Executive Director of Development, Climate School

Position Summary

The Executive Director of Development is responsible for raising endowment, capital, and current use support for the Climate School and providing management oversight of development staff. This position will identify, develop, and solicit prospects at the major and principal gifts levels, building a robust prospect pool for the Climate School consisting of individuals, foundations, and corporations interested in the issues that the Climate School addresses. They will cultivate and close major individual, foundation, and corporate gifts from new and existing prospects to support strategic initiatives and other identified priorities. Incumbent will also provide day-to-day oversight of the annual fund, major gifts, development events, and donor communications and stewardship. The Executive Director is a key member of the Climate School development team and will represent the Associate Dean for Advancement in their absence.

Responsibilities

• Directs a major gifts pipeline building program by identifying individual, corporate, and foundation prospects; by overseeing the annual, special gift, and foundation and corporate relations efforts; by personally cultivating and soliciting prospects, and stewarding new and existing donors.
• Responsibilities include face-to-face visits, organizing and executing visits for Earth Institute leadership and key volunteers, and planning and executing high-level programming, including using research and data analytics for pipeline building.
• Uses data-driven insights to develop fundraising strategies and measure success.
• Stays current with research at the Climate School by liaising with the scientific staff, working with scientists on private foundation proposals and corporate pitches, and preparing them for prospect meetings as needed.
• Ensures profiling of scientists and research in CCS communications that support development and major gift efforts.
• Assists in the management of other Development Office functions, including overseeing strategy for annual fund, special gifts, events, grants management, and publications.
• Works with the Associate Dean for Advancement and the Climate School leadership, and the Development Office staff to set fundraising campaign goals, leverage the Advisory Board for major gift contacts, and implement successful strategies for meeting goals in a timely manner.
• Tracks activity using Columbia development systems.
• Represents the Associate Dean in his/her absence, including management of staff.
• Manage other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of eight years of related work experience required. Knowledge of professional data-driven fund-raising principles and practices, self-motivation, collegiality, and a high level of professionalism are required.
• Must have management, strategic planning, and budgetary experience.
• Able to deal effectively with a wide range of people in all types of occasionally difficult situations. Must be highly organized, detail-oriented, and efficient.
• Must have a track record of closing significant major gifts (with an emphasis on 7-figure gifts and above) as part of a capital campaign.
• Strong and tenacious work ethic and be collaborative and results-oriented, and be able to listen carefully.
• Ability and willingness to travel.
• Demonstrated ability to forge strong working relationships with internal and external constituencies and to bring new supporters to the Columbia Climate School is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree desirable.
• Experience and interest in issues embodied by the Climate School’s mission are a plus.
• Demonstrated success in annual or capital giving or applicable ability.
• Prior experience/involvement with national or international NGOs is a plus.
• Previous supervisory or management experience preferred.

Other Requirements

• Must have demonstrated success in achieving frontline fundraising goals and managing high-level donor relationships.
• Possess a proven ability to present complex information in a clear and compelling manner is essential.
• The capacity to clearly comprehend and communicate the Climate School’s mission and ongoing initiatives is required.
• Computer proficiency (Word, Excel) required. Some evenings and travel are necessary. Excellent writing and communication skills, tact, sensitivity, and mature judgment are required.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment. Demonstrated excellence in a variety of competencies, including project management, teamwork, self-directed, analytical thinking, and client/customer awareness.
• Must possess the ability to work with changing priorities and multiple projects.
• Ability to effectively partner with Climate School staff, unit directors, scientists, and scholars within and between units on the way to enhance CCS funding strategies. Must be able to negotiate issues, resolve problems, and have strong influencing skills.
• The successful candidate must be a strategic thinker, politically savvy, ensure the utmost discretion in all matters, as well as possess an ability to work well with all levels of management, both internally and externally, be flexible in nature, have sound judgment with a collaborative style that fosters teamwork and cooperation beyond the immediate team to the broader organization.
• Must have a passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality.
• The incumbent must have effective writing and presentation skills and be a persuasive advocate for the Climate School priorities.
• The ideal candidate for this position will be a self-starter, team-oriented, collaborative, able to work independently, highly organized, a strong writer, and experienced in fundraising.