Associate Director Development

Associate Director Development Permanent, full-time position Guelph, ON Are you an experienced fundraising leader passionate about supporting student success and creating

vibrant campus communities? Do you excel at building meaningful donor relationships, inspiring

philanthropy, and leading teams toward ambitious goals?

The University of Guelph is seeking an Associate Director, Development (Student and Campus

Experience) to advance philanthropic support for initiatives that directly impact student well-being,

academic achievement, and campus life. As part of the Major Gift Advancement team within Alumni

Affairs & Development (AA&D), you will play a key role in the University’s upcoming fundraising

campaign, connecting donor passions with initiatives that enrich the student experience and foster a

supportive, engaged campus community.

In this senior role, you will partner closely with university leaders, including the Provost and Vice-

President (Academic) and the Vice-Provost (Student Affairs), to identify, cultivate, and steward major

and principal gift donors. You will also guide a team of fundraising professionals, manage a robust

pipeline, and contribute to building a strong planned giving program in collaboration with AA&D

colleagues.

With a proven track record in securing significant gifts and experience leading people and projects in

complex environments, you will bring the vision, diplomacy, and drive needed to elevate student-

focused fundraising. Your leadership will directly support the University of Guelph’s goal of sustaining

$30M annually in major gifts and achieving long-term campaign success.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a collaborative advancement team, work with engaged

institutional leaders and volunteers, and make a tangible difference in the lives of students. If you are

motivated by impact, inspired by collaboration, and eager to help shape the future of student life at

Guelph, we invite you to apply.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors committed to initiatives that directly

contribute to student well-being, academic success, and campus community development.

• Advancing institutional goals by connecting donor interests with impactful initiatives benefiting

students, ultimately contributing to a vibrant and supportive campus community.

• Building a planned giving pipeline in partnership with AA&D’s Planned Gift team.

• Working closely with the Major Gift Stewardship Engagement Manager to carry out the

stewardship of donors. This includes taking personal leadership for supporting staff in the

student wellness portfolio in the implementation of gifts in accordance with donor-approved

gift agreements.

• Developing and implementing a long-term fundraising strategy for Student and Campus

Experience initiatives aligned with the overall University of Guelph multi-year and annual

strategic fundraising plans, and working with other members of the team to implement the

various projects and initiatives reflected in the strategic plan.

This role is integral to the Major Gift team’s goal of a sustained fundraising effort of $30M annually.

Requirements The university recognizes that no one individual will have the following skills/experience in equal measure, but the qualifications below will be used to assess the suitability of candidates throughout the process

• 6-9 years of experience in university or other public sector fundraising experience, with a proven track record of success securing principal and major gifts from a variety of stakeholders.

• Completion of an undergraduate degree; CFRE is preferred but not mandatory.
• Experience leading and managing team members, volunteers, and working with senior staff.
• Ability to engage in senior leadership in a variety of sectors at a strategic level.
• Superior strategic planning, people management and administrative skills to lead an

advancement team, ensuring fundraisers and other team members have both individual and group success.

• Superior interpersonal communication skills, including effective relationship building and experience working with individuals in senior or high-profile positions.

• Leadership and motivation skills, with proven ability to lead groups towards completion of long- term goals in dynamic environments.

• Experience with all aspects of the advancement environment, from alumni engagement, high- volume annual giving approaches to personal principal and major giving, to planned and legacy giving.

• Ability to think and act quickly and effectively under pressure, exercising tact, diplomacy, discretion, and good judgment.

• Experience with public relations, communications, and alumni relations programs.
• Successful experience managing personnel with diverse job requirements, both unionized and

professional.
• Experience managing the personnel and resource requirements of competing projects and

transitions between projects.
• Experience implementing complex processes and overlapping cycles of activity.

The University of Guelph (www.uoguelph.ca) is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive comprehensive institutions, with a record of outstanding scholarship in the arts, humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical and engineering sciences, agriculture, and veterinary sciences. This is your chance to join us in our endeavor to improve life. To view a detailed posting for the role of Associate Director Development, please go to our website at https://careers.uoguelph.ca/. At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

https://www.uoguelph.ca/ https://careers.uoguelph.ca/ https://www.uoguelph.ca/diversity-human-rights/sites/uoguelph.ca.dhr/files/public/Inclusion%20Framework%20Endorsed%20April%202017.pdf