Job DescriptionThe Managing Director overseeing Parent and Family Engagement and Giving plays a critical role in developing and overseeing a comprehensive suite of parent-giving initiatives to foster meaningful relationships with families and enhance philanthropic support. The ideal candidate will be passionate about community engagement, building a strong network of parent advocates and have a proven track record of principal gift fundraising and strategy.
Strategic Leadership & Program Vision:
- Oversee development and management of a robust parent engagement and principal gift program.
- Collaborate with senior Advancement leadership to develop long-term strategic goals for the parent and family giving program worldwide.
- Design, implement, and manage diverse parent-giving programs aligned with the
University's strategic goals:
- Develop a framework for parent and family engagement beginning at enrollment and fostering lifelong involvement.
- Engage collaboratively with a wide range of university oAices as a trusted resource and advisor
Fundraising & Donor Engagement:
- Identify, cultivate, and maintain strong relationships with parents, family members, and prospective donors.
- Develop and implement a collaborative process across annual giving, major gifts, principal gifts, and international development to advance fundraising strategy.
Managing Director, Parent and Family:
Engagement & Giving
- Develop and execute communication strategies that engage parents around giving opportunities and demonstrate impact
Program Management, Assessment & Continuous Improvement:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs and innovate to increase engagement and giving.
- Utilize data and insights to drive decision-making and enhance program effectiveness.
- Monitor and analyze program metrics and prepare reports on progress and outcomes.
- Implement feedback mechanisms to continuously improve programs and initiatives.
Team Leadership & Talent Development:
- Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of professionals, fostering collaboration, creativity, accountability, and high performance.
- Provide ongoing training and support in best practices for relationship management and fundraising.
- Motivate staff to achieve optimal results in a fast-paced, demanding environment.
Operational Excellence & Professional Judgment:
- Perform effectively in a deadline-driven, high-intensity environment, managing multiple projects simultaneously.
- Observe and maintain strict confidentiality of highly privileged information.
- Demonstrate sound judgment, autonomy, and professionalism while sustaining a collegial and collaborative culture
Required SkillsMinimum Qualifications Required:
- At least eight years of strong supervisory experience with demonstrated ability to motivate people toward high quality work.
- Track record of principal gift fundraising with a focus on parent or family engagement in academic setting.
- Demonstrated history of effective performance within demanding, deadline-driven environments. Must be self-motivated with a strong work ethic and sense of urgency.
- Ability to engage in high-level strategic discussions, use judgment in synthesizing complex information and contribute a meaningful analysis of situations and relationships.
- Ability to articulate in both spoken and written words at a very high level, including strong writing and editing skills.
- Ability to translate complex information into clear, concise reporting materials with well-thought-out backgrounds, strategies, and message points to advance an agenda.
- Ability to anticipate opportunities and challenges and proactively address concerns and advancing agendas.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to function with diplomacy, lead confidently, and provide strategic vision to advance the goals of DAR and the University.
- Ability to mentor others, both those who are direct reports and those who are colleagues working collaboratively.
- Unwavering commitment to excellence in work product and attention to detail.
- Demonstrated experience in working with senior-level officers and ability to interact comfortably with colleagues, faculty, administrators, executives, and other staff.
- Maintain confidentiality of all privileged information.
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and 10-12 years of professional work experience in development and alumni relations or a related field.
- Master's degree preferred.
