Senior Leadership Gifts Officer

General Summary

Reporting to the Director of Leadership Gifts, the Senior Leadership Gifts Officer will create and implement strategies that strengthen relationships with Deerfield alumni and parents and will cultivate, solicit and close major and principal gifts.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage portfolio of 175 alumni and parent prospects within assigned regions
• Cultivate, solicit, and close capital, annual and planned gifts, in a gift range from $100,000 to $10,000,000
• Work with principal donors, developing donor ideas and institutional priorities into meaningful 7- and 8-figure gifts
• Collaborate with annual fund colleagues to develop and implement strategies for high-end annual fund gifts
• Track and report on all prospect activity; update contact and biographical information; submit contact reports on a timely basis;
• Provide ongoing stewardship of all major gifts
• Recruit and maintain an active group of volunteers within assigned region to assist with events and to staff regional and national Deerfield committees as needed
• Organize and conduct successful cultivation events to engage major and principal donors, working closely with the Head of School, trustees, senior staff and faculty
• Attend regular prospect review sessions and frontline fundraiser meetings
• Participate in weekend and evening activities, including alumni relations events, both on campus and within assigned geographic regions
• Travel 70–80 days per year; conduct approximately 120-150 visits per year
• Other duties as assigned.

Job Specifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 5 – 7 years of experience in development or a related field especially closing 6-, 7- and 8-figure gifts, preferably in an academic setting 
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse constituencies
• Demonstrated experience working with Trustees and high level donors
• Ability to manage and motivate volunteers
• Ability and willingness to travel
• An understanding of gift planning concepts
• Willingness to collaborate with a strong team
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Ability to manage, and sensitivity to, highly confidential information
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion and to serving the needs of a diverse community
• Demonstrated proficiency with technology MS Office and a student information database system

Physical Job Demands

• Close visual acuity to analyze data and figures and to view a computer terminal
• Ability to sustain substantial movements of the wrist, hands and/or fingers
• Ability to occasionally lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects up to 10 lbs
• Ability to occasionally stoop, kneel and reach

Working Conditions

The worker is in an office environment, and while in the office is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.  While traveling (25 - 50% overnight travel on average each month), the worker is subject to outside environmental conditions.

Disclaimer

The above job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification.  This job description is not intended to be construed as a comprehensive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. It is expected that job duties and responsibilities will develop over time commensurate with performance.