Executive Director of Philanthropy

Description

The Poole College of Management at NC State University seeks an accomplished and collaborative advancement leader to serve as its Executive Director of Philanthropy. This senior leadership position provides strategic direction and oversight for the College’s comprehensive fundraising program while maintaining an active role in cultivating and securing significant philanthropic support.

Reporting to the Dean of the Poole College of Management, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Development, the Executive Director will lead a team of five philanthropy professionals and collaborate closely with University Advancement, faculty and College leadership, alumni, corporate and foundation partners, volunteers, and other key stakeholders. The Executive Director will develop and execute strategies to expand philanthropic support for the College’s priorities, strengthen the donor pipeline, and increase major, leadership-level, and transformational giving.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead the College’s comprehensive fundraising strategy, including annual planning, goal setting, campaign initiatives, pipeline development, and donor engagement.
• Maintain an active portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and personally participate in the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors.
• Partner with the Dean, University Advancement, faculty, and College leadership to develop compelling philanthropic opportunities aligned with institutional priorities.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of five philanthropy professionals, establishing clear expectations and fostering a collaborative, accountable, and donor-centered culture.
• Build strategies to identify and advance prospects capable of making leadership-level, seven-figure, and transformational investments.
• Engage the Poole College Advisory Board, alumni, corporate partners, foundations, and other volunteer leaders in support of the College’s philanthropic priorities.
• Serve as a visible ambassador for Poole College and build strong relationships across the university and with external stakeholders.
• Provide leadership for the continued growth and evolution of the philanthropy program by encouraging innovation, evaluating opportunities, and aligning resources with strategic priorities.
• Monitor fundraising performance and ensure effective prospect management, reporting, budgeting, compliance, and operational practices.
• Collaborate across University Advancement to maximize philanthropic opportunities and strengthen long-term donor engagement.

The successful candidate will be a strategic and results-oriented leader who combines strong people leadership with demonstrated fundraising expertise. They will be comfortable setting direction for a sophisticated development operation while remaining personally engaged with donors and prospects, and will bring the judgment, relationship-building skills, and collaborative approach necessary to advance the philanthropic potential of the Poole College of Management.

Core Responsibilities

Leading People: The Executive Director will lead and develop a high-performing philanthropy team by fostering a collaborative, accountable and donor-centered culture. This role will provide mentorship, establish clear expectations and support the professional growth and success of staff.

Leading Change: The Executive Director will help guide the continued growth and evolution of the organization by fostering innovation, encouraging collaboration, and embracing new opportunities and ideas. This leader will be adaptable in a dynamic environment, thoughtfully aligning priorities, resources, and initiatives with the long-term goals of the organization. Working closely with internal and external partners, the Executive Director will help cultivate a shared vision that strengthens the organization’s impact, advances strategic objectives, and positions it for sustained success

Results Driven: The Executive Director will be an inspiring and visible leader who will engage the collective talents and energies of the development team in collaboration with the AVC for University Development and University Advancement to develop areas of highest potential including donor pipeline building, campaign planning and implementation. They will make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, and solving problems. They will hold self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, results. They will be committed to continuous improvement.

Transformational Giving: In partnership with the Dean, University Advancement leadership, the Leadership gifts team and the Principal Gifts team, the Executive Director will help identify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospects capable of making seven-figure and transformational investments in the College. This role will build strategies to grow the pipeline for leadership and principal gifts, align donor interests with college priorities, and collaborate across the university to maximize philanthropic opportunities and long-term donor engagement.

About the College & NC State

North Carolina State University was founded in 1887 with the purpose of creating economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina. Today, NC State is the largest university in North Carolina, with more than 40,500 high-performing students, more than 10,000 preeminent faculty and staff and more than 310,000 dedicated alumni. NC State is a Research One (R1) university known for its leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We’re also at the forefront of teaching and discovery in agriculture, business, design, education, humanities and social sciences, natural resources, textiles and veterinary medicine. NC State is consistently named as one of the best values in higher education, and many of our programs are ranked at the top of their respective disciplines. We take a great deal of pride in our collaborative, supportive and collegial team culture. All staff are provided opportunities for training and professional development, with an eye to personalized career growth.

The Poole College of Management actively engages with industry, alumni, and academic partners to create an innovative and collaborative environment that advances learning, scholarship, service, and real-world impact. We’re deeply rooted in NC State’s history as a university that excels at science, technology, engineering, and math. Our college’s varied student body — over 4,800 students — hails from across North Carolina, the United States, and the world. Our faculty are thought leaders and field-tested experts with enduring ties to the world of business.

Poole College of Management has six academic departments: Accounting: Economics; Finance; Information, Technology, Operations, and Analytics; Marketing; and Management, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. We offer bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business administration, economics; master’s degrees in accounting, business administration (MBA), economics, management (including specialized degrees); as well as a doctoral degree in economics. Among our non-degree programs, we offer Executive Education and graduate certificates. The college houses six initiatives fostering research, learning, and corporate engagement: Business Analytics Initiative, Business Sustainability Collaborative, Enterprise Risk Management Initiative, Entrepreneurship Clinic, Financial Literacy Initiative, and Supply Chain Resource Cooperative. The college is fully accredited by the AACSB.

To learn more about our College, visit:

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree plus alternative or equivalent professional training and experience is required.
• At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in major gift fundraising and advancement leadership is required.
• Experience developing and successful implementation of comprehensive fund-raising strategies, including campaigns.
• Experience managing institutional advancement staff.
• Experience managing volunteer boards.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Proven leadership skills that nurture an accountable, goal-oriented and values-based team environment.
• Robust knowledge of institutional fundraising in a large, complex organization.
• Demonstrated success in personally cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major and principal gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations with a sound knowledge of principles, practices and ethics of charitable giving.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills; along with outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to serve as a critical and trusted leader and partner displaying evidence of high integrity, honesty and trustworthiness.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategic plans, implement programs and manage and implement change.
• Deep commitment to a collaborative and collegial team approach.
• Strong track record of working effectively with volunteers, faculty and administrators, engaging them in the life of the institution and assisting them in improving their effectiveness in all aspects of fundraising.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise a high degree of sound judgement and diplomacy, and a commitment to confidentiality are essential.
• Experience managing and motivating advancement professionals.

Preferred Experience, Skills, Qualifications and Credentials

• A master’s degree is preferred along with at least eight years in fundraising at a research university or research institute.
• Previous campaign experience is preferable along with a strong knowledge of all aspects of corporate/foundation, individual and planned giving.
• An understanding of the land grant, research Tier One university environment.
• Familiarity with NC State University.
• Management and oversight experience of a foundation or 501©3 nonprofit.

Note About Hybrid Work: NC State University supports flexible hybrid work arrangements where operationally appropriate. Schedules are based on the responsibilities of the position and business needs and are determined in partnership with the hiring manager.