Development Manager
Temporary, full-time position (from February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2024) – Guelph, ON
Are you seeking to build your career by joining a high-performing team of passionate fundraising professionals at one of Canada’s leading comprehensive research-intensive universities? Look no further.
This is an opportunity to work in Alumni Affairs and Development as we advance the mission of the University of Guelph by building lifelong relationships with our community: alumni, donors, and friends. Our vision is for the University of Guelph to be personally relevant in the lives of our community members. Through these relationships, we amplify the impact of philanthropy to create unique solutions for the challenges facing our world. As a member of this campus-wide team, you will epitomize the department’s shared values of respect, empowerment, integrity, appreciation, and forward focus.
The globally-ranked faculty of the College of Biological Science (CBS) and its dedicated Advancement team aspire to lead best practices in our field. If you are looking to gain experience in major gift fundraising by joining a supportive team who are committed to improving the health and well-being of animals, people and the environment, we encourage your application to this exciting role.
Reporting to the Senior Development Manager (CBS) and working in partnership with Advancement Team, you will be a relationship builder responsible for personal solicitation of donations and sponsorships of $25,000+. This temporary (2-year term), full-time role is primarily focused on developing CBS’s major gift pipeline. A renewal of this contract position is possible, and subject to funding.
We believe that fundraising is a team sport, and collaboration with colleagues in the broader CBS and Alumni Affairs and Development teams is essential for success. As Development Manager, you will work to advance the College’s priorities with external audiences, including alumni, foundations, corporations and friends of the University of Guelph with the express goal of building future support. You will personally generate an annual minimum of $250,000+ in new gifts and pledges. Success will be linked to your ability to connect confidently and easily with donors and prospects from a range of backgrounds. More specifically, your responsibilities in this role will include:
- Identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding donors and prospects through the fundraising cycle;
- Maintaining a personal prospect portfolio of 60-90 cleared donors/prospects, undertaking 10-15 face-to-face meetings per month with donors/prospects;
- Preparing briefing materials to support Senior Administration (President, VPs, AVPs, Dean) fundraising activity;
- Collaborating with the Senior Development Manager, the Dean, and other internal partners to identify University priorities that will resonate with donors, e.g., scholarships, sponsorships, faculty support and capital projects;
- Creating and presenting materials to advance fundraising asks such as generic cases for support to more customized proposals;
- Negotiating the closure of major gifts, including the creation of gift agreements and other supporting documentation;
- Actively develop the CBS planned giving pipeline, working in partnership with the CBS Senior Development Manager and the University of Guelph’s Senior Manager, Gift Planning.
What do you need to be successful in this role?
- You have an undergraduate degree and a minimum of two (2) years’ fundraising experience (with preference for experience in major gift fundraising), or you have attained an equivalent combination of education and experience that has prepared you for this next step in your career.
- You have an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and professional development.
- You are a self-starter and action-oriented, motivated by deadlines and measurable outcomes.
- You have a good sense of humour, and you approach new challenges with integrity, tenacity and patience.
- You think and act quickly and effectively under pressure, exercising tact, diplomacy, discretion, good judgment, and with a high degree of self-awareness of your own implicit bias.
- You have a track record of working successfully as part of a team in a fast-paced, complex environment.
- You interact effectively with senior executives in the corporate community.
- You write extremely well, and you can present complex ideas with clarity, emotion and brevity in writing as well as in person.
- You adapt readily to new technology and are proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite and donor databases and/or CRM systems.
- If you have a passion for life science and/or a background in animal, environmental, medical or healthcare charities, that would be a tremendous asset and will contribute to your success and satisfaction in this role.
NOTE: This appointment is regularly performed on-campus but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be initially fulfilled remotely (off-campus) until the University resumes its regular operations.
The University of Guelph (www.uoguelph.ca) is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive comprehensive institutions, with a record of outstanding scholarship in the arts, humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical and engineering sciences, agriculture and veterinary sciences. This is your chance to join us in our endeavour to improve life.
To view a detailed posting for the role of Development Manager, please go to our website at www.uoguelph.ca/hr/careers-guelph. Applications, quoting Hiring #2021-0646, must be sent to: careers@uoguelph.ca.
At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.
Salary Range: $64,806 to $97,208 annually