Senior Director, Regional Development, West Coast

Job Description:

Brown University seeks a strategic and relationship-driven leader to serve as Senior Director, Regional Development – West Coast, a critical role overseeing one of the institution’s most dynamic and high-potential fundraising regions.

The West Coast represents both a mature and emerging philanthropic market, encompassing Silicon Valley, Southern California, and a broader network of influential alumni, parents, and industry leaders. This individual will translate Brown’s institutional priorities into meaningful philanthropic partnerships, engaging a donor base deeply connected to innovation, technology, and global progress.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Development, the Senior Director will manage a robust personal portfolio of high-capacity prospects while leading and mentoring a regional team of seven or more development professionals.

With responsibility for shaping strategy, driving engagement, and achieving ambitious revenue goals, this leader will play a central role in advancing Brown’s next era of fundraising success. The region’s program has the potential to generate $30–$75 million annually, requiring a leader who is both analytically rigorous and deeply attuned to the culture and pace of West Coast philanthropy.

This position currently manages a portfolio of prospects based in California. Seeking a Senior Director located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Visit the Lindauer recruitment portal to apply for this role

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience required.

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising or development.

• Minimum 5 years of staff management experience.

Job Competencies

• Superior interpersonal skills with proven ability to successfully interact and collaborate with varied constituencies in a professional manner, exhibiting excellent written and oral communication skills, team-building skills, and demonstrating tact, poise, and diplomacy while working with a wide variety of personalities. Ability and comfort in meeting and interacting with individuals of considerable social status and affluence are required.

• Ability to apply good judgment and proven responsible decision-making skills; tact and discretion are required to deal with highly confidential alumni, parent, student, family, donor, and prospect information.

• Must be detail-oriented, a self-starter with a demonstrated ability to work independently and manage multiple projects, priorities, and staff to meet goals and timelines.

• Decisiveness, trustworthiness, discretion, and creativity are daily requirements of this position

Required Qualifications

• Proven ability to solicit and close gifts on the $1M to 5M plus level, or equivalent experience in related fields (such as sales).

• Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to initiate, collaborate, implement, monitor, evaluate, and advance strategic plans that support the activities of the program and contribute to the overall goals and objectives of Advancement and the fundraising enterprise.

• Ability to inspire, mentor, motivate team performance, and promote accountability. Provide appropriate training, support, and feedback to all fundraising professionals, including early, mid-career, and senior-level gift officers. Proven effectiveness at recruiting, hiring, and retaining high-performance fundraising staff. 

• Computer proficiency and knowledge of CRM systems required.

• Working knowledge of email and calendars, the Windows environment, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other software such as Adobe Acrobat, donor databases, etc. 

• Must be able and willing to travel frequently throughout the United States to attend relevant programs and events and to meet with current and prospective donors and leadership volunteers to further cultivation and solicitation strategies. Must be able and willing to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Preferred Qualifications

• Higher education development fundraising experience preferred.

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