe.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Identifies, cultivates and solicits prospects. Develops strategies for cultivating participation.
• Leads the preparation of annual development reports assessing progress toward achievement of goals. Provides expertise to analyze and evaluate information to identify trends and