Development Officer

Development Officer

This posting is for a full-time, 12-month, exempt position. The Development Officer will build and manage a portfolio of individuals who have the financial capacity to make leadership level gifts to the University of at least $25,000 to support strategic fundraising priorities for endowment, capital, annual, and programmatic projects. The Development Officer will develop an annual plan to qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward alumni, parents and friends for major gifts to support priority funding needs of the university.

The Development Officer will have a personal portfolio of major gift prospects (approx. 150 prospect households) they will manage. The Development Officer will utilize staff and departmental resources to focus on prospects who can make the largest gifts to the University, and work with the college deans to assist them in identifying and cultivating donors to their college priorities.

Essential Functions

This position requires regular, predictable, reliable attendance in the office environment.

1. The Development Officer will work with the Assistant Vice President for Development to develop an annual work plan that will include annual solicitation plans and the identification of top prospects to cultivate, solicit and steward. The Development Officer will develop strategies for each prospect being solicited in the new fiscal year, along with a schedule of $25,000+ solicitations to be completed in the fiscal year, expected number of days for prospect travel, the number of face to face meetings with major gift prospects, the number of campus visits by major gift prospects, and the cultivation and stewardship events they will plan for the year ahead.

2. The Development Officer will travel within their assigned geographic region(s) as necessary to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward financial support for the University. The Development Officer will, on average, schedule a minimum of 130 visits per year (12-15 face-to-face visits with constituents each month). The Development Officer will be expected to solicit 20 or more gifts of $25,000 or more each fiscal year. Visits and fundraising dollar goals will vary according to University priorities and campaigns.

3. The Development Officer will work in a collaborative fashion with staff in the Center for Alumni, Parents and Friends, and the offices of Annual Giving, Planned Giving, Corporate Engagement, Advancement Services, Marketing and Communications, Athletics, Mazza Museum, as well as academic units across the campus.

4. The Development Officer will help create a portfolio of tools for the efficient operation of the major gifts program. These will include monthly activity reports, prospect profile reports, trip report formats, briefing templates for officers and volunteers of the university, proposals for university priorities, pledge forms, and special donor recognition initiatives.

5. The Development Officer will work collaboratively with the Director of the Center for Alumni, Parents and Friends and with college deans to establish groups of alumni, parents and friends within their assigned region that help promote University engagement. Additionally, she / he will provide staff support for university advancement division events, as appropriate.

6. The Development Officer will ensure the timely completion of monthly activity reporting in the advancement database system (Raiser's Edge) and will ensure the timely completion of travel expense reporting within 30 days following each trip.

7. The Development Officer will maintain electronic and paper records on contacts with prospects, ensuring confidentiality as defined by the University of Findlay in all aspects of the program.

8. Perform all other duties deemed appropriate for the position.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Competencies 1. Willingness to ask individuals to donate to the University of Findlay. 2. Collaboration Skills. 3. Persuasive Presentation Skills. 4. Communication Proficiency. 5. Integrity. 6. Flexibility. 7. Organizational Skills. 8. Performance Management. 9. Personal Effectiveness / Credibility. 10. Technical Capacity.

Supervisory Responsibility This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform while performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.

The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms as part of the essential functions of this job.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work This is a full-time 12-month position, and general hours of work and days are Monday through Friday, 8 : 00 a.m. to 5 : 00 p.m. Occasional work of evenings and weekends.

Travel A valid US Drivers' license with a safe driving record is required, and the energy and ability to travel 5 to 10 days a month. Some evening and weekend work, and some overnight travel are expectations of this position.

Required Education and Experience

1. Associate's degree required, bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent combination of relevant experience. 2. Three years of professional experience. 3. Computer literacy, including familiarity with the internet, word processing, spreadsheet, E-Mail, scheduling and database software programs. 4. Experience in fundraising or transferable skills, prefer prior experience working with volunteers.

Preferred Education and Experience

1. Candidates with a background in higher education fund raising and a history of successfully soliciting five figure and higher gifts will be given first preference. Other candidates with backgrounds in professions with transferable skills will also be considered, e.g. sales, marketing, communications, etc. 2. Three years of relevant experience. 3. Experience with Blackbaud's Raiser Edge software. 4. Experience in development and higher education or other non-profit.

The University of Findlay is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Educator and Employer. It is the university's policy to prohibit discrimination and provide equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment, without regard to their race, sex (including gender identity / expression), color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, military or sexual orientation.