Major Gift Director - Higher Ed. jobs in Quincy, MA

POSITION SUMMARY:

The College has recently launched a major strategic initiative, College as a Living Lab, intended to incorporate new and upcoming major capital initiatives, with transformative academic programming. This effort will result in the development of a master plan and fundraising program, the goal of which will be to transform the present campus into one of the first carbon neutral, predictively maintained campuses in the country. The Director of Major Giving will be a key leader in this effort working with major donors, including individuals, corporations, and corporate and private foundations to secure philanthropic support of Olin’s operations and its strategic initiatives.

The Director of Major Giving is responsible for qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of prospects with the capacity to donate $25,000 or more. The Director is expected to conduct 10-12 meaningful prospect visits per month and manage a portfolio of 125 prospects per year.

The Director applies knowledge and understanding of Olin College, its traditions, academic agenda, programs, campus issues, needs and priorities to the development process. The Director must be able to persuasively discuss strategic initiatives, academic programs, and philanthropic opportunities with prospective donors to successfully solicit and close gifts on behalf of the College.

The Director builds relationships with Olin faculty and staff and increases philanthropic support for and awareness of the groundbreaking work at Olin. Building on the goodwill and engagement from loyal constituents, the Director leads the initiative to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward new donors capable of significant gifts in support of the College’s mission and strategic plan. 

This is an in-person/on-campus position based in Needham, MA, with possible flexible work options. Any approved remote work arrangement must be performed in Massachusetts where Olin is registered to do business. This position must be able to travel up to 50% of the time, and occasionally work evenings and weekends as needed.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of principal and major gift prospects, developing and implementing cultivation and solicitation strategies for each prospective donor. Lead frontline fundraising efforts by demonstrating success and ensuring that timely steps are taken toward solicitation.
• Support the President and Provost by serving as advisor in cultivating prospective donors and soliciting transformative gifts. Guide, motivate and support senior leaders, trustee volunteers, faculty, and other key constituents in fundraising activities.
• Work collaboratively with the team in the Office of Development and Constituent Relations and with others in the College tasked with revenue generation to meet annual and current giving goals for both unrestricted and temporarily restricted gifts.
• Develop a strategy to further advance the culture of philanthropy, substantially and sustainably increasing philanthropic support in keeping with the mission and core values of the College.
• In support of strategic fundraising initiatives, leverage the Provost, the President, and the Cabinet to enhance Olin’s existing relationships and build upon Olin’s strong reputation to engage unaffiliated high-net worth individuals and institutions in support of the College.
• Collaborate with the Provost and Dean of Faculty, faculty, and other key stakeholders (including trustees and other high-level volunteers) to support strategic individual major gift, corporate, and private foundation philanthropy. 
• Maintain a high level of knowledge of Olin’s strategic priorities relating to strategic initiatives and serve as a content resource to other development colleagues and fundraising units cutting across the College. 
• In collaboration with the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and other members of the President’s Cabinet, develop fundraising materials and clear, consistent, cohesive, and compelling messaging that conveys the uniqueness, strengths, and aspirations of Olin and its leadership, and articulates the case for philanthropic support of funding priorities. 
• Evaluate, strengthen, and enhance existing fundraising efforts by developing and implementing new and innovative plans to upgrade and renew existing donors.
• Cultivate strong working relationships with administrators, faculty, and staff across the College, engendering trust through transparent communication and a clear motivation to work as a team. 
• In collaboration with Financial Affairs and the Vice President for Finance and Administration, establish and oversee a budget with income projections, supported by pipeline, probability and other relevant data and including related major giving analysis.
• As appropriate, represent Olin at external events, conferences, and donor meetings to promote Olin College and cultivate and solicit gifts.
• Influence and engage in efforts to ensure that Olin’s fundraising data and database are accurate and robust. Ensure that prospect data discovered in the cultivation process is accurately entered and maintained in the College’s database.
• Foster a collaborative and results-oriented work environment which encourages teamwork and celebrates collective success.
• Other duties as assigned. 

