Donor Relations Officer, Principal Gifts

Job Description

Reporting to the Director of Principal Gifts Operations, the Donor Relations Officer for Principal Gifts will serve on a small team charged with creating and carrying out programs to ensure Virginia Tech properly stewards its highest-level donors who have the capacity to make transformative gifts. The individual will serve as a visible frontline connection for the University’s principal gift donors to fulfill obligations to them and to ensure and reward ongoing support. Principal gifts donors are defined as having the capacity to give $5 million or more. The Donor Relations Officer for Principal Gifts will work closely with all areas of Advancement and with key academic leaders across the university to develop and execute initiatives to advance each PG donor’s meaningful connection to the university.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and experience working in fundraising or for a non-profit organization, or Master’s degree.
• Demonstrated project management experience, including managing multiple high-level projects simultaneously and carrying out projects from a self-initiated idea to a successful conclusion.
• Demonstrated experience in organizing, motivating, and working effectively with senior administrators, faculty, staff, institutional boards, volunteers, and/or donors.
• Demonstrate a broad knowledge of fund-raising concepts and the ability to think strategically about moving individuals across the spectrum of prospect development.
• Willingness to occasionally travel nationally for the purpose of donor relations or stewardship needs.
• Demonstrated excellent communication skills, specifically writing agendas, memos, and/or correspondence.
• Experience in the planning and execution of events, group dinners, and/or board meetings.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with high capacity donors in a university setting, or relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience using Blackbaud, or similar CRM database, or related systems to enter and extract data as it relates to the duties of the position.
• Preference for proven success in problem solving using an analytical aptitude with minimal supervision.
• Preference for experience in graphic design, video editing, and/or report creation.

Salary Information

Commensurate with Experience

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges , a school of medicine , a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School , and Honors College . The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers . A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Advancement HR at advhr@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.