Posting DetailsPosting Information
Posting Number PG195038EP
Internal Recruitment No
Working Title Director of Philanthropic Engagement
Anticipated Hiring Range Commensurate with experience and education
Work Schedule Monday - Friday; 8a - 5p and other hours as needed to fulfill the duties of this position; flexible work arrangement available.
Job Location Raleigh, NC
Department Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving
Essential Job Duties The Director of Philanthropic Engagement leads NC State's strategy for emergent philanthropy and develops frontline fundraising talent. NC State defines emerging philanthropy as engagement with constituents who give or have the potential to give $1,000-$25,000 in a fiscal year.
Through a player-coach model, the Director leads and develops a team of early-career professionals and lateral movers while maintaining an active frontline fundraising portfolio. The Director serves as a frontline fundraiser for the Caldwell Fellows program, developing relationships and pursuing philanthropy opportunities in support of the program.
The Philanthropic Engagement program uses giving, volunteerism, capacity, interests and other engagement signals to dynamically identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward constituents whose relationships with NC State can deepen over time, with particular emphasis on the volunteer-to-donor pipeline.
The Director will build and continuously improve a more formal approach to developing fundraising talent through coaching, mentoring, experiential learning and exposure to advancement work across NC State. The Director will also be a technology-forward advancement leader who uses emerging technologies, automation, data and digital tools to improve fundraising strategy, staff effectiveness and efficiency.
Duties and ResponsibilitiesPhilanthropic Engagement Strategy- Lead the strategy, implementation and continuous improvement of NC State's Philanthropic Engagement program.
- Develop portfolio strategies that use giving, volunteerism, capacity, interests and other engagement signals to identify constituents with emergent philanthropy potential.
- Establish program goals and evaluate performance across fundraising, donor retention and upgrades, engagement, qualification and movement of relationships, when appropriate.
- Partner with college, unit and central development colleagues to determine relationship and prospect strategies as opportunities develop, including collaborative cultivation, solicitation, continued management or transition.
Staff Leadership and Talent Development- Recruit, lead, coach and develop a team of early-career professionals.
- Design and implement a structured talent-development approach that strengthens fundraising competencies, professional skills and effectiveness in current roles.
- Provide hands-on coaching through prospect strategy, donor meetings, solicitations and portfolio management, including joint visits and modeling effective fundraising practices.
- Create meaningful opportunities for staff to work alongside and learn from college and unit development teams, major gifts, gift planning, advancement research, stewardship, annual giving and alumni engagement.
- Build relationships with development leaders across campus to strengthen collaboration and increase awareness of developing fundraising talent.
Frontline Fundraising- Manage a strategic portfolio concentrated at the upper end of emergent philanthropy and selected opportunities.
- Serve as the primary frontline fundraiser for Caldwell Fellows, identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding prospects and donors, and partnering with other college/units as necessary.
Technology, Data and Innovation- Use technology, data, automation and emerging tools to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Philanthropic Engagement team.
- Identify and implement opportunities to streamline the team's work, reduce administrative burden and increase time spent building constituent relationships.
- Experiment with and adopt new tools and approaches that help the team better identify, prioritize and engage constituents.
- Build a team culture that is curious about technology and continually seeks better ways to work.
Campus Partnership- Serve as a collaborative partner across Annual Giving, Alumni Engagement, University Development and University Advancement.
- Build strong relationships with college and unit development leaders and other advancement partners.
- Connect constituent interests with appropriate university, college and unit priorities.
- Represent Philanthropic Engagement with university partners, alumni, donors and volunteers.
- Serves as a member of the AEAG Leadership team.
Other Responsibilities - Regular local travel and some regional/out-of-state travel are required for this position.
Qualifications
Minimum Education and Experience - Requires a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and a minimum of five (5) years or greater of experience, including 3 years of progressive advancement experiences
All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.
Other Required Qualifications - Demonstrated understanding of relationship-based fundraising and philanthropic engagement.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, mentor and develop others.
- Ability to serve as a player-coach, balancing team leadership and strategy with active frontline fundraising.
- Strong relationship-building, communication, organizational and analytical skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively across a large, complex and decentralized organization.
- Ability to use data to inform strategy, prioritize opportunities and evaluate results.
- Demonstrated comfort with technology and willingness to learn, test and adopt emerging tools and approaches.
- Sound judgment and commitment to responsible stewardship of constituent information.
Preferred Qualifications - Successful experience in fundraising, advancement, sales, relationship management or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting and closing philanthropic gifts or comparable relationship-based commitments.
- Experience coaching or developing fundraising, sales or relationship-management professionals.
- Experience developing staff training, professional-development or talent-development programs.
- Experience using technology, data, automation or digital tools to improve fundraising or team operations.
- Understanding of the relationship among annual giving, emergent philanthropy and major-gift development.
- Experience in higher education advancement, alumni engagement or a similarly complex nonprofit environment.
Required License(s) or Certification(s) - A valid North Carolina Driver's License is required within 60 days of the start date. Must be maintained as a condition of employment.
Valid NC Driver's License required Yes
Commercial Driver's License required No
Recruitment Dates and Special Instructions
Job Open Date 11/13/2026
Anticipated Close Date Open until filled
Special Instructions to Applicants In addition to your application, please submit a cover letter, resume, and the contact information for at least three professional references.
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.Position Details
Position Number 00108623
Position Type Exempt Professional Staff
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) (1.0 = 40 hours/week) 1.0
Appointment 12 Month Recurring
Mandatory Designation - Adverse Weather Non Mandatory - Adverse Weather
Mandatory Designation - Emergency Events Non Mandatory - Emergency Event
Department ID 083050 - Annual Giving
