Assistant Director of Development, Harvard College Fund, Leadership Giving

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join Harvard University Central Administration?

Harvard University's Central Administration (CADM) is a 5,000+ employee organization that supports the university's overall excellence by understanding and serving the needs of its schools, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and surrounding communities. Through dynamic and collaborative partnerships, CADM provides high-quality and efficient services to the schools to help them achieve their goals.

Alumni Affairs and Development is a dedicated team supporting Harvard’s advancement activity through front-line fundraising, alumni and volunteer engagement, technology, prospect management and research, business process, events, communications, and many other areas.

Our goal is to create an environment of respect that leverages the many talents, perspectives, and experiences of our employees; to deliver the strongest possible results by incorporating diverse perspectives into our daily work; and to make AA&D a great place to work for everyone. We strive to live our values of respect, inclusion, trust, collaboration, continuous improvement and innovation; and open communication and effective information sharing in our daily interactions and our work.

AA&D is comprised of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Development, Advancement Communications, Events & Donor Relations (ACEDR), University Development and Advancement Solutions (UDAS), the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA), and Office of Talent, Administration and Policy (OTAP).

Job Summary:

This full-time, exempt position is a frontline fundraising role on the Harvard College Fund (HCF) team, reporting to the Director of Development, Leadership Giving, Harvard College Fund.  The Assistant Director manages a portfolio of approximately 75+ qualified leadership prospects and actively qualifies new prospects, while securing four-, five-, and six-figure commitments for the HCF and other critical FAS priorities. The Assistant Director will partner with colleagues across the Harvard College Fund, Donor Development, Gift Planning, other AA&D teams, as well as with volunteers, to encourage leadership level support at $5,000 annually or through multi-year pledges of $25,000 or more. At maturity, this role will generate $1 million+ per year. 

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Manage, cultivate, solicit, and steward a targeted portfolio of 75+ qualified leadership prospects.
• Utilize knowledge of prospects’ interests to develop and execute robust, multi-step prospect strategies that leverage programmatic and stewardship engagement opportunities, HCF volunteer involvement, academic leadership, faculty, and other members of the Harvard community to cultivate and secure four-, five-, and six-figure leadership gifts.
• Actively identify and qualify new prospects with the capacity and inclination to support Harvard at a leadership, major, or principal gift level; add them to the appropriate assignment pipeline through thorough qualification, referrals from prospects, list reviews, and other methods in consultation with Prospect Management and Research partners.
• Use thoughtful prospect strategies and intentional prioritization to meet and exceed revenue goals, with particular emphasis on upgrading donors and maintaining an active presence in assigned regions/territories, and with a focus on securing new leadership-level commitments for the Harvard College Fund and other FAS priorities.
• In partnership with the Office of Gift Planning, incorporate gift planning elements into donor conversations to identify and confirm John Harvard Society households, and to structure proposals that incorporate gift planning opportunities wherever they may help leverage a larger gift. 
• Adhere to all prospect management processes and policies including accurate and timely contact reports, proposals, moves management etc. to ensure transparency and effective cross-departmental collaboration.
• Serve as a partner to the Major Gift and Gift Planning colleagues by identifying new prospects and volunteers, and by supporting the goals of elevating unrestricted and lightly restricted support for the FAS.
• Provide timely feedback from donor conversations to help shape and refine the case for current-use support.
• Actively deepen knowledge of Harvard and professional fundraising skills by building relationships with colleagues across campus, attending events and activities, and participating in training opportunities.
• Serve as a member of the AA&D team by participating in group strategy discussions, providing project leadership when requested by management, sharing information with colleagues, and contributing to the achievement of the overall goals of Harvard University.
• Direct and mentor a shared, full-time Development Assistant, setting clear priorities and providing feedback and guidance.

Basic Qualifications:

• BA/BS required.
• Minimum of 4 years’ experience in development or directly related transferable experience. Experience received while in college may contribute to the required work experience minimum for this position, if the role was within the development field.
• Travel expectations of roughly 35% of working days spent on the road in specified territory/region.
• You will be expected to attend meetings, work certain events/campus activities, such as reunions each Spring, and participate in department retreats that are taking place on campus in Cambridge, MA.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Proven success as a fundraiser or in a closely related field (e.g., sales, account management, relationship management), with a preference for 4+ years of direct solicitation experience.
• Strong command of fundraising principles, with particular familiarity with reunion, annual, and unrestricted/current-use fundraising.
• Experience working within a complex academic institution and/or staffing senior leaders in development work preferred.
• Demonstrated strength in qualification: able to use initial visits to assess capacity and inclination to make significant gifts and to identify new donors at leadership and major gift levels.
• Exceptional active listening and discovery skills; able to ask sensitive questions with tact, uncover interests, motivations, and objections, and remain pleasantly persistent while exercising sound judgment.
• Comfortable making solicitations, with a bias toward asking during initial prospect meetings when appropriate.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build trust with donors, volunteers, and colleagues; must consistently demonstrate tact, diplomacy, discretion, and maintain confidentiality.
• Strong team orientation: understands that individual success contributes to—and depends on—the success of the broader team.
• Demonstrated ability to persuasively communicate the case for unrestricted and current-use support.
• Self-starter who is organized, detail-oriented, and able to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced, complex environment.
• Natural collaborator with high emotional intelligence and the ability to lead through influence; comfortable working through ambiguity and advancing solutions in a highly matrixed organization.
• Demonstrates a personal commitment to excellence, including the humility to acknowledge mistakes and the generosity to extend grace to colleagues.
• Experience with Advance or other fundraising/CRM systems.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn and effectively use other relevant software applications.

• Orientation and Review Period: 6 months
• Standard Hours/Schedule: 40 hours per week
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education
• Please submit a cover letter with your application.

Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 057. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information. 

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Generous paid time off including parental leave 
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one 
• Retirement plans with university contributions 
• Wellbeing and mental health resources 
• Support for families and caregivers 
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement 
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks 

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.