Permanent, full-time position

Guelph, ON

Are you an experienced leader in fundraising with a passion for advancing higher education?

Reporting to the Associate Vice-President (Advancement), the University of Guelph is seeking a Director, Principal Giving. The Director role involves collaborating with senior university leaders to develop and implement strategies for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high-level donors.

The Director will oversee principal giving and planned giving programs, driving strategic initiatives to support the university’s ambitious fundraising goals.

If you are a dynamic leader with a proven track record in principal gift fundraising and have a passion for building lasting relationships with high-level donors, we’d love to hear from you!

Your key responsibilities will include:

General duties of the Director Principal Giving also include:

• Play a central role in securing principal gifts, focusing on contributions of $5 million or more from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Serve as a member of the Alumni Affairs & Development (AA&D) senior management team, responsible for setting policies, establishing priorities, and providing strategic directions for the department.
• Build strong connections among alumni donors, particularly the university’s top donors, to advance the University of Guelph’s reputation and mission.
• Cultivate long-term relationships with donors capable of contributing $5 million or more, leveraging the connections and vision of university leaders to secure support for strategic and transformative university priorities and initiatives.
• Lay the groundwork for a university-wide minimum $600 million campaign by securing substantial principal gifts.
• Provide leadership and oversight of the planned giving program, deploying team resources as needed to meet the needs of this portfolio.
• Oversee collaborations among AA&D units, the Offices of the President and Vice-Presidents, and other university departments and academic units to support principal giving opportunities.

Requirements

• A university degree and 6-8+ years of senior leadership experience in a university or comparable institution.
• 5+ years’ experience in public sector fundraising, with a preference for principal gift fundraising and a proven track record of success in securing principal ($1M+) gifts.
• 3-5+ years staff and business management experience.
• 3-5+ years senior volunteer management experience.
• Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) designation is considered an asset.
• Proven track record of being strategic, creative, and innovative in a high-pressure work environment.
• Superior strategic planning, people management, and administrative skills to lead a team with disparate functions, skill sets, and requirements.
• Ability to coach and develop team members as well as influence colleagues and peers.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills to work in a complex environment, demonstrating tact, good judgement, diplomacy, self-awareness, and adaptability.
• Ability to deal effectively with diverse groups of people, including senior administration, colleagues, donors, and alumni; ability to anticipate, identify, and respond to needs and interests of varied audiences.
• Demonstrated experience building consensus and influencing direction and priorities.
• Dynamic self-starter with entrepreneurial spirit who can think and lead strategically with imagination and possess a good sense of humor with the ability to challenge and inspire.
• A background developing creative communications and presentations that allow success both within the campus environment and externally.
• Ability to make difficult and complex decisions with good judgment and with acute sensitivity to the political environment and the reputation of the university.
• Inspiring leadership and motivation skills, with proven ability to lead groups towards completion of long-term goals in dynamic environments.
• Significant experience in business management and development, including budget planning and analysis.

The University has adopted a policy relative to flexible work arrangements. This appointment is required to be fulfilled both remotely and on campus (Guelph Campus).

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 endeavor to improve life. 

To view a detailed posting for the role of Director, Principal Giving, please go to our website at https://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.