Senior Director of Development, Planned Giving

Special Information:

• To be considered, please submit complete applications which include: an NAU application; a cover letter outlining your interest in the position and how past/current experiences match the job requirements; a resume; along with contact information for five (5) professional references. 
• This position, based in Phoenix, Arizona, reports to the Associate Vice President, Central Advancement 
• This position requires extensive travel, with evening and weekend work included to fulfill all necessary obligations. 

Job Description:

Position Overview

Northern Arizona University’s (“NAU”) Office of Advancement | Foundation (“A|F”) builds the institution’s excellence by raising awareness, engaging and strengthening meaningful relationships, and partnering with NAU’s alumni, parents, families, and friends who have the passion and commitment to make an impact at NAU through their estate giving. This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced, energetic, and knowledgeable professional to serve as the lead planned giving strategist and a key visionary at one of Arizona’s best public universities.

Job Description

The Senior Director of Development, Planned Giving, reports directly to the Associate Vice President (“AVP”) of Central Advancement and is located at NAU’s North Valley Campus in Phoenix, Arizona. This leadership position is responsible for joining, sustaining, and leading in a cohesive A|F team that emphasizes inclusive excellence. The successful candidate will provide innovative resource development that enables NAU to remove barriers for students, enhance exceptional learning experiences and equitable environments at the university’s numerous campuses throughout Arizona, and conduct work and research that addresses meaningful issues that impact people’s lives around the world.

The Office of Planned Giving works collaboratively with all NAU colleges, schools, programs, and other areas to secure alumni and friends’ planned gift commitments including bequests, gifts of retirement assets and/or life insurance through a beneficiary designation, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable lead trusts.  A portfolio of donors and prospective donors is managed. This leadership position also acts as a liaison among NAU’s A|F colleagues, university leadership, as well as other members of the campus community and donors/prospective donors. Additionally, this exciting position ensures that NAU is laser-focused on engaging, as well as building meaningful and strategic life-long relationships with alumni, parents, families, and friends who have the dedication and capacity to make a meaningful impact on the university’s future through their passion, engagement, philanthropy, and legacy.

The Planned Giving team is currently comprised of an Assistant Director of Development as well as a student worker; all team members are available to assist A|F staff in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding NAU’s planned giving prospects and donors. Planned Giving is also charged with partnering directly with (prospective) donors and their professional advisors to create plans that allow the donor to achieve their philanthropic, financial, and estate planning objectives, while also supporting NAU’s and A|F’s respective mission, vision, and values, through exceptional service to both internal and external constituents. NAU is in the silent phase of a comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Minimum qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in relevant field  AND
• 5-7 years of experience developing and managing meaningful planned giving relationships with a portfolio of individuals who can be high-level (prospective) planned gift donors AND
• 3-5 years of management experience OR
• A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Requirements

Application deadline:

October 21, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. 

Annual Salary:

Commensurate with experience.

**The starting salary will be determined by the qualifications of the selected applicant balanced with departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.         

Please see nau.jobs for full job descriptions and details on how to apply online!  NAU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.