Senior Executive Director of Philanthropy, College of Aviation

Job Description

Since its inception, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has remained a global leader in aerospace education, innovation, and research. Founded in 1926, the University is preparing to celebrate a century of achievement while shaping the future of aviation and aerospace.

As Embry-Riddle launches its Centennial Campaign, Imagine What's Next, the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement seeks a dynamic and seasoned fundraiser to serve as Senior Executive Director of Philanthropy for the College of Aviation at the Daytona Beach campus.

Reporting to the Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement and collaborating closely with the Dean of the College of Aviation, this leader will chart the course for fundraising success by cultivating relationships with alumni, foundations, corporate partners, and other key constituents. The role offers an opportunity to advance aerospace education, champion innovation, and leave a lasting impact on the University's future.

Key Responsibilities

• Major Gifts: Manage an assigned portfolio of individual, corporate, and foundation prospects through discovery, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, with a focus on closing more than $3 million annually in philanthropic support. Engage donors through correspondence, calls, events, and extensive face-to-face visits. Track solicitation and stewardship progress in Salesforce in accordance with University prospect management guidelines. Develop and implement long-term strategies for each prospect and collaborate with division colleagues to achieve unit and institutional goals.
• Unit Liaison: Coordinate and participate in development activities within the College of Aviation and attend the Dean's leadership meetings to understand the College's needs, challenges, and opportunities. Coordinate with central advancement on annual giving, advancement communications, data acquisition, planned giving, donor relations, and donor impact reporting. Advise the Dean on philanthropic policies, practices, schedules, strategies, and best practices. Build effective relationships with administrators, faculty, and staff and engage them in fundraising efforts.
• Collaboration and Communication: Translate complex scientific concepts and programs into compelling, donor-friendly language for proposals and outreach. Prepare fundraising communications, foundation reports, faculty updates, acknowledgment letters, and other materials. Monitor University outreach events for major gift leads and develop meaningful donor and prospect events that showcase opportunities for support.
• Staff Management: Lead and manage the Director of Philanthropy and Associate Director of Philanthropy for the College of Aviation. Support professional development through inclusive, transparent, and empowering leadership. Participate in regular staff and frontline fundraiser meetings to coordinate development and alumni relations activities, and serve on committees as requested.
• Other Duties: Perform other duties as assigned and appropriate to the position’s rank and the University’s mission.

About Us

For over 100 years, Embry-Riddle has been the world's leading aviation and aerospace university, educating more than 30,000 students across residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, as well as through a global network of Worldwide locations and online programs. With more than 165,000 alumni around the world, our impact reaches every corner of the aerospace, aviation, defense and technology industries.

Today, our faculty, researchers and professional staff are advancing innovation across aviation, space, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and next-generation engineering. Working alongside industry leaders, government agencies and innovators, they are solving real-world challenges and shaping the technologies that will define tomorrow.

Whether you are an educator, researcher, administrator, technologist or industry professional, your work at Embry-Riddle will contribute to something bigger than a job. Join a community driven by discovery, purpose and excellence—and help shape the future of aerospace.

• Generous Time Off: Enjoy up to 18 days of paid leave in your first year, including 3 days granted upon hire and 15 days accrued throughout the year. You'll also receive 9+ paid holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.
• Tuition Coverage: Get 100% tuition coverage for yourself for one undergraduate and one graduate degree, and discounted rates for your spouse and dependent children up to age 26.
• Retirement Contributions: ERAU contributes 6% of your base salary to your retirement plan and offers a 4% matching contribution - with no vesting period.
• Personal Leave: Relax with 15 days of personal leave for non-exempt employees or 18 days for exempt full-time employees in your first year.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; foreign equivalent or higher accepted.
• Ten years of full-time fundraising experience in higher education, a complex healthcare system, or a large nonprofit organization.
• Proven record of success cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts of $100,000 or more from individual donors.
• Experience managing numerous priorities and a broad portfolio of donor or client relationships.
• Experience with Salesforce or a comparable donor relationship management application.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree.
• Additional fundraising experience in higher education, a large nonprofit organization, or a healthcare institution.
• Experience working in an academic or medical center.
• Experience managing volunteers or an advisory board.
• Comfort working with high-net-worth individuals and maintaining confidential information.
• Basic knowledge of planned giving vehicles and techniques.
• Experience developing a new donor constituency.

Embry-Riddle is committed to fostering a workplace where all individuals are valued and respected. We strive to ensure that all faculty, staff, and students are treated fairly and provided equal opportunities for employment, advancement, compensation, training, and other benefits of employment.

Embry-Riddle makes employment decisions - including hiring, promotions, compensation, and other terms of employment - based on individual merit, qualifications, and abilities.

Embry-Riddle is strongly opposed to discrimination and harassment, and such behavior is prohibited by university policy.

Embry-Riddle does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, predisposing genetic characteristics, age, religion, or pregnancy status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law, in its employment, educational programs, admissions policies, financial aid, or other school-administered programs or activities.

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