Senior Director, VP Development and Alumni

Description

The VP Development and Alumni s currently seeking a Full-time Regular Senior Director.

Located in Canada's most enterprising city, the University of Calgary (UCalgary) is a global intellectual hub for teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and deep engagement with the community.

UCalgary is one of Canada's top comprehensive research universities, with more than 7,500 graduate students and 30,500 undergraduate students, 1,800 academic staff, and over 4,000 non-academic staff in 14 faculties, across five campuses. As one of Canada's leading research-intensive universities, UCalgary is home to 146 research chairs (75 Canada Research Chairs), and more than 50 research institutes and centres. The university is bolstered by the incredible philanthropic support of the community, including more than $1.4B Billion raised during Energize: The Campaign for Eyes High (the third-largest fundraising campaign in Canadian history). UCalgary has the fastest growth rate in attracting research funding among the 10 largest universities in Canada and for three years in a row was been ranked the #1 start-up creator among Canadian research universities.

Through its strategic plan, Ahead of Tomorrow, UCalgary continues on its remarkable growth trajectory, striving for inimitable excellence through innovative teaching and learning, cutting-edge exploration, and community linkage, through. The strategy is a bold vision that reflects our ambition to increase access to future-focused education, to maximize the impact of our research and innovation, to put the community at the centre of all that we do, and to make our operational processes clearer, simpler and better than any other university.

The Development & Alumni team exists for the mutual benefit of the University of Calgary and its champions, including donors, alumni and community, and we create opportunities for people and organizations to make gifts to the university that will create impact in this city and beyond. The Development team in particular drives the university's fundraising efforts for private support for UCalgary's strategic priorities. We are seeking a motivated and team-oriented Senior Director of Development with a passion for fundraising and collaboration who can lead a large team of development professionals and partner with university leadership in support of their designated priorities.

The Senior Director, Development is a senior position reporting to the Associate Vice-President, (Development). This position is responsible for leading large teams of experienced fundraisers working on both disciplinary and transdisciplinary university initiatives. The Senior Director co-leads strategic planning and procedure development for key fundraising operations that support the University's development goals in partnership with the Associate Vice-President (Development), the other Senior Directors, Development and the Development & Alumni team at large. This position is also responsible for advancing major and principal ¿ level donor relationships through face-to-face meetings, personally managing a portfolio of the University's key donor relationships, managing senior level volunteers and driving a significant portion of the University's annual fundraising goal.

This position requires an ability to work under pressure, juggle multiple and sometimes competing timelines, manage professional staff, negotiate with donors on behalf of the university, and interact with a diverse client base including other members of the Development & Alumni team and academic leaders across the institution. The Senior Director, Development is an essential member of Development & Alumni's extended leadership team.

This senior position is frequently a first point of contact for key partners including major donors, alumni and community leaders, and provides direct support and expert counsel to the University's Deans and Department Heads, Vice-Provosts, academics and program directors in many aspects of our fundraising operations and philanthropic ambitions. The advice, decisions and actions of the Senior Director may create contractual, legal, tax and ethical implications for the University. This role requires the Senior Director to exercise leadership, diplomacy, foresight and sound judgment to ensure continued goodwill and financial support for the University.

The Senior Director, Development is accountable and responsible to the Associate Vice-President (Development) for advancing the current fundraising strategic vision and, together with the entire Development & Alumni team, achieving annual goals and objectives.  The incumbent will provide coaching and mentoring, direction, structure, expertise, priorities and procedures to a team of development staff, and will work closely with their own team as they advance and seek private support for priority projects across the university, in partnership with project leads, faculty deans, department heads, and institute and/or centre directors.

The Senior Director, Development's primary purpose is to be responsible for the short and long-term planning, development, delivery and evaluation of pan-university fundraising priorities and the staff fundraising team this role leads. They will collaborate with the Associate Vice-President (Development), leaders from across Development & Alumni, and other senior UCalgary leadership, including colleagues overseeing related efforts in prospect management and research, donor relations/engagement, principal gifts, and development services and will be the primary resource for the coordination, operation and leadership of their unit. This position will also be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors within their own pipeline.

