Senior Director of Development Strategy

Who We Are:

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution, we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and superior student service. We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

What We Offer:

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Benefits.

What You Will Do:

The Senior Director of Development Strategy will be a key leader in the Advancement department of National Louis University (NLU), and will align efforts to ensure the integrity and cultivation of relationships with NLU alumni, donors, prospects, faculty, staff and students. Reporting to the VP, Institutional Advancement, this newly-created position will oversee a strategy and operations center within the department, and will centralize and manage core advancement supporting functions related to: donor cultivation and stewardship; gift management and reporting; prospect development; and department operations, including data integrity, policies and procedures, and cross-departmental trainings. The Senior Director is the direct supervisor of the Director of Advancement Operations, who, in turn, supervises the Institutional Advancement Coordinator. The Senior Director will play an integral role in driving the Advancement department's progress, particularly in individual giving, by activating data on donors and prospects, balancing portfolios for frontline fundraisers and key leaders, and ensuring the development, execution and tracking of quality contacts with constituents. In partnership with other Advancement Directors, the Senior Director will lead from the nexus of operations and fundraising to help develop new Advancement campaigns, align and streamline resources and processes across advancement functions, and ensure that Advancement objectives are met. The position also supports stewardship efforts, including those for donor-funded scholarships for students. The Senior Director will serve as a proxy for the VP, Institutional Advancement, as needed, and will help advance a culture of philanthropy across NLU by serving as an internal and external ambassador, communicator, trainer and leader.

Lead the strategy and operations center of the Advancement department. Balance resources within the department, and maximize efficiencies in systems, materials, procedures and activities. Ensure cross-department alignment in increasing donor cultivation, stewardship and engagement. Supervise the Director of Advancement Operations and provide guidance, coaching and mentoring, as needed.
• Partner with other Directors (particularly frontline fundraisers and key relationship managers in individual giving and alumni relations) to balance donor and prospect portfolios, coordinate prospect research, assign relationship managers, and ensure robust pipelines. Translate data on individuals into actionable strategies (moves management). Ensure that contacts with individuals are of quality and substance, and that these contacts are recorded, tracked and leveraged in Salesforce. Work with Advancement Operations colleagues to explore, recommend and implement new opportunities for data analysis that inform and increase individual giving and engagement opportunities.
• Serve as the lead stewardship manager for donor-funded scholarships, partnering with frontline fundraisers and relationship managers to coordinate communications. Work with donors to draft scholarship agreements in accordance with their wishes and within University guidelines. Work with University colleagues to ensure that scholarships are awarded appropriately based on donor agreements, and that donors are acknowledged appropriately. Partner with Marketing colleagues to design scholarship donor recognition materials.
• Oversee stewardship strategies and activities for Advancement audiences, including donor acknowledgements, stewardship events, and print/electronic/text communications. Leverage data to enhance segmentation and personalization of stewardship activities, and to reveal donors with whom NLU should meaningfully engage.
• Provides assistance on Advancement team projects as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Organizational Development, Non-Profit Management or other related field.
• 7-10 years of professional experience in development/fundraising, preferably in frontline individual giving, major gifts, pipeline development and/or moves management. Experience in strategy, operations and/or administration, preferably within a higher education or non-profit setting.
• Experience working in a service-oriented role with both internal and external constituents, and collaborating with staff in a team-oriented department.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and good judgment; ability to work independently and confidently with senior leadership and colleagues at NLU.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills. Ability to synthesize complex ideas and systems, and to connect with a wide variety of constituents, including staff, faculty, volunteers and alumni.
• Superior project management skills.
• Fluency with Microsoft Office, and with database and software platforms. Experience with Salesforce preferred. Ability to become proficient in new software platforms quickly.
• Results Oriented: Achieves results within established timelines. Understands and demonstrates that intentions, activities and results are not the same. Expects that obstacles will occur and refuses to use them as an excuse for not achieving results.
• Technical Skills: Possesses the technical skills and knowledge required to perform essential tasks in an efficient and effective manner. Demonstrates the willingness and ability to train or coach others in the technical arena.
• Flexibility: Adjusts quickly and effectively to changing conditions and demands. Discusses change as a necessary and inevitable aspect of organizational life as well as an opportunity to learn new things. Has a similar view and approach to potentially stressful situations. Invests personal energy toward accepting and adapting to change that others use toward resisting or resenting it.
• External Awareness: Keeps informed about market conditions, competitive information and political factors that may impact the goals and interests of the organization. Uses good judgment about when to share external information as well as who should be informed. Stays up-to-date on trends and projections and sees what is on the horizon. Is seldom surprised by political or market factors that affect the organization.

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.