Senior Director of Development

Special Information

• This position is a hybrid position which allows the incumbent to complete their work at both an NAU site, campus, or facility and at a non-centralized site with or without accommodation.
• This position is posted as Senior Director of Development, which is a working title. The NAU system title for this position is Director of Development 3.
• Driving a vehicle on behalf of the university is anticipated to be a regular part of this position. Arizona Administrative Code Fleet Safety Policy requires all employees who drive on university business become authorized by submitting Driver’s license information for driving record monitoring, and completion of training appropriate to the level of driving performed. The law applies to all faculty, staff, and students who drive personal or university-owned motorized vehicles for any business purpose. More information on the NAU Authorized Driver Policy can be found on the NAU website.

About the Department/College

NAU Advancement | Foundation engages students, alumni, parents, friends, and the broader NAU community to connect, invest, and inspire current and future Lumberjacks.

NAU Athletics, a member of the Big Sky Conference, sponsors 15 NCAA Division I level athletic programs.

NAU is home to the state's first three-peat 2016, 2017 and 2018 NCAA National Champion Men's Cross Country team. The Men's Cross Country team has since captured three additional national championships in the spring of 2021, the fall of 2021, and the fall of 2022.

The Lumberjacks have earned four Big Sky Presidents' Cups, most recently in 2020-21. NAU also swept the 2020-21 Men's and Women's All-Sports Trophies, marking the sixth sweep of the trophies in school history. The NAU men have won 18 All-Sport Trophies, including the most recent in 2024, and the NAU women have captured 11 of their own, including the most recent in 2023 which marked the third-consecutive honors.

About the Position

Northern Arizona University seeks an experienced, engaged, dynamic Senior Director of Development to pursue philanthropic support from individuals, foundations, and corporations for NAU Athletics. Building on the recent increase in gifts to Northern Arizona University, the Senior Director of Development will proactively coordinate engagement and stewardship for the university’s most significant donors who are interested in supporting NAU Athletics.

The Senior Director of Development is responsible for overall leadership and management of NAU Athletics development efforts. This position plans and directs comprehensive strategies for the qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gift prospects for Athletics. Major gift development (defined at NAU as $50,000 or more) is the primary focus of the position. This position will interact closely with the Director of Development who oversees annual giving and the Skyjacks annual fund. Additional responsibilities include working with Advancement staff in Alumni Engagement, Planned Giving, Annual Giving, Communications, and Corporate and Foundation Relations to meet NAU engagement and fundraising goals. The Senior Director of Development will also participate in strategic planning and interact with NAU Athletics volunteer and advisory boards. The position will collaborate and partner with coaches, staff, and peers across campus while building strong donor relationships. Significant personal interaction with alumni, friends, prospects, and donors is required. The university is currently in the public phase of its Elevate comprehensive campaign.

This position reports to the Associate Vice President of College Development with a dotted line to the VP of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Responsibilities Include

65% - Fundraising

• Prioritize, engage and manage a major gifts portfolio of prospects capable of philanthropically supporting NAU Athletics strategic priorities.
• Annually solicit and lead the development of complex proposals for high-net worth individuals, corporations and foundations and close major gifts of $50,000 or more in support of NAU Athletics.
• Collaborate on principal-level fundraising of $1M or more in support of NAU and campaign priorities.
• Responsible for the overall leadership, strategy, and management of strategic initiatives significant development program efforts including coordination of the cultivation-solicitation-stewardship cycle.
• Work university-wide to support Athletics top fundraising priorities, and coach internal partners on fundraising and engagement strategies.
• Facilitate interaction with prospects for coaches, staff, and other natural partners.
• Participate fully in the university’s comprehensive fundraising program including its prospect management system.
• Serve as a strategic partner to Advancement | Foundation colleagues by providing timely updates and recommendations on Athletics programs and initiatives.
• Produce strategy and meeting reports to capture a detailed history of donor engagement effectiveness.

10% - Planning and goal setting

• Develop an understanding of the mission and goals of NAU and NAU Athletics, including knowledge of all colleges and its various units and major entities within the university.
• Work with NAU Athletics leadership, along with coaches and staff to identify prospective donors, establish strategic fundraising plans, and execute cultivation/solicitation strategies.
• Assist leadership in setting significant goals for visits, contacts, and fundraising targets; then be directly accountable for achieving the goals.

10% - Leadership and Management

• Provide supportive leadership, assign work, and monitor execution of Athletics Director of Development position.
• Partner with the Director of Development who is responsible for the management of the Skyjacks program and $1,000 to $10,000 annual donors.
• Partner with staff who are responsible for annual donors below $1,000, premium game day seating.
• Support in the management of assigned unit/college development program budget.
• Coach and mentor director of development position on best practices in donor engagement.
• Provide insights and feedback to leadership regarding donor trends and market dynamics.

