Overview
The Leadership Giving Officer will serve as a key member of Yale School of Management's (SOM) Development and Alumni Relations team with responsibility for qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding leadership level donors for capital and Alumni Fund gifts. Develop and implement strategies to secure increasing levels of financial support from a portfolio of approximately 150 alumni in New York City and California and qualify prospects for major gift potential. This frontline fundraising role will facilitate and coordinate communications and positive interactions with prospects and donors, as well as among various faculty members and administrators on campus. Travel (possibly extensively) to meet donors, prospects, and volunteers. Collaborate with the Reunion Giving team to identify and recruit reunion volunteers and secure leadership reunion gifts from an assigned pool of prospects. Reports to the Senior Director of Leadership Giving.

Job Duties Assigned

• Meet activity and revenue goals by planning, managing, and maintaining an aggressive travel schedule in specified regions annually. Raise capital and unrestricted leadership gifts to fund core SOM priorities.
• Individually solicit annual and capital leadership gifts up to approximately $250,000 by working directly with donors and coordinating with department colleagues and volunteers.
• Develop and implement strategies to move assigned prospects through the gift cycle, with particular emphasis on prospect qualification, retention, renewal, and upgrades. Recognize disinterested donors and devise strategies to redirect their interests.
• Participate in the execution of events and programs in support of development activities. Engage key volunteers and effectively utilize events and other activities to move solicitations forward.
• Conduct appropriate stewardship activities to further enhance the relationship between assigned donors and Yale. Initiate and maintain contact to promote positive donor relations.
• Qualify prospects for potential major gift capacity and interest. Provide appropriate background on prospects to be assigned to Major Gift portfolios.
• Effectively communicate progress of cultivation efforts and results of visits to appropriate personnel and use Yale's alumni and donor database effectively.
• Act as liaison between various SOM departments and donors.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Job title and compensation will be commensurate with experience.

The information in Principal Responsibilities below is generic in nature and so some may not be applicable; prospective applicants will find the information in the Overview to be most relevant.

Required Skills and Abilities
1. Exhibits behavioral and linguistic flexibility as well as strong intellectual and social curiosity. Demonstrated ability to maintain complete confidentiality.
2. Initiative and self-starting capacity with the ability to work effectively as a team member and independently. Strong negotiating, organizational and analytical skills and attention to detail. Persistent, result-oriented and driven to succeed.
3. Strong oral and written communication skills. Active listener with successful track record of interacting with donors, volunteers, and colleagues. Ability to translate approved fundraising priorities into philanthropic giving opportunities and leverage relationships to implement strategic solicitation of donors for stretch gifts.
4. Advanced MS Office software skills and ability to successfully manage a high-volume workload and competing priorities.
5. Commitment to higher education, diversity, and the contribution of business to society. A creative and entrepreneurial spirit.

Preferred Skills and Abilities
1. Demonstrated ability soliciting five and six figure gifts in higher education or the non-profit sector.

2. Familiarity with Blackbaud or similar moves management systems.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Manages special projects ranging from academic to financial from inception to completion, which requires quantitative analysis, independent research, and the proposal of resolutions or conclusions. Creates and envisions programmatic initiatives and communication strategies. 2. Designs and develops communications strategies for special projects. Develops and exercises a keen understanding of the multiple audiences and contributing University offices involved in a given project to ensure that individual communications are rolled out within a structure planned in advance and with appropriate communication among key stakeholders. 3. Envisions, creates and authors a wide variety of sensitive and high-level written materials. Serves as coordinator and executor for a range of internal and external committees. May participate in decisions regarding committee work. Advises panelists on precedents and prior actions. 4. Serves as Secretary for committee(s), manages informal and formal resolution processes and voluminous correspondence. 5. May supervise the work of project coordinator and administrative staff. 6. Serves as liaison to other departments on all communications. 7. Contributes to design, organization, and maintenance of department website. 8. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor's Degree in a related field and four years of related work experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Job Posting Date
07/07/2026

Job Category
Professional

Bargaining Unit
NON

Compensation Grade
Administration & Operations

Compensation Grade Profile
Supervisor; Senior Associate (P5)

Salary Range
$68,000.00 - $120,500.00

Time Type
Full time

Duration Type
Staff

Work Model
Hybrid