Description
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Chief Development Officer/Vice President of Development (“CDO”) of the Montana State University Alumni Foundation (“Alumni Foundation”) provides strategic leadership and direction for the Alumni Foundation’s development enterprise across colleges, units, and constituent groups. The CDO leads a high-performing team while managing a personal portfolio focused on principle-level major gifts. The CDO partners closely with Montana State University (“MSU”) leadership to set fundraising strategies and goals, drive comprehensive campaign planning and execution, and cultivate a culture of collaboration, transparency, and results. The CDO is a member of the Alumni Foundation’s Leadership Team and reports directly to the President and CEO (“President”) of the Alumni Foundation.
The CDO role is an onsite position in Bozeman, MT.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Strategic Leadership & Campaigns
Serve as chief architect and executive leader for comprehensive campaigns and priority initiatives, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and clear performance benchmarks.
Provide regular briefings to the Alumni Foundation and MSU leadership on fundraising performance, pipeline health, and strategic direction; serve as staff lead or co-lead for key campaign and development strategy bodies.
Represent the Alumni Foundation at community and university-sponsored events.
Foster strong crossdepartment collaboration with Alumni Engagement, Strategic Communications, Advancement Services, and other operational teams to strengthen alignment, break down silos, and advance shared organizational goals.
2. Team Leadership & Management
Lead a strong, experienced development team, setting vision, establishing goals, modeling a positive collaborative culture and supporting thoughtful and well-coordinated execution across major and leadership gift activity.
Set goals and benchmarks in partnership with Alumni Foundation and MSU leaders; oversee performance measures, reporting, and personnel actions; provide professional development and lead recruitment, training, and retention efforts.
Champion a collaborative, transparent, and highly coordinated fundraising culture across colleges, units, and central teams.
3. Portfolio Leadership & Donor Strategy
Maintain and actively manage a portfolio of principle-level gift prospects; guide cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
Model frontline excellence by closing significant philanthropic commitments in support of top institutional priorities.
Travel as necessary to cultivate and solicit major gifts.
4. Governance, Policy, & Operations
Lead the execution of major gift programs and campaigns with appropriate plans, resources, and accountability.
Develop and refine policies and procedures governing major gift work; ensure strict adherence to donor confidentiality and donor intent.
Manage unit budgets and staffing plans; establish annual operating plans aligned with the Alumni Foundation’s strategic plan.
Represent the development team on key Alumni Foundation Board of Governor committees as assigned to advance enterprise-wide goals.
5. Perform additional duties assigned by the Alumni Foundation’s President & CEO, recognizing that responsibilities may evolve to meet organizational needs.
KEY WORK PARTNERS:
The CDO works closely with the Alumni Foundation’s President & CEO, Leadership Team, MSU’s President, Provost, deans, and other academic leaders. The role collaborates with executives in all departments to ensure a coordinated, engaged, and high-performing organization.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS:
1. Set, meet, and exceed fiscal-year, campaign, team, and personal fundraising goals.
2. Provide clear fundraising leadership; deliver plans that achieve targets and advance institutional priorities.
3. Attract, develop, retain, and inspire a high-performing team; foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
4. Affect and maintain a professional, proactive, positive, highly collaborative, and performance-centric work environment.
Requirements
Experience Required: Minimum 10+ years’ professional fundraising experience with progressive responsibilities, campaign management, a proven track record in securing major gift commitments, and demonstrated ability to organize, motivate, and manage a team of skilled professionals.
Experience Preferred: Comprehensive campaign experience, preferably in a higher education setting. Dynamic team leadership.
SPECIAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Willingness to take initiative, assume responsibility, and motivate others by example.
2. Highly adept at facilitating collaboration among multidisciplinary teams.
3. Adept at operating transparently and flexibly in highly complex and evolving environments.
4. Comprehensive campaign experience, preferably in a higher education setting.
5. Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to articulate complex charitable giving options to a diverse group of constituents.
6. A high level of confidence and comfort in making presentations before diverse group of constituents.
7. High standard of professional ethics.
8. Strict adherence to donor confidentiality and donor intent.
9. Valid driver’s license.
Apply online at www.msuaf.org/careers
