Senior Director of Development, Major Gifts

Reports to: Vice President for Partnerships

Team: Development

Location: Morningside Heights, New York, New York

Classification: Exempt, Full-time

Work Arrangement: Hybrid; four days on campus and one day remote each week

Salary: $145,000 – $165,000

Supervisory Responsibility: None initially; may supervise 1 – 2 frontline fundraisers as the team expands

We're looking for someone who understands what makes Union distinct. Grounded in the Christian tradition, Union welcomes people of all faiths and none, embraces interreligious engagement, and brings faith and scholarship to the work of social justice. Its diverse community of students and alumni reflects these commitments.

The Senior Director of Development, Major Gifts will serve as Union's senior frontline fundraiser, with primary responsibility for cultivating and stewarding major donor relationships, including alumni and other key supporters, soliciting significant gifts, and securing philanthropic commitments from new and existing donors. The role will play a key part in sustaining and expanding Union's individual giving program through major gifts that advance the institution's mission and priorities.

Approximately 80% of this role will be dedicated to direct fundraising , personally engaging donors, strengthening relationships, making solicitations, and closing gifts. The remaining 20% will focus on campaign strategy in partnership with the Vice President for Partnerships and, as the team grows, managing and coaching one to two additional frontline fundraisers.

This is a senior, hands-on role for an accomplished development professional with a demonstrated record of personally securing six-figure gifts and the experience to pursue seven-figure opportunities. The ideal candidate brings sound fundraising judgment, deep experience stewarding donor relationships, and the confidence to move significant philanthropic opportunities from cultivation through commitment.

The Senior Director will work closely with the Vice President and receive support from colleagues responsible for Advancement Services, institutional fundraising, and Communications, allowing this role to remain focused on individual donors and fundraising results.

Major Gifts and Donor Relationships (80%)

• Personally manage an active portfolio of major donors and prospects, with primary responsibility for cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and securing significant gifts.
• Build and sustain meaningful donor relationships, connecting philanthropic interests with Union's mission, programs, and institutional priorities.
• Develop and execute individualized solicitation strategies, moving prospective gifts from cultivation through commitment.
• Identify and qualify major gift prospects, strengthen existing relationships, and pursue opportunities for increased and sustained philanthropic support.
• Partner with the Vice President, President, trustees, and other institutional leaders on significant donor relationships, ensuring thoughtful engagement, preparation, and follow-through.
• Maintain consistent personal engagement with donors and prospects through visits, substantive conversations, and timely follow-up.
• Document donor conversations, solicitation strategies, next steps, and anticipated gifts in Union's donor records.
• Steward major donors and significant commitments, building lasting relationships that encourage continued and future giving.

Campaign Strategy and Team Leadership (20%)

• Partner with the Vice President for Partnerships to develop and execute major gift fundraising strategies supporting institutional priorities, including operating support, endowment growth, facilities, and academic programs.
• Contribute to fundraising strategy for targeted and institution-wide campaigns, including capital and endowment initiatives, and help develop compelling cases for major gift support.
• Identify leadership gift opportunities and develop donor solicitation approaches in support of campaign goals, coordinating with planned and annual giving strategies as appropriate.
• As the team expands, manage and coach one to two additional frontline fundraisers, providing guidance on donor relationships, portfolio development, solicitations, and fundraising performance.
• Help ensure major gift fundraising activities and donor strategies remain aligned with Union's broader development priorities.

The Senior Director will work within a coordinated Development structure, with colleagues providing specialized support so the role can prioritize donor relationships and closing gifts.

• Advancement Services: Provides donor data, prospect research, gift processing, reporting, and analytics to support portfolio management, solicitation strategies, and fundraising performance.
• Foundation Fundraising/Grant Writer: Leads foundation and other institutional relationships, grant proposals, and related fundraising activities.
• Communications: Supports donor-facing materials, fundraising messaging, storytelling, and campaign communications, while the Senior Director owns donor strategy and the substance of each ask.
• Vice President for Partnerships: Partners on campaign strategy, institutional fundraising priorities, significant donor relationships, and executive-level solicitations.

The Senior Director will be accountable for major gift fundraising results, including meaningful donor engagement, solicitations, gifts secured, and the continued development of qualified major gift opportunities. The role requires clear communication about fundraising progress, anticipated commitments, opportunities, and challenges.

Required

• Demonstrated success personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing six-figure gifts in nonprofit development or a related philanthropic setting.
• Substantial experience managing major donor relationships and portfolios, including developing solicitation strategies and stewarding significant philanthropic commitments.
• Strong ability to build trust and sustain relationships with donors, institutional leaders, and other key stakeholders.
• Sound fundraising judgment, including the ability to understand donor interests, recognize opportunities, and secure significant commitments.
• Strong organizational and portfolio management skills, with the ability to manage multiple donor relationships and fundraising priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the confidence and professionalism to represent Union in conversations with major donors and institutional leaders.
• A genuine understanding of and commitment to Union's mission, interreligious community, and work in social justice.

Preferred

• Demonstrated experience cultivating, soliciting, or closing seven-figure gifts.
• Experience in higher education advancement or major gift fundraising within a mission-driven institution.
• Experience identifying and securing unique gifts that bridge sectors or different industries.
• Experience using Raiser's Edge or a comparable fundraising CRM for donor and portfolio management.
• Experience partnering with presidents, trustees, and senior institutional leaders on significant donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Experience contributing to capital, endowment, or other major fundraising campaigns.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or supervising frontline fundraising professionals.

Success in this role means significant philanthropic gifts secured, strong and growing major donor relationships, and a well-managed portfolio of opportunities supporting Union's institutional priorities.

The Senior Director will be an active and effective frontline fundraiser, consistently engaging donors, advancing solicitations, and securing commitments. They will also bring experienced judgment to campaign planning and, as the team expands, help develop additional successful fundraisers.

Above all, we're looking for a senior development professional who knows how to build trust with donors, make meaningful asks, steward relationships, and close significant gifts in support of Union's mission.

The salary range for this position is $145,000 – $165,000. Union offers a comprehensive employee benefits program, including contributions to medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, as well as an employer contribution to a TIAA retirement plan account after one year of employment. This is a full-time, exempt, hybrid position, with four days on campus and one day of remote work each week. The role requires some travel and occasional evening and weekend work to support donor engagement, Board meetings, and institutional events.

For confidential consideration, please submit your résumé and a brief response (300 words maximum) to one of the following prompts, in lieu of a traditional cover letter. Please omit donor names and identifying details.

Option 1: Describe a donor relationship where you pursued a significantly larger gift than the donor had previously made to your organization. How did you determine whether the relationship was ready for that ask, what was the outcome, and what, if anything, would you do differently today?

OR

Option 2: Describe a significant gift you played a central role in securing, where the connection between the donor's interests and your organization's priorities was not immediately clear. How did you identify common ground, and how did that shape your approach and the eventual gift?

Please email your materials to View email address on manhattanjobs.com and indicate the specific job title in the subject line. Both a résumé and a response to one prompt are required for consideration. No phone calls, please. Only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.