5% - Communications and Marketing

• Collaborate with Athletics and Advancement | Foundation leadership to set and communicate fundraising priorities and vision for meeting NAU’s strategic goals with internal and external stakeholders.
• Work with volunteers and advisory board members to promote NAU Athletics and its strategic priorities.
• Partner with Advancement Communication team on the development of materials such as proposals, impact reports, fundraising one-pagers, thank you cards, etc.

5% - Stewardship

• Collaborate with the Donor Relations team to plan and execute a comprehensive stewardship program including, but not limited to gift agreements, acknowledgements, and annual donor stewardship.
• Provide steward to scholarship/award donors not in the current major gift portfolio.

5% - Other

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, or related field.
• 3 years of relevant experience.

A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Established record of closing major and principal-level gifts or revenue metrics that support organizational priorities
• Master’s degree or PhD in communications, marketing, or related field.
• Fundraising experience in higher education, Athletics, or non-profit setting.
• Excellent supervisor, organizational, and training skills.
• Experience in major gift fundraising principles and practices at a major university.
• Capital/comprehensive campaign experience.
• Proven ability to engage, motivate, and work with prospects, volunteers, university officials, faculty and staff or similar constituencies.
• Working knowledge of a donor database.
• Understanding of and appreciation for Northern Arizona University, its cultural and geographic specificity, and its commitment to student success.
• Proven ability to work independently; a self-starter with energy, humility, and enthusiasm.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge

• Direct experience with fundraising, volunteer management.
• Proven ability to solicit and close philanthropic gifts at the five and‑six‑figure level, or equivalent experience in a related field such as sales.
• Knowledge of completing donor gift agreements.
• Knowledge of common management practices.

Skills

• Excellent written and oral communications skills.
• Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to initiate, collaborate, implement, monitor, evaluate, advance, and report on strategic plans that support the activities of, and contribute to, NAU Advancement | Foundation’s overall strategic goals and targets.
• Excellent leadership skills with an ability to manage relationships and drive change.
• A communicator that can deliver messages effectively, with clarity and intent, especially with donors and the dean.
• Superior interpersonal skills with proven ability to successfully interact and collaborate with varied constituencies in a professional manner, exhibiting excellent communication skills, and demonstrating tact, poise and diplomacy while working with a wide variety of personalities.

Abilities

• Demonstrated team player with the ability to gain trust and confidence of colleagues and constituents.
• Experience and credibility when presenting materials to both internal and external constituents including individuals from a variety of backgrounds.
• Demonstrated commitment to excellence, honesty, transparency, and high levels of collaboration.
• Must be a detail-oriented, self-starter with a demonstrated ability to work independently and manage multiple projects and priorities to meet aggressive timelines and challenging deadlines with minimal staff support.
• Deep commitment to higher education and with the knowledge and ability to champion Northern Arizona University Athletics.
• Working knowledge of electronic mail and calendars, the Microsoft environment, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and other software such as donor databases, etc. and ability to run, analyze, and summarize computer-generated reports.
• Must be able and willing to travel frequently to attend relevant programs and events, and to meet with current and prospective donors to further cultivation and solicitation strategies (approximately 25 – 50% time).
• Ability to make travel arrangements using prudent fiscal considerations.
• Must be able and willing to work occasional evenings and weekends.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, taking initiative and actively seeking to deepen current donor relationships and forge new ones.
• Experience working with sensitive information and ability to maintain strict confidentiality.

Compensation

Salary range begins at $118,430.Annual salarycommensurate with candidate's qualifications and relatedexperience.

Pre-Employment Check

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Also, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees’ right to work in the United States.

This position has been identified as a safety/security sensitive position. Therefore, per AZ Revised Statute, Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, employment history investigation, degree verification (in some cases) and fingerprinting. If you are applying for a job that requires a CDL, you will be required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and adhere to the clearinghouse requirements.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Fire and Security Report

Each year Northern Arizona University releases an Annual Security Report. The report is a result of a federal law known as the Clery Act. The report includes Clery reportable crime statistics for the three most recent completed calendar years and discloses procedures, practices and programs NAU uses to keep students and employees safe including how to report crimes or other emergencies occurring on campus. In addition, the Fire Safety Reportis combined with the Annual Security Report for the NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus as this campushason-campus student housing. This report discloses fire safety policies and procedures related to on-campus student housing and statistics for fires that occurred in those facilities. If you would like a free paper copy of the report, please contact the NAUPD Records Department at View phone number on apply.j-vers.com or by visiting the department at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive in Flagstaff.

Immigration Support/Sponsorship

Northern Arizona University will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.