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of seven years of professional experience in fundraising, business development, marketing, sales or related experience in higher education or a similar non-profit environment.
• A proven track record of success in personally cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding major and principal gifts from individual and institutional donors; a high level of comfort and effectiveness working with high-net-worth individuals and organizational leaders.
• Knowledge of best practices in all key areas of fundraising and alumni engagement.
• Ability to set annual, monthly, and weekly goals, plan causal actions, act, evaluate, adjust, and regularly report progress toward goals.
• Exemplary interpersonal and listening skills; impeccable attention to detail and superb follow-through; strong personal integrity, charisma, flexibility, and work ethic coupled with a sense of humor and perspective.
• Superior written and oral communication skills; clarity and crispness in writing and speaking; superb storytelling skills with the ability to succinctly communicate a vision and process to senior leaders and other key constituents, utilizing data and metrics as appropriate as a foundation for advancement programs.
• A diplomatic, collaborative demeanor; the political savvy to navigate a complex organization; the desire and ability to gain trust and build strong collaborative relationships with all members of an operation across a diverse organization.
• Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills, including the ability to resolve conflict.
• Enthusiasm for contributing to the growth and maturation of a young philanthropic culture.
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• A sharp eye for operational efficiency and the best use of resources, including a demonstrated understanding of budgets and budget management.
• Flexibility to travel and work evenings and weekends, as required.

Olin College of Engineering seeks employees who are passionate about working collaboratively within and outside of the Olin community to support the College’s mission and vision for the future. At Olin, we are educating the next generation of engineering innovators and shifting the definition of engineering. Not only do our students ask, “Who are we designing this for, and what are their values?” They also ask questions about the impact of their work on society.

 As Olin evolves under the leadership of our president, Dr. Gilda Barabino, we seek to become a more diverse and aware community, a place where everyone is a learner and where everyone is an educator. Olin will become a place where experimentation—including making and learning from mistakes—will be embraced across the institution, not just in the classroom. Collaboration is key to Olin’s curriculum and culture, and we will work intentionally to reinforce the values and culture to which we aspire. We are a community that thrives on being together; we value trust. The College supports teams to collaboratively decide how they can best do their work, and display a commitment to the community, all while providing individuals with overall work-life flexibility.

Olin College is situated on 75 acres in Needham, Massachusetts. We are approximately ten miles from Boston, one mile from the MBTA Commuter Rail train station, and approximately four miles from the Woodland Station for the MBTA Green Line. We have plenty of free parking on campus. You can find more details on our Visiting Campus page.

• Take a Virtual Campus Tour: From the moment you step on campus at Olin, you feel a buzz of energy and activity—and once you experience it, you want to be a part of it.

Olin College is committed to supporting an innovative, integrated learning and working environment. As a small campus, the in-person experience and cross-team collaboration is what helps build a strong, dynamic community for our students, faculty and staff. Typically, most roles at Olin College are intended to be in-person and on-campus. Certain paid positions may be eligible for flexible working arrangements, at the College’s sole discretion. Any approved remote work arrangement for pay must be performed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts where Olin is registered to do business. Individual flexible and remote work options can be discussed during the interview process. 

Olin College prides itself on offering to faculty and staff comprehensive benefits that provide both choice and value. These benefits are an important part of total compensation.  

Full-time employees scheduled to work at least of 30 hours per week may be eligible for the following benefits: 

Core Benefits

• Medical (three different options) 
• Dental 
• Vision
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance (company paid)
• Paid Family Medical Leave
• Long Term Disability (company paid)
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with company match
• Liberal sick and vacation time and paid holidays
• Free parking

Additional Benefits 

• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Tuition Assistance Program   
• Business Travel Insurance
• Supplemental 403(b) Retirement Plan 
• Travel Assistance Services (company paid)
• Health Care Management Program
• Pet Insurance

Please note that benefits are subject to change at any time.

At Olin College we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If you’re excited about a role and have relevant experience, but your work history doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we'd nevertheless encourage you to apply.

Olin College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We especially welcome applications from candidates belonging to groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA people, and people with disabilities. Employees of the College who have a disability are welcome to request reasonable accommodations by contacting Human Resources at HR@olin.edu.