Penn State is currently seeking a top frontline fundraiser in the role of Senior Director of Major Gifts to engage alumni and friends as partners in supporting Penn State Health and the College of Medicine (PSH/COM), a multi-hospital health system serving patients and communities across 29 counties of Pennsylvania. Our mission is to improve health through patient care, research, education and community outreach. As a member of the Division of Development and Alumni Relations (DDAR), you can play an integral role in Penn State’s future and contribute to one of the most successful fundraising and alumni relations operations in the country.
The University is committed to ensuring that diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are central to the success of a world-class research institution. We are dedicated to fostering an institutional culture supporting the University’s core values, with inclusion being a fundamental strength and an essential element of our public service mission: equity.psu.edu/equity-at-penn-state/resources. The University’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is mirrored in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations’ own ongoing work in these spaces: raise.psu.edu/diversity-equity-and-inclusion.
Reporting to the Executive Director of Development at Penn State Health and College of Medicine and working closely with the campus’ leadership, as well as other partners and central development offices, this Director of Major Gifts will:
- Supervise, train, and mentor a team of fundraisers and alumni relations professionals, with a sustained focus on fostering inclusive relationships that yield meaningful results;
- Manage a portfolio of top prospects and plan and execute solicitation strategies leading to major gifts;
- Identify a pool and a pipeline of prospects for immediate and long-term cultivation;
- Articulate Penn State Health and the College of Medicine’s needs, ambitions, and values, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, through excellent informal and formal communications, including written proposals;
- Develop annual goals, plans, and budgets for a comprehensive, strategy-driven fundraising program;
- Travel extensively throughout the region and across the country to pursue these strategies and build enduring relationships, tracked to a fixed and appropriately aggressive set of fundraising metrics;
- Recruit and guide a diversely representative volunteer committee charged with meaningful roles and responsibilities in the fundraising process;
- Plan, Prepare and present reports and briefings for internal and external constituents
- Serve as an ambassador for PSH/COM and its priorities and values.
This position requires a bachelor’s degree or higher plus six years of work-related experience. Preference will be given to an individual with management experience. The successful candidate will also have:
- A track record of success in securing major gifts and meeting fundraising goals;
- A dedication to and understanding of the skills required to build relationships with diverse communities;
- Demonstrated knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education;
- Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills;
- A proven ability to self-motivate and work both independently and as part of a team;
- A passion for higher education and an understanding of complex institutions;
- A commitment to professional development, learning, and being mentored.
Operation of a motor vehicle as part of the position’s duties and a valid driver’s license are required. Successful completion of a motor vehicle records check, in addition to standard background checks, is also required, as well as the following: PA State Police Criminal Background Check, PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form, and Federal (FBI) Fingerprint Criminal Background Check.
DDAR is supportive of flexible work arrangements when aligned with the ability to meet the needs of the unit and the essential duties of the position. Questions related to flexible work arrangements should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.
Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations
If you believe in the power of higher education—and philanthropy—to shape the public good, you’ll excel right here in Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations (DDAR). Our organization includes more than 500 professionals engaging a community of more than 700,000 alumni who believe in the power of giving back. Across our interdisciplinary teams of fundraisers, alumni relations professionals, communicators, event planners, financial experts, and more, there is a place for you to make a difference in the lives of students and faculty while taking your own career to new heights. Learn more about us at raise.psu.edu and explore the success of our most recent campaign at greaterpennstate.psu.edu.
Building a Career and a Life at Penn State
Across twenty-four campuses and an online World Campus, our 100,000 students and 17,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom—it’s the positive impact made on communities across the globe. Penn State consistently ranks among the top academic and research universities in the world: psu.edu/this-is-penn-state/facts-and-rankings
Penn State is a diverse and exciting institution that embraces individual uniqueness, fosters a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of diversity in society and nature, and engages all individuals to help them thrive: equity.psu.edu
This position is based at Penn State Health and the College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. With proximity to New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and other major metropolitan centers, and with strong ties to Penn State’s University Park campus, located less than two hours away, Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine connects central Pennsylvania with world-class medical care, research, and education. Known to residents and visitors as “the Sweetest Place on Earth,” the city of Hershey is still home to the chocolate company created by Milton S. Hershey, and thousands of families each year enjoy the fun of Hershey Park, with its more than seventy rides and attractions. Hershey also welcomes avid golfers to four world-class courses, and the area offers a range of outdoor activities, including fishing and biking. Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is just thirteen miles from the center of Pennsylvania’s state government in Harrisburg, ranked as one of the top cities in the country to raise a family. To discover why residents love our region, please visit: http://visithersheyharrisburg.org
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