The Director of Development for Innovation & Entrepreneurship is responsible for discovering, cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts, developing and maintaining a strong portfolio of donors and prospects across the Pitt innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, and navigating and leading strategy for innovation and entrepreneurship philanthropy across campus, schools and units. This role will serve as a strategic leader and PAE advisor/support to the University's Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Associate Dean for Commercial Translation in the School of Medicine. This development role will plan and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies, plans, and programs for innovation constituencies including entrepreneurs, investors, corporate partners, and alumni founders while ensuring strong coordination across Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement (PAE), Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and other university-wide partners.
The DOD will gain and present an expansive knowledge of the University of Pittsburgh's innovation ecosystem and will represent the University of Pittsburgh to internal and external audiences while working with members of the University community to advance our collective mission.
Given the interdependence of various PAE and campus-wide constituencies with innovation and entrepreneurship, the DOD will orchestrate and execute partnerships across stake-holding units. While this role reports directly to PAE's Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences & Clinical Programs Advancement, and indirectly to Pitt's Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship & the Associate Dean for Commercial Translation in the School of Medicine, it will collaborate intentionally across campus into the provost area schools and their respective Directors of Development.
The DOD will be responsible for building and maintaining collaborative partnerships to envision and deliver a comprehensive innovation and entrepreneurship philanthropy and engagement plan, including opportunities for mentorship, annual giving, and major gift support to areas across campus that enhance Pitt's innovation ecosystem and student/faculty entrepreneurship.
The DOD will scale existing engagement and fundraising work with entrepreneur and investor constituencies, while exploring new opportunities for engagement and growth., This could include innovation priorities within the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship such as Pitt.INC, the commercialization gap funding program and other emerging needs. Also includes fundraising for priorities that live within the Big Idea Center such as ChangeMakers and various pitch competitions.
Key responsibilities:
- Envision and execute a comprehensive innovation and entrepreneurship philanthropy and engagement plan in partnership with OIE and PAE leadership and other campus-wide stakeholders. Efforts include entrepreneur and investor volunteer engagement opportunities, annual giving, major gifts, stewardship, and cultivation events tailored to the innovation community.
- Build, manage, and maintain a portfolio of prospective and current donors. Collaborate closely with other PAE units including MAJ, PRIN, and school-based leaders to qualify, solicit, and close gifts in the leadership, major, and principal gifts range and attain annual metric goals established by the division. While this role will have their own portfolio of prospects interested in innovation and entrepreneurship, the incumbent will also play a strong supporting role on prospect management teams where another fundraising may be the lead but the donor is interested in innovation and entrepreneurship helping to advance that piece of the philanthropic discussion.
- Be the PAE content and contact expert for philanthropy and engagement with the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, including annual fund efforts
