Senior Major Gifts Officer

DescriptionThe Senior Major Gifts Officer will have an elevated level of responsibility for fundraising efforts which support and advance the mission of Holy Cross. As the College is in the leadership stage of a comprehensive campaign, this position will serve as a key role in securing gifts to successfully reach the campaign's goal to raise $600-700M. Working with alumni, parents, and friends in specific geographic regions, the Senior Major Gifts Officer will serve as a leader among Major Gifts colleagues and working partnership with the Gift Planning team, Holy Cross Fund team, and other internal partners to encourage annual and multi-year leadership-level support at the $100,000 to $3,000,000+ range. The Senior Major Gifts Officer will work closely with Advancement colleagues to develop and execute prospect strategies that strategically integrate gift planning, reunions, annual giving, and other college financial priorities into the development and execution of high-level fundraising strategies that enable the realization of established goals and objectives. The Senior Major Gifts Officer will report to the Director of Major Gifts.Major Areas of ResponsibilityQualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of approximately 125+ prospects, on an annual basis, holding at least 110 annual visits with prospects; the majority of visits will be in-person, which amounts to 35% of time spent on domestic travel outside of the office.through the development of thoughtful strategies and intentional prioritization of prospects, ensure a new gifts and commitments goal of at least $3million by focusing on delivering at least 20 major gift proposals each year and actively soliciting high annual fund gifts for the rest of their portfolio.inspire donors to articulate their charitable goals to maximize their support of Holy Cross in alignment with the institution's ambitions by engaging in thoughtful and strategic conversations that uncover philanthropic aspirations;be active in the discovery process as part of and in addition to managing their portfolio with a minimum of at least 30 discovery visits each year.adhere to all prospect management processes and policies around contact reports, proposals, briefing materials, documenting intentions, and writing statements of understanding to ensure cross-departmental transparency and effectiveness;serve as a partner to the Holy Cross Fund team, Gift Planning team, and Major Gifts colleagues by identifying new prospects and volunteers, and supporting the goals of elevating unrestricted and flexibly restricted support at Holy Cross;continually improve professional skills, knowledge, and understanding of Holy Cross by developing relationships with colleagues across campus, attending campus events and activities, and participating in training activities;in partnership with the Director of Major Gifts and the AVP for Individual Giving, develop and execute robust, multi-step donor-centric prospect strategies;communicate meeting strategies through written briefings and pre-visit briefing meetings or calls;strategically leverage academic leadership, faculty, and other members of the Holy Cross community leading to successful solicitation and closure of six- and seven-figure gifts;foster relationships between prospective donors and academic leadership, faculty, and other members of the Holy Cross community to deepen prospect engagement;secure anchor visits for leadership and construct meetings that effectively leverage each leader's time to advance prospect strategies; andserve as a liaison between Advancement and at least one other department or group on campus with fundraising needs;assume additional and elevated responsibilities associated with strategic initiatives and campaign priorities fundraising;maintain excellent and timely detail with donor data activity and statistics for accurate reporting needs.Minimum QualificationsA bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred for this position as is at least seven years of experience in major gifts fundraising, preferably at an educational institution, soliciting comprehensive major, principal and planned gifts;a commitment to the mission of College of the Holy Cross-to pursue excellence in teaching, learning, and research and to foster an intellectual and social community that is marked by freedom, mutual respect, and civility;a demonstrated successful track record as a major gifts fundraiser;an appreciation of Jesuit Catholic educational traditions and methodology;an understanding of and an ability to succeed at a complex academic institution;experience staffing academic leaders in their development work;an ability to uncover interests, motivations, and objectives from prospective donors, clients, and others;excellent communication skills, including an ability to write persuasively and with efficiency;experience qualifying prospects during initial visits to determine inclination and capacity to make significant gifts to aid in the identification of new donors at the major gift level;an ability to make solicitations with comfort;an ability to persuasively communicate the case for unrestricted and current use support;excellent active listening and interpersonal skills and an ability to relate to donors, volunteers, and colleagues;tact, diplomacy, discretion, patience, sound judgment, and a commitment to maintaining confidentiality inside and outside of the college;highly developed organizational skills, detail-orientation, and an ability to prioritize and balance multiple tasks in a fast-paced complex environment;a natural affinity for collaboration and serving as an influential leader, mentor,and team player, with a high level of emotional intelligence;a personal commitment to excellence as well as an ability to admit mistakes and forgive faults in others; andexperience with Microsoft Office, Advance, or similar fundraising software.Core CompetenciesCollaboration: Exchanging information, ideas, and thoughts with others in a manner that is proactive and enhances partnershipsInclusion: Actively engaging with the values of the College by promoting a work environment that embraces diversity and demonstrating respect for the opinions and beliefs of othersInnovation: Performing one's job with creativity and proactivity, improving procedures and problem-solvingMission/Service Orientation: Focusing on service to others and contributing to the College's collective missionResponsibility: Taking ownership of one's actions and accountability for one's tasks and dutiesDisclaimerThe description above represents the most significant duties of this position but does not exclude other occasional work assignments not mentioned, the inclusion of which would be in conformity with the factor degrees assigned.Additional information:This is a full time, exempt level position with a salary range of $120,000-$133,000. The College is committed to providing competitive market pay for its employees. The College also offers a competitive benefits package for full-time staff, including:10% College contribution to the 403(b) Retirement Plan (1 year wait waiver available)This position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement - upon hire, candidates will need to live within commuting distanceCondensed summer 4-day work weekTuition & Education benefitsWellness programs & ongoing Training and Development opportunitiesGenerous paid time offThe College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and complies with all Federal and Massachusetts laws concerning Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action in the workplace.To review our Employee Benefit Options, please go to: https://www.holycross.edu/human-resources/benefitsAPPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:Please attach a cover letter addressing the position requirements along with your resume.In your cover letter please address how your work might support the College's mission as a Jesuit, undergraduate liberal arts college (see http://www.holycross.edu/mission) and its core commitment to justice and inclusive excellence. Please provide examples of any past work that illuminate your commitments in these areas.Review of applications will begin as received and continue until the position has been filled.The College also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities during the hiring process in compliance with law. To request an accommodation, please email at [email protected], or call 508-793-3391