"Director of Development for Special Projects"

Job Summary

The Director of Development for Special Projects is a front-line fundraising professional responsible for developing and executing strategies to secure philanthropic support for select campaign priorities, multi-disciplinary projects, and non-college-specific initiatives across San José State University. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Development and partnering closely with the Associate Vice President for University Advancement Strategy and Campaigns, the Director will provide strategic direction and vision for key fundraising priorities, developing prospect pipelines and crafting compelling cases for support for a variety of fundraising projects and programs.

The incumbent will also focus on engaging emerging high-level donors (e.g. corporate executives, private equity, technology leaders) with complex philanthropic interests that align with presidential and university-wide priorities. Responsibilities include but are not limited to identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding individuals capable of making major, principal and transformative gifts to the University. In support of these efforts, the Director maintains and strengthens close working relationships with key academic leaders, campus administrators, various stakeholders and University Advancement colleagues to build consensus around complex funding opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of key prospects and individuals whose capacity and interests align with university-wide strategic initiatives and campaign priorities
• Coordinate with Prospect Research to proactively build and qualify a robust prospect pipeline
• Recommend prospect reassignment to president or University Advancement senior leaders based on qualification results
• Develop and execute complex strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward major gift prospects/donors, including joint solicitations on multi-unit projects
• Present and regularly review top prospect strategies with immediate supervisor and other key team members as appropriate
• Work collaboratively with university administrators, academic leadership and other stakeholders to gain counsel and offer expertise on donor-centric cultivation and solicitation strategy
• Work collaboratively with peers across all development units (Major Gifts, Annual Giving, Planned Giving, Corporate & Foundation Relations) and serve as a key horizontal partner on multi-unit projects
• Work with volunteer leadership of university boards, councils and committees to maximize cultivation and solicitation efforts
• Focus on securing funding for designated priorities including but not limited to academic programs, endowed chairs and professorships, scholarships, unrestricted support, facility renovations, new facilities and other specified priorities
• Collaborate with donor relations colleagues with stewardship efforts to promote a culture of gratitude among internal and external constituents
• Partnering with University Advancement leadership, lead the development of comprehensive, persuasive written cases for support and proposals for complex, multi-unit funding opportunities, gathering data and buy-in from various campus stakeholders
• Effectively utilize campus data management systems and enter prospect/donor contact reports and their relevant data in a timely fashion
• Participate in staff, functional and strategy meetings including prospect review sessions, and attend conferences, seminars and other development training as feasible and appropriate

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to identify donors and close gifts of six and seven figures
• Ability to navigate the complexity of a large, dynamic university and establish consensus among varied stakeholders to make the appropriate match for donor interests
• Skilled in networking, high-level prospect discovery and opening doors among new donor segments, coupled with the ability to design and implement sophisticated, donor-centric cultivation and solicitation strategies
• Superior ability to successfully manage multiple, large-scale projects with evolving priorities on tight deadlines and under pressure in a dynamic, politically complex and open environment
• Deep appreciation and understanding of the academic enterprise and the ability to articulate institutional values internally and externally
• Exceptional skill in defining problems, gathering and synthesizing complex data, establishing facts and drawing valid conclusions
• Exceptional verbal communication and persuasive writing skills
• Unquestionable integrity and commitment to professional ethics and the ability to responsibly handle sensitive and confidential information with the highest level of discretion
• High level of initiative, attention to detail, and organization skills
• Ability to work as part of a collaborative team
• Proficient in Google Suite and Microsoft Office Suite, and ability to utilize fundraising database programs and learn new tech platforms for project management
• Demonstrated spirit of extreme flexibility, resilience, and adaptability
• Ability to communicate with constituents in a professional and respectful manner

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum of three to five years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising
• Demonstrated experience developing and leading complex solicitation strategies resulting in closing major gifts
• Evidence of superior written communication skills; ability to articulate and draft persuasive proposals

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree
• Demonstrated experience in identifying, qualifying, and building strategies for new prospects, particularly those with capacity for seven-figure gifts or higher
• Demonstrated fundraising experience within a comprehensive campaign setting at a research or public institution of higher education, specifically managing non-college or cross-disciplinary campaign priorities
• Experience serving as a strategic partner to campus administrators and academic leaders

Compensation

Classification: Administrator II
Anticipated Hiring Range: $10,000/month
CSU Salary Range: $5,053/month - $16,221/month

The final hiring salary will be commensurate with experience.

San José State University offers employees a comprehensive benefits package typically worth 30-35% of your base salary. For more information on programs available, please see the Employee Benefits Summary.

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• Resume
• Letter of Interest

All applicants must apply within the specified application period: November 10, 2025 through November 24, 2025. This position is open until filled; however, applications received after screening has begun will be considered at the discretion of the university.