Senior Director of Development, CEHD

Department: Col of Ed and Human Development

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The mission of the College of Education and Human Development, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, is to raise private philanthropic funds in support of students, faculty, departments, programs, and centers within the College. We also explicitly support the efforts of the advancement offices of other colleges and the University as a whole. This is accomplished by building relationships with alumni, friends, parents, and students, and by soliciting donations, major gifts, planned gifts, and corporate and foundation support. Alumni relations are cultivated and maintained through outreach efforts.

The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations division is a comprehensive development and alumni relations enterprise with a staff complement of approximately 125 FTE. Functional units within Advancement include development/fundraising, alumni relations, stewardship and donor relations, advancement communications, special events, gift processing, research, prospect management, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, information systems and management, and infrastructure services.

Advancement's mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with George Mason University's alumni and constituents, while matching their philanthropic interests with the University's aspirations and priorities. The division is committed to serving the needs of the university, our alumni, and the greater community by providing access to quality education and lifelong learning. Respect, service, integrity, collaboration, diversity, transparency, and creativity are the values that guide our work and culture.

About the Position:

The Senior Director of Development, CEHD is the lead fundraising officer for the College and a member of the leadership team for the School. The position’s primary responsibilities include working closely with the Dean, area chairs, volunteer/advisory boards, faculty, and senior staff members to develop fundraising priorities and strategies. The position also partners with Central Advancement, advancement colleagues, and college colleagues to advance philanthropic giving to key priorities through ongoing annual fundraising, alumni engagement, corporate and foundation relations, and major, principle, and planned giving.

Under a dual reporting relationship to the Dean of the College and Central Advancement, the Senior Director of Development will manage development activity for the School by undertaking the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects with the potential of making major gifts, those of at least $25,000, and principal gifts, those of $1 million or more to the priorities of the school.

The Senior Director will oversee the college's capital campaign activities and ensure the alignment of the college's capital campaign with any future comprehensive campaign on the part of the University. This position is heavily focused on networking and building relationships and committed to the tracking of measures and metrics to build a pipeline of donors to support the aspirations of the Dean, faculty, and students of the School and the University as a whole.

Responsibilities:

Maintain Personal Portfolio and Supports Comprehensive Fundraising Program

• Carries and maintains a portfolio of 50 to 60 prospects that are being moved through the donor engagement process culminating in Major or Principal gifts (as defined by George Mason’s Advancement team);
• Actively engages each prospect in their portfolio to ensure prospect movement and portfolio penetration annually;
• Minimum of 50% portfolio penetration working toward 75% portfolio penetration;
• Submits 2-4 “Asks” per month for a total of a minimum of 24 per year;
• Meets or exceeds all metrics and expectations set by Central Advancement;
• Supports successful execution of a comprehensive fundraising program that appropriately partners with and leverages resources from the Central Advancement team to accomplish objectives;
• Develops strategies and implementation of major and principal gifts for the school, in concert with Central Advancement and Alumni Relations;
• As appropriate, is personally responsible for the direct solicitation of gifts and for preparing the Dean, members of school advisory boards, members of the school’s Advancement team, faculty, staff, and other members of the school and/or university to make solicitations;
• Coordinates the efforts of those who can assist in fundraising; tracks contacts, asks, and funds raised; drafts proposals and pledge agreements for potential donors; and proposes and coordinates appropriate cultivation and stewardship activities;
• Travels independently, as necessary for donor outreach and cultivation;
• Works with offices across campus to coordinate related activities that further the university’s mission and achieve fundraising goals;
• Finds new and creative ways to engage donors that will enrich the donor experience and add value to the academic life of the university;
• Works with staff to engage all alumni to advance the percentage of active involvement and increase alumni donations;
• Engages a wide range of colleagues, alumni, donors, prior faculty and staff, and individuals who might be able to help in pursuing/winning major gifts;
• Seeks the assistance of a wide range of people in identifying prospects who might make major gifts in the future;
• Assists in overseeing the school’s portfolio of donors and potential donors, both individually and through management of the team to maximize unit revenue from philanthropic giving;
• Communicates and executes the Advancement and Alumni Relations agenda with the school’s volunteer boards and alumni affinity groups;
• Assists with planning and implementation of school efforts to raise individual, corporate, and foundation funds;
• Conducts discovery visits with prospective donors as identified by Central Advancement research and will also hand-off or disqualify individuals from their portfolio based on an unwillingness to connect, lack of affinity, or philanthropic interest in another aspect of Mason;
• Works with staff to engage all alumni to advance the percentage of active involvement and increase alumni donations; and meets or exceeds fundraising goals;
• Regularly updates supervisors as to any fundraising and relationship-building activities taking place in the school;
• Strategizes about which major gifts would have the greatest value to and impact on the school and prioritizes said gifts. Works with donors to try to interest them in gifts that have the greatest value to and impact on the school. Understands that certain gifts will transform the school more than others, and takes responsibility for pursuing and capturing more valuable gifts;
• Although this position does not have responsibility for cultivating and acquiring gifts of under $5,000, the position helps proactively and in any way possible the team members; and
• Ability to travel independently and work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends.

Collaboration with Central Advancement and Schools/Colleges/Units

• Coordinates fundraising with other departments and utilizes services as appropriate;
• Ensures consistent and adequate communication between school/unit and Central Advancement; and
• Works closely with Central Advancement services including, but not limited to, Planned Giving, Annual Giving, Parents and Family Philanthropy, University Priorities, Alumni Relations, Communications, Systems, Operations, Donor Relations, Gifts and Records, etc. 

Supervision of Staff

• Responsible for setting goals for performance and deadlines in ways that comply with the university’s plans and vision, and communicates them to subordinates;
• Organizes workflow and ensures employees understand their duties or delegated tasks;
• Monitors employee productivity and provides constructive feedback and coaching;
• Receives complaints and resolves problems;
• Maintains timekeeping and personnel records;
• Passes on information from upper management to employees and vice versa;
• Prepares and submits performance evaluations;
• Decides on rewards and promotions based on performance;
• Hires and trains new employees; and
• Ensures adherence to legal and university policies and procedures, and undertakes disciplinary actions if the need arises.

Other Duties as Assigned within the Scope of the Role.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Extensive successful professional advancement and/or fundraising-related experience (generally 10 or more years), or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience;
• An extensive record of successful major gift solicitations and experience designing and executing donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies;
• Significant experience with successful collaboration with teams or stakeholders;
• Considerable supervisory experience (generally two or more years);
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously and meeting continuous deadlines;
• Experience documenting appropriate information in a donor management database system;
• Experience interacting with a wide variety of constituents, such as donors, prospects, trustees, and faculty and staff;
• Excellent research skills;
• Demonstrated written and oral communication skills;
• Possess the ability to solicit and engage major donor prospects;
• Demonstrated skill in CRM fundraising software; and
• Possess understanding and the ability to articulate the accomplishments and goals of a complex organization.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Extensive experience (generally 10 or more years) in major gifts fundraising, preferably in higher education;
• Skill in Salesforce; and
• Skill in MicroStrategy, or similar reporting platform.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Senior Director of Development, CEHD at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, one of which must be a current supervisor, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.

Posting Open Date:  September 10, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  September 24, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes