Operations, Principal Gifts, Director

NewOrleans, LA, United States

Job Description

Delivers high-level administrative, operational, and project management oversight to the Principal Gifts team, ensuring effective coordination and execution of strategies for the university's top prospects. Serving as a central hub for collaboration, this role partners closely with colleagues across all Advancement units including the Prospect Development & Research team to enhance prospect strategy, streamline processes, and maximize opportunities at the principal gift level. Manages multiple complex projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment that values proactive problem-solving and strong relationship-building.

Responsibilities

Provides advanced organizational direction to operationalize principal gift strategies through regularly scheduled meetings, prospect reviews, portfolio reviews, and other strategic meetings as needed, including working with partners across units within Advancement to facilitate effective meetings. Collaborates closely with Research and Prospect Management teams to ensure donor briefings remain accurate and consistently updated as strategies evolve or change.

Works seamlessly vertically and horizontally across the organizational structure to ensure that appropriate individuals and teams are consulted and included to drive forward principal giving activity across the entire donor cycle, from identification to solicitation and stewardship. Collaborates with Principal and Major Gift Officers; the Senior Associate Director of Principal Gifts; Prospect Development and Research; Donor Relations; Corporate, Foundation & Research Relations; Reunion Giving; Gift Planning; and other necessary units to develop individual prospect strategies that are complete, timely, and well-documented in the CRM to ensure continuity with the university's top prospects and priorities.

Manages the principal gift pipeline by maintaining updated data in the CRM, coordinating closely with the Prospect Development & Research team, and regularly providing the Senior Vice President for Advancement and the Associate Vice President for Principal Gifts with accurate pipeline reports. Ensures ongoing communication across frontline fundraising teams to collect and update information in real time and to work collaboratively with the prospect development team.

Monitors institutional activities, events, and engagement opportunities relevant to principal gift donors. Proactively shares timely updates, donor insights, and strategic considerations with gift officers to support meaningful and well timed interactions.

Qualifications

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

1. Bachelor's degree; and 8 years of experience. Successful front-line or development operations experience in a related sales or client management role, with university or non-profit background preferred.
2. Any appropriate combination of relevant education, experience, and/or certifications may be considered

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES TYPICALLY NEEDED TO PERFORM THIS JOB SUCCESSFULLY:

1. Top candidates will possess a blend of administrative expertise, project management, and interpersonal skills. Experience in research, prospect development, front-line fundraising, communications, or stewardship is strongly desired.
2. Ability to manage several projects simultaneously, set priorities for the department, take initiative, and adapt to changing deadlines is required.
3. Ability to analyze, interpret, synthesize, and present complex information effectively to executive level audience is required.
4. Superior oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills are required.
5. Excellent organizational skills.
6. Ability to exercise good judgment in the handling of confidential information is required.
7. Word processing, spreadsheet, and database software proficiency
8. Demonstrated success in working across teams - facilitating solutions, developing effective systems, designing new processes, etc.
9. The ideal candidate will be a highly motivated, professional team player with courteous interpersonal skills and an excellent customer service attitude.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Commitment to the values of an institution of higher education
2. Experience in higher education or non-profits