Director of Development, Brown University Sports Foundation

Job Description:

The Director of Development for the Brown University Sports Foundation (Annual Fund & Operations) is responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of a comprehensive annual fund program as well as overseeing the entirety of the operations, including programming, marketing and communications, on behalf of the BUSF to assure the program’s continuing role as an Ivy League leader in Athletics fundraising. 

The Director of Development will oversee the $5M+ BUSF annual fund program including planning, pipeline development, marketing, messaging, hyper-giving days, and the overall strategy and execution for the program. This BUSF annual fund program is critical to the success of the overall $50M+ Brown Annual Fund on an annual basis and the Director provides crucial leadership and support, both directly and through the management of BUSF annual fund staff, to the Division of Advancement as a partner, collaborator and key stakeholder in the overall annual process to support the necessary outcome for the Division.

The Director will also be individually responsible for raising $1 million or more annually as plan manager and/or primary solicitor. The Director’s individual portfolio will include active, major gift prospects with a rated capacity of $100,000 or more. The candidate must have the ability to work with a diverse range of constituents including donors, trustees, and volunteers, and demonstrate a capacity to exceed major fundraising goals in close collaboration with the Executive/Senior Director as well Advancement leadership and all prospect managers across the Division of Advancement. The Director will also maintain oversight of 4 varsity and/or premiere club programs (this number may be adjusted depending upon size/complexity of sports) which Brown is seeking to support through annual, endowment and capital support. Through this work, the Director is charged with increasing the number of leadership and major gift donors across these programs by developing and implementing strategies that will maximize donor engagement and philanthropy.

Through direct management, the Director will provide strategic oversight for at least three subordinates with the following responsibilities: 1. marketing, communications, and fundraising for Brown’s $5M+ annual use fundraising program; 2. operations specific to budget, data compilation, reporting & stewardship; 3. leadership support of all annual fundraising for all athletics priorities; 4. All BUSF engagement programs and events including related strategy, planning, budget and execution. The Director will be responsible for connecting these direct reports to Brown’s overall fundraising missions and values and with that charge, will lead and mentor these BUSF staff members to help foster deep collaborations across the Division of Advancement while ensuring a close working relationship between programs and fundraising teams. The Director will measure success not only through the total dollars raised on an annual basis, but also through the activities and programming successes that are necessary to achieve the overall fundraising goals. The Director will engage as a thought partner for the staff they lead and set an example as a manager of collaboration, teamwork, collegiality, empathy, professionalism and accountability. 

The Director is responsible for leading strategic development of events and marketing specific to Athletics for the broader Brown community on behalf of Advancement. They are tasked with developing focused high-level activities, broad-based engagement opportunities, and strategic marketing and communications that support annual, major, and principal gift work as well as broad alumni engagement. Related, the Director provides content from Athletics that supports prospect awareness, advances cultivation, and improves BUSF stewardship efforts. Expectations include close collaboration with, among others, the Associate Vice President for Advancement Communications and the Senior Director for Communications and Marketing, to plan and implement all Athletics campaign messaging related to capital projects, endowment campaigns and the annual fund. The Director will have oversight of the broad-based communication strategy for the Brown Athletics community as it relates to Advancement. 

The Director provides oversight for all BUSF administration of budget and business practices to create the highest level of efficiency and financial responsibility possible within the organization. The Director will be tasked with focusing on accuracy, accountability and efficiency within all budget and business practices to maximize the efficacy of the BUSF annually.

Brown University is committed to advancing diversity, inclusion and equity. Candidates from historically underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply. Brown University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required. 

• Minimum of 6 years of experience in a related field such as fundraising, higher education, nonprofit, development, sales, customer relations, volunteer management, and/or marketing.

• Minimum ​2 years management experience required.

Required Qualifications

• Proven ability to solicit and close philanthropic gifts on the $100,000+ level in higher education.

• Superior interpersonal skills with proven ability to successfully interact and collaborate with varied constituencies in a professional manner, exhibiting excellent written and oral communication skills, team building skills, and demonstrating tact, poise, and diplomacy while working with a wide variety of personalities. Ability and comfort in meeting and interacting with individuals of considerable social status and affluence is required.

• Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to initiate, collaborate, implement, monitor, evaluate, and advance strategic plans that support the activities of the program and contribute to the overall goals and objectives of Advancement and the fundraising enterprise.

• Programmatic strategy development and management experience 

• Computer proficiency and knowledge of CRM systems.

• Working knowledge of email and calendars, the Windows environment, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other software such as Adobe Acrobat, donor databases, etc. 

• Must be able and willing to work occasional evenings and weekends.

• Must be able and willing to travel throughout the United States to attend relevant programs and events.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Development fundraising experience 

• Familiarity with Brown University 

Job Competencies

• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), including experience/ability to identify and emphasize diverse perspectives in programming, communications, and strategy.

• Demonstrated excellent written and oral communications skills; Strong interpersonal, communications, management, and motivational skills; must be a self-starter, and have the work ethic and desire to be entrepreneurial and must be able to work independently. 

• Ability to apply good judgment and proven responsible decision-making skills; tact and discretion are required to deal with highly confidential alumni, parent, student, family, donor, and prospect information.

• Ability to inspire, mentor, motivate team performance and promote accountability. Provide appropriate training, support, and feedback to all fundraising professionals, including early, mid-career, and senior-level gift officers. Proven effectiveness at recruiting, hiring, and retaining high-performance fundraising staff. 

• Decisiveness, trustworthiness, discretion, and creativity are daily requirements of this position.

• Creativity, flexibility, and superior problem-solving skills are desired.

Applicants are asked to submit a cover letter and resume with their application. All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Recruiting Start Date:

2024-02-01

Job Posting Title:

Director of Development, Brown University Sports Foundation

Department:

Advancement

Grade:

Grade 12

Worker Type:

Employee

Worker Sub-Type:

Regular

Time Type:

Full time

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

37.5

Position Work Location:

Hybrid Eligible

Submission Guidelines:

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any staff position at Brown University you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

Still Have Questions?

If you have any questions you may contact [email protected] .

EEO Statement:

Brown University is an E-Verify Employer.

As an EEO/AA employer , Brown University provides equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation based upon a person’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law, and caste, which is protected by our University policies.