Cornell University, a nationally ranked Ivy League institution, is looking for an Associate Vice President of Principal Gifts to join the Alumni Affairs & Development division as a key member of their Senior Leadership Team, in the appealing city of Ithaca, NY. Cornell is in the third year of a $5B campaign in which Principal Gifts plays an integral role. The Associate Vice President of Principal Gifts will work closely with Cornell’s President, Provost, Vice Presidents, Deans, and Directors, as well as with senior volunteers including Trustees and Campaign Co-Chairs, to develop high-impact giving opportunities that will advance the University’s top priorities across its colleges, and units. They will oversee a dynamic, dedicated, and high functioning team raising between 25-35% of all gifts raised for Ithaca and Cornell Tech in any given year.

Cornell provides exceptional benefits that include professional development, wellness programs, health care options, generous paid leave provisions, 12 holidays, employee education options, a retirement program, and Children’s Tuition Assistance. Cornell receives national recognition, as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Principal Gift Department that manages roughly 260 donors/families at the $10M+ level
• Lead a team of 19 staff members, including six Principal Gifts Officers who typically manage portfolios of 40 donors/prospective donors/households
• Hire, train, motivate, and mentor staff to ensure the department’s productivity and success
• Partner with other senior department leaders throughout Alumni Affairs and Development to ensure a strong and robust pipeline of prospects into the Principal Gifts echelon of giving
• Manage a small portfolio of principal gift prospects and donors

Core Qualification

Background

• Bachelor’s degree
• Commitment to higher education and its mission
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Professional background

• 10 years’ experience producing outstanding results as a fundraiser & leader of fundraisers
• Strong experience raising large gifts, ideally eight figures or higher
• Commitment to mentoring and motivating staff toward sustained growth as a player-coach
• Ability to help conceive and foster big ideas for fundraising purposes
• Experience managing a development team
• Experience collaborating with key stakeholders internally and externally

Personal characteristics

• Demonstrated personal and professional integrity/reliability
• Prospect and results orientation
• Emotional intelligence needed to navigate complicated organizations, relationships, and ambiguity
• Service orientation
• Intellectual curiosity
• Commitment to creativity and continuous organizational improvement
• Dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion

 Additional Qualifications

• Ability to travel and keep occasional weekend commitments
• Maintain a valid and unrestricted driver’s license
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office