Director of Development

Job Posting Title:

Director of Development

Job Description:

Overview

The Director of Development reports directly to the Vice President of Advancement (VP-A) and is a high-growth, results-oriented role responsible for expanding KGI’s philanthropic footprint. This position is designed for a sophisticated relationship manager with a background in strategic business development, professional services, or high-value client management.

The Director will lead the strategic oversight of annual giving cycles and initiatives such as KGI Giving Days. The successful candidate will demonstrate a proactive "business development" mindset to identify new prospects and the consultative skill set required to align donor interests with KGI’s leadership in Healthcare and Biotech. Central to this role is the ability to build deep, authentic trust with faculty and staff, translating complex academic and research excellence into meaningful philanthropic opportunities.

Located in beautiful Claremont, California, KGI is a member of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five undergraduate liberal arts colleges, two graduate institutions, and The Claremont Colleges Services, which provides shared institutional support services. Each nationally recognized college has its own campus, students and faculty, and distinctive mission, and each offers top-notch curricula, small classes, distinguished professors, and personalized instruction. The Claremont Colleges consistently place at the top of national college rankings, including Forbes, Money and U.S.  News and World Report, and the Princeton Review.

Education and Experience
A bachelor’s degree is required, with experience in business development, marketing, banking/finance, or account management. Candidates should have five or more years in relationship-based sales, business development, or major gift fundraising, with a proven track record of meeting revenue targets and closing high-value contracts, multi-year agreements, or major gifts ($25,000+). Experience providing strategic oversight for multi-channel campaigns, project launches, or annual fund programs is a plus. Strong skills in managing complex client or donor pipelines, lead qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and long-term stewardship are essential.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Individuals must possess knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the essential function of the position or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions may be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

Strategic Business Development & Relationship Management

• Portfolio Growth: Proactively manage a "portfolio" of 100–120 prospects. Use a disciplined, CRM-driven approach to move prospects from initial discovery to successful solicitation.
• Prospect Outreach: Conduct 10–12 high-quality strategic meetings per month to qualify new leads and deepen existing relationships.
• Collaborative Proposal Development: Work in close, daily partnership with Faculty and Staff to understand KGI’s research, mission and clinical breakthroughs. The Director must be adept at building internal trust, ensuring that faculty feel supported and that their academic priorities are accurately represented to potential investors/donors.
• Value Proposition: Translate KGI’s complex research and educational initiatives into a compelling "impact proposition" for individual donors and private partners.

Annual Fund and Giving Day Oversight

• Campaign Strategy: Provide high-level oversight for KGI’s primary annual fund activities, specifically the Fall Campaign (November–December) and the Spring Giving Day (April).
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the primary liaison to the Marketing Office, defining the strategic "why" and target audience insights while delegating creative execution and digital deployment to the marketing team.
• Operational Alignment: Partner with the Operations Coordinator for Advancement Services to ensure high-quality data segmentation and list preparation. Oversee the process to ensure communications are sent accurately and on time, without being responsible for data entry or execution.

Institutional Representation & Internal Culture

• Faculty & Staff Integration: Actively participate in the life of the campus to build the internal "social capital" necessary to be an effective fundraiser. The ability to navigate the nuances of a university setting and build consensus with academic colleagues is critical.
• Executive Partnership: Work in direct, frequent collaboration with the Vice President for Advancement to identify funding priorities and refine KGI’s case for support.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Individuals must possess knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the essential function of the position or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions may be performed, with or without. reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

• Proactive Relationship Builder: Exceptional initiative and the persistence required for "cold" outreach and consistent, long-term follow-up.
• Academic Diplomacy: A high degree of emotional intelligence; the ability to listen to and learn from faculty experts and translate their passion into donor-centric language.
• Consultative Closing Skills: Strong ability to "ask for the investment" (the gift) and navigate complex objections with tact, patience, and professional maturity.
• Project Oversight: Ability to manage complex, time-sensitive campaigns through effective delegation and cross-departmental collaboration (Marketing/Ops).
• Mission-Driven Orientation: Ability to apply high-level professional standards within a warm, relational, and mission-focused higher education environment.
• Commitment to CRM Discipline: Expert use of data tracking (e.g., Raiser’s Edge) to manage activity and report on progress against benchmarks.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and a driving record (as maintained by the DMV) that is acceptable to the institute’s insurance carrier.
• Ability to lift 20 pounds/participate in light set-up for recruitment and on-campus events.

Physical and Mental Requirements
Ability to maintain good concentration level while dealing with interruptions; attention to details with emphasis on accuracy; capable of giving, receiving, and analyzing information, formulating work plans, and articulating goals and action plans. Sitting in a normal seated position for extended periods of time. Standing for extended periods of time. Reaching and extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction. Finger dexterity required to manipulate objects with fingers rather than the whole hand(s), or arm(s), for example, using a keyboard.

Communication skills using the spoken word. Ability to see within normal parameters. Ability to hear within normal parameters. Ability to bend and stoop, for example, to file. Ability to move about. Ability to lift and carry short distances up to 20 lbs., for example, to lift or move office supplies, or participate in setting up activities for campus events.

Ability to drive locally. Occasionally, they will be required to stand for prolonged periods of time at activities/events.

Hours, Classification, and Status: 

This is a staff, full-time, benefits-eligible, exempt position.

The regular hours of this position are Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-5:00 pm. Hours will vary due to the needs of the Institute or department.

Salary range: $95,000 - $105,000 annualized. The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training.

KGI offers a comprehensive compensation and benefit package. To learn more, visit https://services.claremont.edu/benefits-administration/ 
 

Physical and Mental Requirements

Ability to maintain good concentration level while dealing with interruptions; attention to details with emphasis on accuracy; capable of giving, receiving, and analyzing information, formulating work plans, and articulating goals and action plans.

Sitting in a normal seated position for extended periods of time. Standing for extended periods of time. Reaching and extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction. Finger dexterity required to manipulate objects with fingers rather than the whole hand(s), or arm(s), for example, using a keyboard. Communication skills using the spoken word. Ability to see within normal parameters. Ability to hear within normal parameters. Ability to bend and stoop, for example, to file. Ability to lift and carry short distances up to 20 lbs., for example to lift or move office supplies, files, books and packages.

Ability to drive locally. Occasionally, will be required to stand for prolonged periods of time at activities/events.

To Apply:

A confidential review of applications, nominations, and expressions of interest will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made. To be ensured full consideration, please upload a letter of interest, resume, and three professional references (a manager, a direct report, if applicable, and a coworker).

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy:

Keck Graduate Institute is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law. Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all terms and conditions of employment.

Employment Eligibility:
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without employer sponsorship. No visa sponsorship is available from Keck Graduate Institute.

KGI is a participating employer in E-Verify and uses the system to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees as required by federal law. For more information about E-Verify, please visit www.e-verify.gov.