Position Summary

Each year Trinity College of Arts & Sciences awards nearly 80 percent of Duke University’s undergraduate degrees, and approximately 40 percent of all graduate degrees in disciplines across the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. Founded in Randolph County, NC in 1838 as Brown’s Schoolhouse and later renamed Trinity College in 1859, Trinity College moved to Durham in 1892 and later became known as Duke University in 1924 as a result of a gift made by James B. Duke to honor his family.

Through the contributions of our 700 faculty and 38 departments and programs, Trinity College’s disciplinary excellence and multidisciplinary interests undergird the research, teaching and service that have become the hallmarks of the university. Securing philanthropic support for the college, which is Duke’s flagship program in the liberal arts, will affect every facet of the university, including but not limited to curriculum development, research discovery, counseling and advising, service learning, innovation and entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary initiatives. This work will be accomplished through strategic alignment with the academic and university leadership as well as deep coordination with the departmental directors within University Development.

The Director will organize and facilitate engagement and collaboration with development colleagues to raise funds that support the teaching and research aspirations of Trinity College. Additionally, this role will work closely with departmental and faculty leadership in Trinity to develop both integrated and highly coordinated plans and strategies that sustain and grow its signature programs.  The Director will be an “expert in residence,” which will require frequent interactions with and guidance of the development directors and staff across all of University Development. The Director will be knowledgeable in undergraduate education as well as Trinity’s three academic divisions: Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and the Natural Sciences. The Director reports to the Senior Assistant Vice President of Trinity College and The Graduate School.

Responsibilities

Fundraising

• The position will serve as the Chief of Staff for Trinity College development. He/She will work with the Trinity/Graduate School team to develop strategies for volunteer engagement, employing a range of cultivation activities from potential board service or task forces to one-off service opportunities. In addition, he/she will work with the academic leadership of Trinity College in the development and management of boards, committees and other advisory groups.
• The position, in partnership with the Sr. Assistant Vice President for Trinity College and The Graduate School, will evaluate the existing strategic fundraising direction for each division within Trinity College, including undergraduate education, and implement improvements as needed in collaboration with development colleagues in University Development.  He/She will also provide direct leadership and fundraising support for the Office of Undergraduate Education and the Office of Student Affairs.
• The position will drive research efforts to identify prospect pools for key priorities and monitor fundraising progress against those pools. This includes pushing out information and prospect names to fundraisers to accelerate fundraising, concentrating particularly on major and principal gifts.
• The position will serve as the liaison to the Annual Fund, Strategic Initiatives, Development Special Events, and Donor Relations for Trinity College. The position will also serve as the liaison to the Duke Alumni Association.
• On occasion, he/she will meet on-campus with major gift prospects, within the parameters of the University’s prospect management system.

Administrative

• The position will develop, in partnership with the Sr. Assistant Vice President for Trinity College and The Graduate School, a long-term plan for sustaining fundraising efforts across the divisions, including undergraduate education, as determined by academic leadership. The position will also vet plans with University Development and academic leadership.
• The position will meet regularly with colleagues in University Development about fundraising goals and progress toward those goals. He/She will advise academic leadership on fundraising processes, including the development of gift opportunities, setting appropriate and achievable fundraising goals, program development when donor contributions are the funding source, stewardship plans and communications.

Communications

• The position will communicate initiative fundraising goals to a wide variety of internal university leadership and faculty.
• The position will prepare briefings/reports for Trinity leadership on the fundraising progress of each division, including undergraduate education. He/She will assist with proposal writing and communication pieces and work with the Development Communications team to produce appropriate collateral materials for internal and external use.

Supervision

• Supervise the Program/Development coordinators in Trinity College.

Qualifications

Extensive fundraising experience in a university setting. Communication, analytical, and organizational skills. Exceptional interpersonal skills. Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience,
preferably in an academic environment. Strong ability to manage multiple projects and timelines. Ability to work cooperatively and strategically in a team environment with all levels of professional, technical, and administrative staff and to integrate resources on a timely and organized basis. Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred.

Behavioral Competencies

• Collaborating with others: Ability to work collaboratively, formally and informally within one’s team and across the organization.
• Goal & Task Management: Prioritizes and coordinates tasks with attention to deadlines, concurrent management of projects and the ability to create and follow a set strategy for short and long-term goals and objectives.
• Curiosity & Information Seeking: Expresses an underlying curiosity in people and an ability to go beyond questions that are routine to gain an understanding of the prospects capacity, affinity and inclination.
• Decisiveness & Judgment: Uses sound judgment to make appropriate, timely decisions in complex situations for which there are no set procedures.
• Ability to influence: Ability to move or persuade others to act in a desired way. Uses indirect influence.
• Flexibility: The ability to adapt to and work effectively with a variety of situations, and with various individuals. Adapts tactics appropriately.
• Dealing with Ambiguity: Makes decisions and takes action with limited information. Anticipates impact of change and directs self and others in smoothly shifting gears.
• Expressing ideas orally and in writing: Ability to effectively and persuasively communicate ideas, thoughts and facts orally and in writing.
• Listening: Is an “active listener.” Establishes rapport with and is receptive to speaker. Picks up on underlying messages; “hears between the lines.”
• Organizational Awareness: Ability to learn and understand organizational relationships and dynamics. Uses networks, alliances and individuals to achieve objectives.
• Leadership: Ability to effectively manage and guide group efforts. Takes an active role in developing motivational strategies.

Interested applicants

Please send cover letter and resume to [email protected]. Please put “Director for Development –Trinity and Undergraduate” in the subject line.