Executive Director of Development and Chief Development Officer

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation (UMAF) seeks
an entrepreneurial, high energy, and results-oriented Executive
Director of Development and Chief Development Officer (CDO) to work
closely with the Manning College of Information & Computer
Sciences (CICS) to create, plan, advance and implement a wide range
of fundraising activities, strategies, programs and priorities, as
part of the University’s next comprehensive campaign and in support
of the College’s strategic plan. CICS is internationally recognized
for its research activities with one of the
highest ranked and most competitive computer science programs
 in the nation, and educates the largest number of computer
science undergraduates in New England.

The CDO will join UMAF at a time of transformation and growth as
it prepares for the public launch of Accelerate: The Campaign
for UMass Amherst, which has a working goal of $600 million.
This is a unique opportunity to leverage the fundraising potential
that exists and to follow multiple pathways towards collaborative,
interdisciplinary and thematic giving opportunities that will
significantly increase private support for the University and the
College as it drives toward its goal of creating an environment and
programs that support excellence, community, and our growing
population of faculty, students and staff, serves as a destination
for the CICS community, and enables the next big ideas in computing
and technology.

A major funding priority for the College is the capital project
underway to build a signature facility slated to open in the fall
of 2025. Serving as a collaborative hub for the future of computing
and the Commonwealth, the 90,000-square-foot sustainable facility
will connect to the existing Computer Science Building and bring
together computer science students and faculty in classrooms,
research labs, and community spaces designed to inspire creativity
and collaboration in service of the common good. In addition to
supporting enriched facilities, CICS will continue to prioritize
philanthropic opportunities for its academic and student support
programs, including financial aid, experiential learning, and
undergraduate research.

In order to advance the Dean’s objectives and the college’s
vision of
Computing for the Common Good, the CDO will establish new
philanthropic relationships and expand long-standing partnerships
with innovative leaders in the computer and information sciences
field, interacting with a diverse range of stakeholders from
Fortune 500 technology executives to young entrepreneurs on the
forefront of every industry.

Reporting to the Vice President of Development, the CDO will
assume and build out a national portfolio of individuals,
corporations, and foundations rated at the major and principal gift
levels ($50K-$1M+) with likely geographic emphasis on prospects and
donors in the Northeast, West Coast, and Pacific Northwest. In
addition to fundraising responsibilities, the CDO will partner
closely with the Dean, manage an Associate Director of Donor
Relations, create and lead an active and engaged Dean’s Development
Council, and actively pursue collaborations with colleagues across
UMAF that benefit interdisciplinary programs.

SELECT RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising (60%)

• Actively maintain a portfolio of major and principal gift
  prospects and cultivate, solicit, and steward them on behalf of the
  Manning College of Information & Computer Science.
• Craft and present proposals for major/principal gift
  solicitations and prepare other fundraising materials to be used to
  maximize philanthropy for the College’s key strategic
  priorities.
• Ensure continuous progress in moving assigned donors through
  donor cycle (e.g., qualify, engage, cultivate, solicit, and
  steward). Document all quality contacts and moves management
  strategies through the use of the prospect tracking system
  (Advance).
• Collaborate with central advancement such as planned giving,
  principal gifts, corporate and foundation relations on major gift
  proposals.

Development Leadership (30%)

• In partnership with the Vice President of Development, the
  Dean, and the college’s senior leadership, plan, implement, and
  execute the College’s campaign goals that complement the
  University’s comprehensive campaign objectives.
• In partnership with the Dean, explore the composition of the
  CICS Advisory Board, form and oversee the Dean’s Development
  Council, and continue working with volunteers to maximize
  philanthropy; continue engagement efforts working with the
  Assistant Director of Alumni Relations for the college.
• Play primary role in managing and tracking specific fundraising
  initiatives as agreed by the Dean and Vice President of Development
  in accordance with the University’s and the College’s strategic
  plan.
• Commit to growth on the topics of diversity, equity, and
  inclusion to consider how to expand inclusivity of projects,
  relationships, and activities.
• Oversee the budget for the College’s development activities;
  ensure efficient use of resources and the completion of reports
  associated with this fiduciary responsibility.

Other duties as assigned (10%)

UMAF is building and growing, and this position will support
those efforts with other duties and projects as assigned from time
to time.

SELECT QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum eight (8) years of prior experience with face-to-face
  fundraising in higher education or within a similarly complex
  nonprofit organization with proven success closing 6- and ideally
  7-figure gifts independently and in coordination with others.
• to quickly gain substantive knowledge and comprehension of the
  College’s programs and initiatives, projects, and activities to
  effectively present potential giving opportunities to prospective
  donors and make a compelling case for support.
• Affinity for and/or interest in key issues in computer science
  curricula and programs, including access, research, evolving
  technologies, co-curricular and experiential learning.
• Willing to travel up to 50% of the time, including overnight
  and occasional weekends. • Evidence of strong interpersonal skills,
  presentation skills, and writing skills, as well as demonstrated
  ability to work effectively and collaboratively with various groups
  of diverse constituencies including prospects, donors, executives,
  volunteer stakeholders, etc.
• The maturity, judgment, and respect needed to authentically
  engage with leaders of corporations and industry.

BENEFITS

UMass Amherst Foundation offers an excellent benefits package to
its staff. Benefits include competitive retirement options; health
insurance packages for medical, dental, and vision; long- and
short-term disability; annually accruing paid time off and sick
leave; a seasonal 4-day work week, and more.

To view the full job description, visit https://www.pearlstreetcollective.com/positions/cics-cdo.

To express interest in the position, please submit your
confidential resume and cover letter to  cics-cdo@pearlstreetcollective.com.

Pearl Street Collective, the search firm with purpose, has been
exclusively retained for this engagement.