Reporting to the Executive Director of Leadership Giving and Discovery, this role is responsible for discovering, qualifying, and soliciting alumni, parents, and friends who have the capacity to support Syracuse University with a minimum $2,500 leadership annual gift. The Assistant Director builds and maintains a portfolio of 125 leadership annual prospects and sustains a cadence of continuous discovery activity. He/ She actively collaborates with colleagues and units across the division (annual and leadership annual giving, regional programs, gift planning, family giving, and alumni engagement) and specifically with development officers in the schools/ colleges and units to develop and implement strategies to maximize fundraising effectiveness. Travel is required for personal solicitation, qualification, and stewardship to advance the relationships with donors.

This position is anticipated to be filled with candidates residing in the Syracuse, NY area. Candidates residing in the New York City Metropolitan area will also be considered on a fully remote basis. We encourage applicants currently residing or interested in residing in either location to apply.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Two or more years of successful fundraising experience or closely related experience in a nonprofit or higher education.
• Demonstrated experience in personal solicitations and building relationships.
• Work in higher education or nonprofit organization is preferred.
• Preference to a candidate with knowledge of leadership annual giving with an emphasis on layered solicitation approaches. Possession of a valid, enhanced driver’s license.

Job Specific Qualifications:

• Ability to strategize donor centric solicitations and execute, including personalized stewardship;
• Independent and collaborative critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills including the ability to build a case for support.
• Personal drive to meet and exceed annual goals; Flexible and adapts well to change.

Responsibilities:

• Qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward a portfolio of approximately 125 leadership annual giving donors for new gifts, renewals, and upgrades using a variety of techniques such as phone calls, emails, correspondence, and face-to-face visits, including both in-person and virtual. Travel as required to meet annual solicitation metrics. Ultimately, increase the number of donors giving a minimum gift of $2,500 to The Hill Society (the University’s leadership annual giving society.) Evaluate ability and inclination of prospects to make a major or planned gift in order to regularly refer donors to other gift officers for movement along the pipeline of giving.
• Conduct 75 annual discovery visits to strategically evaluate donor inclination, capacity, and affinity to grow assigned portfolio and the pipeline for new donors at the Leadership Annual Giving level. Document outcomes of qualifications, making sure next steps are identified. Work independently to analyze data, prioritize outreach efforts, and make a set number of qualification contacts, visits, and solicitations.
• Actively collaborate with colleagues/units across the AEA division including annual and leadership annual giving, schools/colleges/units, regional programs, gift planning, family giving, alumni engagement, and career services and work specifically and directly with development officers in the schools/ colleges and units to develop and implement strategies to maximize fundraising effectiveness.
• Utilize database of record (CITRUS) to update strategic plans and opportunities, interactions, outcomes and next steps. Contribute to research and accuracy of alumni records.
• Participate in/ lead AEA and/or Leadership Giving initiatives, special projects and data analysis to future the work of the unit.