Job Description:

• â‹â‹Strategy, Vision, and School Leadership 30%

• Advises and partners with the Director on the Laboratory Schoolsâ™ short- and long-range planning, goals, and strategies in fundraising (including annual giving, event-based giving, scholarship granting organizations, planned giving, and capital campaign giving) and community engagement. Plans, develops, and executes a comprehensive fundraising strategy to maximize philanthropic support from alumni, parents, staff, and others.

• Works with Labâ™s Finance team to set appropriate goals for philanthropic revenue in the Schoolsâ™ annual operating budgets, and maintains team goals in all fundraising categories. Develops plans for attaining goals in annual giving, planned giving, and other fundraising, and monitors progress and performance. 

• Leads quarterly meetings of the Lab Boardâ™s Alumni & Family Relations and Development Committee in collaboration with board member committee chair. Conducts orientations about alumni relations and development for new Board members, and regularly presents to the Board.

• Takes a lead role in capital campaign planning, including designing and implementing an inclusive process to identify giving opportunities and priorities, partnering with consultants on feasibility studies, overseeing the writing of a case for support, providing strategic guidance for goal-setting, and launching the campaign itself.

• Provides effective support to the Director of Schools and serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, taking an active role in advancing the Schoolsâ™ mission, values, and strategic priorities. 

• Collaborates with the University of Chicagoâ™s Alumni Relations and Development office on goal-setting, fundraising progress, proposal development, and cultivation and solicitation of prospects.

• Builds a sound understanding of Labâ™s mission, values, and programs, and effectively communicates excitement about ongoing work and upcoming opportunities to donors, prospects, parents, alumni, and all community members.

• Direct Fundraising, Community Building, and Ambassadorship 20%

• Identifies, researches, cultivates, and solicits a personal portfolio of current and prospective donors. Executes strategy and manages a portfolio of prospects who have the capacity to make six- and seven-figure gifts. Travels as necessary to maintain and further donor relations.

• Supports and furthers the Director of Schoolsâ™ cultivation and solicitation of her portfolio of current and prospective donors. Plans, tracks, and supports the Director of Schoolsâ™ outreach to her portfolio, including visits, events, correspondence, and travel.

• Serves as guide and liaison to Labâ™s Parent Development Committee, and as main administrative point person to the Parents Association.

• Stewards and supports members of Labâ™s Board. Tracks and facilitates appropriate stewardship of Board members by the Director of Schools. Partners with the Secretary of the University and other partners to track Board member terms and Board committee memberships, and oversees the process of identifying, researching, and soliciting new Board prospects.

• Serves as a key development officer for a unit with high responsibility for setting the strategy for the identification, cultivation and solicitation of a portfolio of the highest level of individual major and principal gift prospects.

• Supervision, Mentorship, and Team Leadership 50%

• Uses a collaborative process and empirical evidence to set ambitious but attainable fundraising goals for the Lab ARD team. Ensures accurate tracking of progress towards goals, and maintains a ready knowledge of quantitative progress in programs and annual fund, major gifts, planned giving, and endowment support.

• Assigns prospects to team members, ensures appropriate moves management, and oversees research and cultivation of new prospects. Supports team members in developing their professional skillsets in working with donors. 

• Ensures robust stewardship for ongoing philanthropic commitments by appropriate team members and partners.

• Ensures that endowed and other designated funds are used in accordance with gift agreements. Oversees and ensures accurate tracking and reporting of fund utilization and robust communication to donors about uses of funds.

• Prepares and monitors the ARD annual operating budget. Manages expenses against approved budgets and takes necessary actions to ensure a balanced budget.

• Supervises, sets direction, and supports the goals of each member of the ARD team. Ensures that each individual clearly understands his/her responsibilities and objectives. Provides regular performance feedback, including annual performance appraisals, for the purpose of supporting the professional growth and talents of each team member. Creates and nurtures a culture and environment that encourages inclusiveness and teamwork.

• Oversees the planning and implementation of events that promote the connection of individuals and families to Lab, including annual fundraising events.

• Supports alumni relations team in designing and implementing programs that bring groups of University of Chicago Laboratory Schools alumni together on the basis of shared interest, vocation, profession, or generation. Develops effective strategies for interacting with and supporting alumni. Supports programs and initiatives that connect alumni with todayâ™s Lab students.

• Ensures support, recognition, and guidance by the ARD staff for parent volunteers.

• Ensures that graduating seniors are welcomed into the alumni community and introduced to the benefits of philanthropic giving.

• Supports direct reports in reaching their full potential by means of positive working relations informed by thoughtful goal setting, personalized feedback, ample communication, and performance appraisals. Fosters excellence in direct reportsâ™ work through professional development opportunities, leadership coaching and training, mentorship, and support.

• Exemplifies and supports a robust commitment among direct reports and teams to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Understands the importance of diversity in hiring to advance the schoolsâ™ mission. Across departments and teams, ensures ample opportunity and appropriate incentives for personal and professional growth in understanding implicit biases, the role of privilege in communities and cultures, and ensuring equitable systems, policies, and procedures.

• Promotes a culture of customer service, excellence, and continuous improvement among direct reports and their departments. Demonstrates and encourages a commitment to lifelong learning and growth.

• Develops prospects through visits, events, correspondence, and regular calls. Maintains relationships with donors, various volunteer committees, and top administrators. Solicits gifts and negotiates gift discussions.

• Manages managers and professional staff. Establishes performance goals, allocates resources and assesses policies for direct subordinates.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Graduate or professional degree, especially in business, marketing, management, school leadership, or other relevant field.

Experience: 

• Minimum of eight years in progressively responsible leadership positions in institutional development, including experience with alumni/community relations and event planning. 

• Successful track record soliciting and closing major gifts.

• Experience working in a primary or secondary independent school setting strongly preferred.

• Experience navigating administration and bureaucracy of a university or other complex organization.

• Experience overseeing direct reports with a variety of responsibilities and proven track record of effective and productive supervision, management, and mentorship.

• Proven track record of long-range strategic planning as well as daily/routine management of programs and operations, preferably in an educational setting.

• Experience in long-range planning in philanthropic growth.

• Experience in determining and implementing budget goals.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong leadership, listening, and interpersonal skills; ability to listen for nuance and communicate clearly; communication skills to inspire and motivate.

• Ability to think strategically, to develop and follow through on long-range plans.

• Demonstrated, ongoing commitment to learning and growth in skills, issues, and competencies relevant to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

• Skill at building and sustaining excellent relationships at multiple levels with varied constituencies.

• Proven ability to manage, support, and mentor direct reports and work collegially and productively with peers.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.

• Strong organizational and analytical skills.

• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations and information with absolute discretion.

• Ability to successfully participate personally in high-level gift strategizing and solicitation.

• Ability to simultaneously plan, organize, and manage a wide range of complex activities.

• Ability to work under deadline pressure and respond positively and promptly to deadlines and requests imposed by others.

• Ability to resolve conflict, build consensus, work collegially and collaboratively, and foster a healthy team culture.

• Ability and willingness to travel locally, nationally, and globally for work.

• Ability and willingness to attend weekend and evening events.

• Facility with personal computers and database applications. Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.

• An exceptional work ethic and track record of personal initiative and integrity.

Working Conditions  

• Standard office environment.    

• Ability to sit for up to 2 hours.

• Ability to use computers extensively, i.e., for 4 consecutive hours or more.

• Ability to climb stairs up to 2 stories.

• Ability to stand for up to 2 hours.

• Ability to use standard office equipment.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)

• Cover letter (required)

• Professional References (required)

 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via the Applicant Inquiry Form.

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