Associate Director of Priorities and Initiatives, University

Company: Harvard University
Location: Cambridge
Posted on: April 8, 2021

Job Description:

Associate Director of Priorities and Initiatives, University Development Office Alumni Affairs and Development 53224BR Job Summary This position will be based on our campus in Cambridge, MA. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic this position will be remote until further notice.

We are seeking an Associate Director of Priorities and Initiatives on the University Development Office team within Harvard Alumni Affairs and Development.

Alumni Affairs and Development (AA&D) comprises the University Development Office (UDO), Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Development, AA&D Resources, and the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA). There is a unique relationship between the University and the FAS fundraising operations, resulting from a long history in which University fundraising ultimately grew out of College fundraising.

University Development Office (UDO)
UDO works closely with the President and Provost, and their teams, to determine
development efforts; leads fundraising for University principal gifts, initiatives and international fundraising; and coordinates cultivation and stewardship strategies for a select group of top prospects.

Reporting to the Director of Priorities and Initiatives, the Associate Director of Priorities and Initiatives is responsible for managing a portfolio of work dedicated to the advancement of Harvard's University-wide Priorities and Initiatives. This position is both external-working directly with a portfolio of donors, as well as internal- serving as a liaison and project manager to University partners in support of interfaculty initiatives, affiliates and units across Harvard.

They will qualify prospects and develop cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies for assigned donors and ensure that these strategies are proactively pursued.--This position serves as a UDO liaison with the Corporations and Foundations team in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research. The successful candidate will have curiosity about intellectual content, as well as an entrepreneurial and creative approach to complex issues. This position will be exposed to the exciting breadth of the Harvard academic enterprise and many committed university leaders, faculty members, development colleagues, and donors. This position is expected to engage with academic content across the University, especially those pursuits that span multiple disciplines and Schools, in order to best support the many entities desiring funding, and to best engage with potential donors.
-- Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Manages a small portfolio of $250k+ prospects whose philanthropy is primarily focused on university priorities, inter-faculty initiatives, affiliates, and units. Works closely with fundraisers and service teams across Harvard to develop and manage engagement, solicitation and stewardship strategies for high capacity prospective donors.--Plans, staffs and briefs senior academic administrators and faculty for prospect/donor visits and events.--In this work, this position is sometimes the driver of activity, while other times serving as an important partner and resource to a School/UDO fundraiser or to a leader in a unit/affiliate.
• Actively seek and qualify new prospects for the pipeline through referrals from prospects, list reviews, and coordination with prospect management.--Proactively work to engage and cultivate all new prospects identified, including those newly added to portfolio by research through the assignment process.
• Develop and implement prospect strategies to move prospects through the solicitation cycle, utilizing and leveraging internal prospect review amount colleagues. S/he will complete and maintain current data tracking for the portfolio in Harvard's fundraising database, Advance.
• Partner with Director of Priorities and Initiatives on interfaculty initiatives such as--HDSI (Harvard Data Science Initiative), HSCI (Harvard Stem Cell Initiative),--Safra--Center, HGHI (Harvard Global Health Initiative),--HarvardX (VPAL), and ALI (Advanced Leadership Institute), etc.
• Serves as UDO liaison and directs affiliates to resources in UDO and AA&D
• Provides fundraising support and coordinates approaches to Harvard Alumni and non-alumni prospects
• This position will opportunistically engage in front-line fundraising in collaboration with prospects interested in interfaculty initiatives
• Build strong working relationships with colleagues within Principal Gifts, International and Planned giving--Leverage opportunities to collaborate across the University to proactively maximize the size of gifts from donors.
• Actively seek to improve professional skill and knowledge and understanding of Harvard's fundraising Priorities and Initiatives by developing relationships with colleagues across campus, attending virtual events and activities and participating in training activities designed for this purpose. Basic Qualifications
  • A minimum of 6 years of development experience.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Able to work nights and weekends as needed. Additional Qualifications and Skills
    • Must be a collaborative problem solver and bring an entrepreneurial approach to designing creative donor engagement strategies.
    • Demonstrated success in fundraising, including issue-based fundraising and higher education campaigns.
    • Advanced knowledge of fundraising strategy and techniques and an ability and willingness to implement strategy.
    • Ability to take relationships with donors to a higher level and to move difficult cases forward.
    • Experience turning institutional priorities into compelling gift opportunities for donors.
    • Ability to maximize giving potential and giving inclination using all available resources.
    • Experience working with volunteers preferred.
    • Experience staffing high-level academic or other leaders in prospect meetings/trips preferred.
    • The Associate Director of--Priorities and Initiatives contributes to special projects and initiatives as assigned Experience staffing high-level academic or other leaders in prospect meetings/trips preferred.
    • The successful candidate will also possess the following competencies: judgment, strategic thinking, initiative, ability to deal with ambiguity, quality decision making, integrity and trust, interpersonal savvy, listening, negotiating, presentation skills, priority setting, strategic agility, openness to risk, persistence, creativity, and collaboration. Additional Information This position requires a 3 month orientation and review period.
      Please include a cover letter with your application.
      
      About Harvard University
      Harvard University, based in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, was established in 1636 and is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The University is home to over 20,000 students and employs 18,000 people, making us the fifth-largest employer in Massachusetts. Harvard is a special place, filled with diverse, energetic, and talented people who are driven to grow and succeed. By working here, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise.
      
      Why AA&D?
      We are a dedicated team of 400 alumni affairs and development professionals supporting Harvard's advancement activity through roles that include front-line fundraising, alumni and volunteer engagement, technology, events, communications, prospect management and research, business process, talent management and many other areas.
      
      Harvard's Alumni Affairs and Development team inspires and galvanizes alumni, friends, and members of the University community to support Harvard through philanthropy, governance, and active engagement. AA&D believes a workplace that reflects the diversity of our society and our ever-evolving University constituency makes us a stronger and more effective organization. Our goal is to create an environment of respect that values the many talents, perspectives, and experiences of our community, to deliver the strongest possible results by incorporating diverse perspectives into our daily work, and to make AA&D a great place to work for everyone. AA&D strives to live our values of respect, inclusion, trust, collaboration, innovation and sharing of information in our daily interactions and our work.
      
      To learn more about how Harvard supports diversity and inclusion throughout the University please visit the Office for Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at https://dib.harvard.edu/ .
      
      Discover AA&D and Harvard University Benefits
      • Opportunities for internal advancement
      • A creative, high- energy, collaborative environment
      • Generous Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Holiday pay
      • Medical, Dental and Vision benefits starting on your first day
      • University-funded retirement plans
      • Tuition Assistance Program
      • Transportation benefits to help with your daily commute
      • Health and wellness discounts, memberships and programs Additional benefits can be found at https://hr.harvard.edu/totalrewards .
        
        Accommodations:
        Harvard University welcomes individuals with disabilities to apply for positions and participate in its programs and activities. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please let your recruiter know.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        -- We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Keywords: Harvard University, Cambridge , Associate Director of Priorities and Initiatives, University, Executive , Cambridge, Massachusetts