"Director of Development"

Director of Development

Company:
Palo Alto University

Job Location:
Palo Alto, California

Category:
Development and Fundraising

Type:
Full-Time

Palo Alto University (PAU) is a private, nonprofit university located in the heart of Silicon Valley with a singular focus on mental and behavioral health education. For five decades, PAU has been dedicated to addressing pressing and emerging challenges affecting individuals, organizations, and communities, preparing practitioners and scholars to meet the evolving needs of contemporary society. With an enrollment of approximately 1,200 graduate students and a small cohort of undergraduate students, the University offers a comprehensive portfolio of bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional programs delivered through innovative online, hybrid, and residential modalities.

PAU is distinguished by faculty who are nationally and internationally recognized for their contributions to research, teaching, and clinical practice. Through rigorous academic preparation, applied research, and extensive hands-on clinical training, PAU equips students with the knowledge, skills, and professional judgment required for meaningful impact in the behavioral health fields. Together, these elements define PAU’s mission-driven approach to education and its legacy of preparing confident, competent, and compassionate professionals who make a difference in the communities they serve.

Title: Director of Development

Reports to: Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & University Relations

Location: Palo Alto, CA (Residential- 3 days a week on campus; additional days as needed)

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Salary Range: $145-165K

Target Start Date: As soon as possible

The Director of Development is a strategic and visionary fundraising leader responsible for elevating PAU’s national and regional philanthropic presence in behavioral health and higher education, and a key member of the Strategic Partnerships & University Relations team. This leader will:

• Lead, develop, and scale an integrated philanthropic strategy to support PAU’s institutional priorities with a strong emphasis on operational excellence, data-informed decision-making, and system integration.
• Drive philanthropic engagement to diversify revenue beyond tuition
• Build and steward meaningful relationships with individual, foundation, and corporate partners
• Strengthen and integrate operational infrastructure, data systems, and analytics to support scalable, sustainable growth

Core Competencies

• Strategic fundraising and planning
• Donor relationship management and stewardship
• Operational excellence and systems thinking
• Predictive analytics, data management, and data visualization
• Technology and CRM optimization (HubSpot experience a plus)
• Data-informed decision-making
• Clear communication and storytelling
• Collaboration and cross-functional leadership
• Mission alignment and customer service orientation

Position Overview

The Director of Development provides strategic and operational leadership for Palo Alto University’s fundraising and donor engagement efforts. Building on an existing foundation of development activities, this role focuses on strengthening systems, processes, data practices, and relationships to support sustainable philanthropic growth aligned with the University’s mission and strategic priorities.

Operating within a lean structure, the Director balances hands-on execution with strategic planning while advancing operational excellence through integrated technology, analytics, and streamlined workflows. The role plays a central part in modernizing development operations, improving data quality and reporting, and enhancing donor experience over time.

The Director of Development reports to the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & University Relations and works in close partnership with the President, Alumni Relations, Brand, Communications & Engagement, Financial Aid, and the Finance Office to ensure seamless integration across systems, data, and donor-facing processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic & Operational Leadership
  • Balance strategic vision with hands-on execution to shape the direction of the development program, advance philanthropic initiatives, integrate development activities across the university, and align all efforts with institutional mission and goals.
  • Build scalable fundraising systems and practices that strengthen Development’s impact now and support future expansion.
  • Advance operational excellence by strengthening data integrity, reporting, cross-system integration, and documentation.
  • Equip the PAU community with fundraising strategies, talking points, and opportunities to act as ambassadors.
  • Foster a culture of philanthropy across the University through engagement and alignment with institutional goals.
• Donor Relations & Stewardship
  • Build and maintain meaningful relationships with donors across all giving levels.
  • Design and implement donor-centered stewardship strategies to enhance retention and lifetime giving.
  • Plan and manage donor appreciation events, such as breakfasts, luncheons, and recognition gatherings, to strengthen engagement and highlight impact.
  • Develop and execute a donor communications plan, including newsletters, updates, and impact reporting, to keep donors informed, engaged, and connected to PAU’s mission.
  • Leverage donor insights and engagement history to personalize communications, acknowledgments, and impact reporting.
• Data Management, Tracking & Reporting
  • Participate in the University’s migration to a new data management system, playing a key role in defining functionality, integration, and reporting needs for Development.
  • Manage CRM operations including donor records, gift processing, engagement tracking, and data hygiene.
  • Ensure integration across advancement-related systems to support accurate reporting and donor experience.
  • Track fundraising activity, monitor campaign progress, and generate performance dashboards.
  • Establish metrics and analytics frameworks to measure success, forecast performance, and inform continuous improvement.
• Major Gifts
  • Cultivate and steward relationships with individual donors capable of transformational giving.
  • Develop personalized engagement and solicitation strategies that reflect donor motivations and PAU priorities.
  • Collaborate closely with Alumni Relations to coordinate engagement and opportunities from alumni for major gift cultivation.
  • Track and analyze major gift opportunities to inform pipeline management and long-term strategy.
• Annual Giving & Engagement
  • Plan and manage annual giving initiatives, including digital, email, and mail campaigns.
  • Use historical data and donor insights to refine messaging, timing, and segmentation.
  • Leverage recurring giving programs and donor engagement strategies to maximize retention and lifetime value.
  • Collaborate with the Advancement team to enhance outreach and storytelling that inspires current and potential donors.
  • Track pledges, gifts, and IRS-required reporting for compliance and transparency.
• Prospect Research & Data Analysis
  • Conduct prospect research and wealth screening to identify, qualify, and prioritize fundraising opportunities.
  • Apply predictive analytics and data modeling to support prospect strategy, segmentation, and portfolio development.
  • Provide actionable insights that inform campaign planning and strategic decision-making.
• Corporate & Foundation Relations
  • Develop and manage relationships with corporate and foundation partners.
  • Identify and track grant, sponsorship, and corporate funding opportunities aligned with PAU’s institutional goals and Development priorities.
  • Support proposal development, reporting, and stewardship activities to strengthen and sustain funder relationships.
  • Maintain awareness of foundation and other grant activity managed by the Grants Office as it relates to Development priorities, and coordinate as appropriate on timelines and institutional requirements.
• Planned Giving
  • Oversee planned giving initiatives, identifying potential legacy donors and integrating strategies into broader fundraising efforts.
  • Develop recognition and stewardship practices for planned giving contributors.
• Additional Responsibilities
  • Perform other duties as needed to advance PAU’s philanthropic priorities, including new initiatives, special projects, or emerging opportunities within Development.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising or development, preferably in higher education or mission-driven organizations.
• Strong technical proficiency, including Google Workspace and customer relationship management (CRM) systems; experience with HubSpot is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience across multiple fundraising areas, including major gifts, annual giving, and donor stewardship.
• Experience strengthening or modernizing development systems, processes, or infrastructure.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively across diverse stakeholders.
• Comfort operating in a lean environment with evolving systems and priorities.
• Commitment to PAU’s mission in behavioral health, psychology, and educational equity.

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