Director of Development, Walter Scott Jr. College of Engineering

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Position Summary

The Director of Development’s primary responsibility is to identify, cultivate, and solicit donors capable of making $50,000+ gifts in support of the Walter Scott Jr. College of Engineering (WSJCOE). The Director of Development (DOD) will manage a portfolio of individual and institutional major gift prospects, presenting comprehensive proposals including current, planned or blended gifts that match the fundraising priorities of the College. This may include soliciting gifts to establish endowed scholarships, fellowships and professorships, departmental programs and centers, research projects, capital priorities, and naming opportunities for related buildings and research centers. The DOD will work in a dynamic team environment, and work in collaboration with central development and cross-college partners to ensure we maximize and celebrate the philanthropic support of our donors. 

Position Information

• Position Title: Director of Development, Walter Scott Jr. College of Engineering
• Organization Name: Colorado State University Foundation
• Reports To: Executive Director of Development, Walter Scott Jr. College of Engineering
• Employment Type: Full-time
• FLSA Status: Exempt
• Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
• Salary Range: $95,000 - $120,000 annually
• Priority Considerations date: 9/27/26

Organizational Overview

Located in the beautiful town of Fort Collins, Colorado State University is a premier land-grant university with world-class programs in education, outreach, and research. CSU has a student body of over 34,000 students, 7,400 employees, 258,000 living alumni, and annual research expenditures exceeding $498 million. 

One of eight academic colleges at CSU, the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering houses six academic departments and schools, along with NOAA Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA). The College enrolls approximately 4,000 students and conducts more than $100 million in research annually. Our graduates are employed by, or are leading, national engineering and technology companies across the US and around the world. Researchers in the College have made important contributions to global challenges in energy, health, water, climate, infrastructure and advanced technology. 

The Colorado State University Foundation is in the midst of exciting growth as the University Advancement division of CSU transitions to the Foundation. This merger will allow us to more effectively serve our donors, alumni, and stakeholders with a unified structure, strengthen accountability, and build the capacity to scale our fundraising enterprise. With one of the leading development teams in the country, we most recently achieved our highest fundraising year to date in 2025. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Identifies, cultivates, and solicits prospective major gifts of $50,000 and above. 
• Successfully manages complex priorities through careful planning and strategic execution to achieve specific performance metrics.
• Writes, prepares, and presents persuasive proposals that match the donor’s interests with the College’s fundraising mission and goals.
• Applies best practices to steward and retain current donors while continually developing a pipeline of new major gift prospects.
• Makes independent decisions that impact the overall success of the unit’s goals and metrics by raising the productivity of staff and utilizing resources at the highest levels.
• Recommendations to the Executive Director whether to implement a new plan of action for a specific development activity or to discontinue an existing one.
• Serves as a key member of the development team by influencing and driving strategy, relationships, and best practices to accomplish goals.
• Engages with alumni, donors, parents and students, working effectively with cross-campus colleagues to achieve short and long-term fundraising goals.
• Collaborates with faculty and the dean to enhance programs that will benefit students and faculty.
• Maintains a high degree of confidentiality and adheres to the industry policies and procedures for accepting, recording, and acknowledging gifts. 

Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience as a development officer, or major gifts officer, in an institution of higher education or equivalent complex organization such as non-profits, sales, banking, or client management.
• Demonstrated success in face-to-face solicitation, cultivation, and closing multiple gifts at $50,000 or above, or, equivalent success with project management and/or other complex transactions in organizations/industries such as sales, banking, client management, or marketing.
• Demonstrated ability to engage and effectively communicate with a wide variety of audiences.
• Willingness to work non-standard hours an travel nationally.
• Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date as well as reliable transportation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to cultivate, close, and steward major gifts. 
• Understanding of proposal and development writing, fundraising principles and techniques.
• Strong understanding of and passion for engineering fields.
• Adaptable to changing priorities and a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of all facets of fundraising including annual funds, corporate relations, foundation relations, planned giving, stewardship, and major gift fundraising
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) certification and/ or master’s degree.
• Demonstrated effective problem-solving skills and the ability to effectively manage demanding work situations.
• Ability to work effectively with academic and administrative leaders, faculty, and volunteer partners in the process of building relationships with prospective donors.
• Demonstrates collaborative and congenial attitude and team building ability; is open to and promotes new ideas.
• Ability to exercise considerable initiative, independent judgment, self-motivation, and discretion.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, as well as CRM systems such as Salesforce.

The CSU Foundation is committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, vision and retirement plans; generous paid time off; and a robust Employee Assistance Program.

CSU Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) it is our policy to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless such accommodation would cause undue hardship.