Senior Development Manager

Permanent, full-time position

Guelph, ON

Are you a relationship-driven professional with experience in fundraising, donor engagement, or advancement? Do you thrive on building authentic connections and aligning philanthropic passions with meaningful institutional priorities?

The University of Guelph is seeking a Senior Development Manager for the College of Biological Sciences to play a key role in advancing the college’s top priorities through major gift fundraising. Reporting to the Director, Major Gift Advancement, this role is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts of $100,000 or greater from alumni, corporations, and friends of the university.

As the university prepares to launch its first fundraising campaign since 2014, this position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to ambitious philanthropic goals that will elevate the university’s global profile and deepen its culture of philanthropy. You will manage a personal portfolio of 60–80 prospects, engage in 10–15 donor meetings per month, and work closely with senior leaders, faculty, and advancement colleagues to prepare cases for support, proposals, and donor briefings.

The ideal candidate brings five or more years of fundraising experience, preferably within higher education or the nonprofit sector, with a proven record of securing major and planned gifts, combined with strong relationship-building skills, sound judgment, and the ability to inspire donor confidence. Experience with capital campaigns and a CFRE designation will be considered assets.

This is a unique chance to join a collaborative team within Alumni Affairs & Development and contribute directly to advancing the University of Guelph’s mission. Your work will help connect donors with opportunities that improve life, strengthen the CBS community, and support the university’s bold philanthropic vision.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors and prospects through the fundraising cycle.
• Maintaining a robust pipeline of 60-80 donors/prospects and undertaking 10-15 meetings per month with donors/prospects.
• Preparing briefing materials to support the participation of senior administration in fundraising activity.
• Collaborating with the Director, the Dean, and other internal partners to advance donor relationships as well as to identify university priorities that will resonate with donors, including scholarships, faculty/program support, and capital projects.
• Creating and presenting materials to advance fundraising asks for generic cases for support and customized proposals.
• Negotiating the closure of major and planned gifts, including the creation of gift agreements and other supporting documentation

Requirements

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

• Undergraduate degree, with preference given to demonstrated commitment to professional development, graduate degree, relevant diploma, or equivalent combination of education/experience.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ fundraising experience, with a proven track record of success in securing major and planned gifts, or equivalent experience in a related field.
• The ability to think and act quickly and effectively under pressure, exercising tact, diplomacy, discretion, and good judgment.
• A proven ability to interact effectively with senior executives in the corporate community.
• Management of large and complex fundraising projects, especially capital campaigns.
• Superior written and interpersonal communications skills, including effective relationship building and experience in managing senior volunteers. Proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite and donor databases and/or CRM systems.
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation is an asset.

The university provides flexible work arrangements. This position is required to be fulfilled both remotely and on-campus (Guelph Campus)

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 Senior Development Manager, please go to our website at https://careers.uoguelph.ca/. Please include a cover letter along with your resume in your application.

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.