Director of Leadership Gifts

Job description

​Cornell University welcomes candidates for the position of Director of Leadership Gifts in our Alumni Affairs and Development division, based in Ithaca, NY. This role presents an exceptional opportunity to contribute to the university's advancement efforts. The Director of Leadership Gifts provides strategic leadership and day-to-day management for Cornell’s Leadership Gift Officer team within Annual and Leadership Giving (ALG). This role is responsible for driving Annual Fund growth through donor retention, upgrading, and pipeline development, while coaching and developing frontline fundraisers to achieve ambitious fundraising goals. As a member of the ALG leadership team, the Director partners collaboratively across Alumni Affairs and Development to advance university priorities and strengthen donor engagement. Key Responsibilities: Lead, coach, and develop a team of Leadership Gift Officers to achieve fundraising and donor engagement goals. Establish team and individual performance metrics focused on Annual Fund growth, retention, and donor pipeline development. Oversee portfolio management and ensure strong data integrity and prospect strategy execution. Personally manage a sm...