The Senior Director, Development will be responsible to recruit, hire, motivate, and lead a diverse team. This position manages the strategic objectives of direct reports, including annual goal setting and regular performance reviews, mentorship and ongoing strategic support for their team's fundraising efforts, and will be accountable for all performance management related issues pursuant to her/his team.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Lead and implement development plans and strategies to enhance the University's overall fundraising efforts and to generate consistent increases to the funds generated through all development staff.
• Act as a key university representative with select major and principal gift prospects and donors, alumni and community members to advance the university's philanthropic goals; lead assigned priority projects and associated staff.
• Supervise a team of professional staff members working in support of institutional and unit-based priorities.
• Lead by example, building a strong culture of trust, collaboration, innovation and teamwork.
• Provide direction and leadership to direct reports to ensure goals are met on schedule; support team in structuring and delivering complex gifts.
• Evaluate and make recommendations to the Associate Vice-President (Development) and university senior leadership, regarding human resources strategies for development operations: recruiting, hiring, ensuring sound orientation and ongoing training, and support for professional development.
• Direct regular and ad hoc review meetings with direct reporting staff as well as formal mid-year and annual evaluations. Ensure that all staff within portfolio are well managed and all HR requirements are met.
• Ensure actions and those of staff reflect sensitivity to the needs and interests of many campus areas with diverse development objectives.
• Engage with University's executive leadership, faculty deans, department heads, institute and/or centre directors to guide fundraising strategies and ensure that fundraising tools such as cases for support and proposals are in alignment with institutional goals.
• Create and build commitment to the vision of Development and Alumni through effective communication strategies. Execute key components of work in coordination with both faculty-based and institutional fundraising efforts to capitalize on relationships with the corporate community, foundations, alumni, and individuals.
• Ensure compliance with prospect management procedures.
• In partnership with the Associate Vice-President (Development), provide input into an annual comprehensive business plan and budget.
• Ensure ongoing familiarity with University direction, economic environment, current trends in philanthropy and best practices in fundraising and leadership.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• A University degree and 7-10 plus years fundraising experience, with progressive leadership experience over that time. Substantial exposure to the non-profit sector, within a University environment (preferred) or a large, complex organization is highly desirable.
• A passion for fundraising in support of organizational goals, developing prospective donors and securing major gifts.
• Exceptional leadership skills, including management of professional staff and effective setting of goals and priorities; ability to combine people and resources in a manner that will achieve objectives within established limits.
• Experience in all facets of an integrated development program including major gifts, legacy giving, sponsorship, annual giving and events. Proven ability to maintain a portfolio of prospects, qualifying, cultivating and stewarding them to raise significant gifts; significant experience managing complex gifts is essential.
• Ability to coach, mentor and motivate a portfolio of faculty development teams and individuals, including both experienced and early-career fundraisers, as well as support staff.
• Comfort working directly with members of the University's executive leadership team, Deans, Vice Provosts and Department Heads, among other leaders.
• Proven success establishing productive relationships with senior volunteers that translate into new prospects and donors.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) and excellent listening skills Good negotiation skills; ability to manage relationships with honesty, integrity and high standards.
• Proven skills delivering innovative solutions; ability to analyze the marketplace, identify best practices and implement appropriate improvements.
• Proven organizational abilities including planning and organizing complex programs and high-impact projects with minimal direction.
• Sound judgment and decision-making capabilities and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively as required.
• Ability to exercise a high level of tact and discretion in both internal and external interactions.
• Fundraising expertise in a large, complex environment.
• Accomplished leadership skills, strategic vision and successful change implementations in a large/complex organization.
• High level of knowledge about relational database systems and technology applications to enhance business workflow and scalability.
• Capacity to analyze, translate and report financial and statistical data.
• Sound judgment and ethical decision-making capabilities and the ability to work collaboratively.
• Strong service oriented mindset.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• Sound facilitation, strategic planning, project and resource management

Application Deadline:  April 6, 2025.

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Management Career Band, Level M4 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework. 

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website. 

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role. 

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.