The leadership gift officer serves as annual giving’s principal gift officer. The leadership gift officer maintains an annual portfolio of Puget Sound Fund leadership-level gift prospects and solicits gifts for amounts between four- and six-figures. This position works closely with colleagues in the offices of donor relations, capital giving, and university relations research to fuel the leadership donor pipeline. The leadership gift officer also manages the President’s Leadership Society program. The leadership gift officer reports to the Director of Annual Giving.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities: 

Leadership Level Gift Solicitation

• Manage an annual portfolio of Puget Sound Fund leadership-level gift prospects.
• Make 100 gift solicitations annually for Puget Sound Fund gifts with the majority being for greater than $1,000.
• Perform outreach to cultivate and steward donors along the donor pipeline.
• Collaborate with colleagues in capital and planned giving as well as university relations research to feed the division’s leadership gift pipeline.
• Leverage key milestones and dates, such as reunions, for donor solicitations.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the division to maintain strong relationships with leadership-level donors using consistent messaging and donor engagement.
• Ensure leadership-level giving donors receive appropriate recognition and acknowledgement for contributions.
• Develop stewardship plans to maintain ongoing relationships with donors to keep them engaged.
• Maintain appropriate records and prepare follow-up analyses of all personal visit and solicitation efforts.

President’s Leadership Society Program Management

• Collaborate with donor relations to strategize, plan, and execute a data-informed program which ensures a strong donor experience for members of our President’s Leadership Society.
• Stay current on industry trends and best practices for giving societies.
• Maintain records, statistics, and analyses of program performance.

Other Key Tasks

• Support Logger Day Challenge, paying particular attention to the efforts that will impact consecutive and leadership-level donors.
• Actively participate in other development and alumni relations activities as requested or required including, but not limited to, attendance at college functions such as Homecoming, Family, and Reunion Weekends.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Annual Giving.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position has no formal staff supervisory responsibilities.

Budget Responsibilities:

This position has no formal budget oversight responsibilities.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Experience soliciting annual gifts
• Work history in an annual giving office with interest in learning more
• Deep commitment to the mission of the University of Puget Sound
• The ability to work independently, multitask, set priorities, and adjusting as necessary, with minimal guidance in order to meet all deadlines and achieve successful outcomes
• The ability to work and communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with a broad range of internal and external constituents including alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the college
• The ability to solve problems, handle confidential information, and navigate sensitive situations
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to travel intermittently and work some evenings and/or weekends
• Ability to respectfully work, communicate and provide leadership within a diverse campus community

Compensation and Benefits:

The anticipated range for this position is $28.85 to $30.91/hourly. Decisions about starting salaries are made based on the extent and relatedness of the candidate’s education and experience and on internal equity and market considerations.

Puget Sound offers a generous benefits package for eligible staff employees, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Retirement plan options and 403(b) contributions
• Paid vacation, sick leave, floating holiday, campus holidays and bonus holidays
• Education benefits, such as full tuition for eligible employees and their families
• Access to university facilities and entertainment (fitness center, pool, library, concerts, lectures and more!)

Please note:

-Positions that work less than .75 FTE (1,560 hours per year) do not qualify for long-term disability or education benefits.

-Positions that work less than .50 FTE (1,040 hours per year) will accrue paid sick leave but are not eligible for additional benefits.

-Temporary positions that work at least .50 FTE (1,040 hours per year) will be eligible for benefits.

This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

For more information on Puget Sound’s non-exempt staff benefits package, visit:https://www.pugetsound.edu/sites/default/files/2023-12/Summary%20of%202024%20Benefits%20for%20Staff%20Members%20in%20Non-Exempt%20Positions.pdf

For the Campus Holiday and Bonus Day Schedule, visit: https://www.pugetsound.edu/human-resources

Application Deadline:

Review of applications will begin immediately. Search and selection procedures will be closed when a sufficient number of qualified candidates have been identified.

Required Documents: 

• Resume
• Letter of Interest

Applications submitted without the required attachments will not be considered.

All offers of employment are contingent on successful completion of all required background checks.

University Diversity Statement

• We acknowledge the richness of commonalities and differences we share as a university community; the intrinsic worth of all who work and study here; that education is enhanced by investigation of and reflection upon multiple perspectives.
• We aspire to create respect for and appreciation of all persons as a key characteristic of our campus community; to increase the diversity of all parts of our University community through commitment to diversity in our recruitment and retention efforts; to foster a spirit of openness to active engagement among all members of our campus community.
• We act to achieve an environment that welcomes and supports diversity; to ensure full educational opportunity for all who teach and learn here; to prepare effectively citizen-leaders for a pluralistic world.

Puget Sound is committed to an environment that welcomes and supports diversity. We seek diversity of identity, thought, perspective, and background in our students, faculty, and staff. To learn more please visit: https://pugetsound.edu/about-puget-sound-0/mission-core-values/institutional-equity-diversity

The University of Puget Sound is an equal opportunity employer.