Sr. Associate Director, Major Gifts - San Francisco

Job ID: 54111

Department: Alumni Relations & Development
Salary/Grade: EXS/12

Please note: The target budgeted salary for this position is $125,000 - $135,000 annually. Offers will be based on candidate experience and education, as well as equity within Northwestern University.

Job Summary:

This position reports to the Executive Director of the West Coast Regional Office and is located in San Francisco. The Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts is responsible for managing a significant major gift donor portfolio consisting of alumni, friends, and parents in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Senior Associate Director will manage processes and prospects by building a balanced portfolio through qualifying visits, cultivating prospects, making solicitations that align with prospects’ interests and financial capacity, securing commitments, and stewarding current donors. This position collaborates with colleagues across Alumni Relations and Development in Evanston and Chicago as well as with deans, faculty, program directors, and other University leaders to prepare them for prospect meetings and form a plan of solicitation of donors that includes coordinating with other development staff to align prospect passion, financial capacity, giving vehicle and/or identify stewardship opportunities for major donors. Travel is required to Evanston three times a year.

This role includes structured professional development through Plus Delta’s Discipline of Frontline Fundraising program, which provides high quality training to strengthen fundamental skills in donor cultivation, solicitation, portfolio management, and strategic relationship building. Additional ARD resources further connect Northwestern policies and processes with the best practices introduced in Plus Delta’s curriculum.

This hybrid position requires three days per week in the office and offers two remote workdays.

This position is located in San Francisco.

 

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Gathers data, assesses leads, and develops strategies designed to realize the current and lifetime giving potential of individual prospects.
• Maintains consistent and appropriate contact.
• Facilitates or makes solicitations.
• Closes major gifts for the University ($100K+).
• Ensures effective stewardship.

 

Collaboration

• Involves high level of collaboration with both internal department and broader University partners to identify common goals and develop and execute strategies to increase integration.
• Key partnerships and work involved includes:
  • Schools and Programs
  • Gift planning
  • Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA)
  • Northwestern University Leadership Circle (NULC)
  • Professional schools (Kellogg, Pritzker Law, and Feinberg)

 

Prospects & Gifts

• Builds a portfolio through discovery and qualification of approximately 40+ prospects annually in the region they are assigned to.
• Identifies, researches, cultivates and personally solicits major gifts of $100K to $5M.
• Requires travel throughout the region and 3-4 annual trips to Evanston.
• Partners with other areas of development, specifically Annual and Planned Giving to coordinate contacts.
• Researches and develops prospects including up-to-date knowledge on assigned groups and works with other areas of development to coordinate contacts.

 

Volunteers

• Interact with volunteers on the West Coast; attend meetings and utilize volunteer help as needed.

 

Events

• Act as a strategic partner for the donor engagement team to support and advance long-term event strategy aligned with regional fundraising goals
• Serve as a liaison between the donor engagement and major gift teams to enhance event processes aligned with prospect identification, donor cultivation, and stewardship.

 

Administration

• Writes correspondence and proposals to prospective donors.
• Prepares contact reports on meetings and interactions with alumni.
• Updates and maintains prospect management information in the donor database.
• Tracks and manages the prospective donor pool to develop reports and monitor program results.

 

Miscellaneous 

• Performs other duties as assigned.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS  (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 6 years development, marketing, sales or the equivalent experience is required.

 

MINIMUM COMPETENCIES (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Team Collaboration – Leads, develops, and motivates teams to achieve goals and foster a culture of collaboration.
• Strategic and Analytical Thinking – Uses data, donor insights, and critical thinking to drive decisions and identify opportunities.
• Organizational Perspective – Aligns fundraising strategies with institutional priorities and long-term objectives.
• Complex Problem Solving – Addresses challenges with sound judgment, creativity, and effective solutions.
• Adaptability and Resilience – Thrives in fast-paced environments and demonstrates persistence through changing priorities and long cultivation cycles.
• Major Gift Strategy and Portfolio Management – Manages prospect portfolios through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Relationship Building – Partners effectively with stakeholders and builds trusted relationships with donors and colleagues.
• Prospect Development and Pipeline Growth – Identifies, qualifies, and develops new prospects to strengthen the donor pipeline.

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS  (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• Frontline Fundraising Experience – Demonstrated success in higher education, healthcare, or other complex nonprofit fundraising environments.
• Familiarity with CRM systems used in advancement operations (e.g., Salesforce, Advance, or similar donor databases).

 

PREFERRED COMPETENCIES (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Prospect Discovery and Pipeline Expansion - Demonstrates the ability to identify and cultivate new prospects through strategic outreach, research insights, and relationship development.
• Donor Strategy Development - Experience crafting individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies tailored to donor interests and giving potential.

 

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://hr.northwestern.edu/benefits/ to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://hr.northwestern.edu/well-being/ to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://hr.northwestern.edu/talent-development/ to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.

 

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