Senior Managing Director, University Initiatives, University Development

University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.
Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.
The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Posted Job Title
Senior Managing Director, University Initiatives, University Development
Job Profile Title
Executive Director B, Development, Fundraising
Job Description Summary
Penn's Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) is one of the premier development and alumni relations organizations in higher education today. Development and Alumni Relations staff include over 600 individuals based in school, center, and central development areas.
By articulating the University's objectives to Penn's global network of alumni, parents, and friends, Penn DAR staff create and maintain a mutually engaged relationship between Penn and its supporters. Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) plays a critical role in advancing the University's core priorities and DAR works collaboratively with the president, provost and all schools and centers to secure the funds to support academic and administrative priorities through a donor-centered approach.
The University's Office of Development and Alumni Relations is helmed by Vice President James J. (Jim) Husson and its centralized infrastructure consists of four centralized structural columns of responsibility - University Development, University Capital Giving, Strategic Planning and Services, and Alumni Relations.
Position Overview:
Reporting to the Senior Associate Vice President of University Development, the Senior Managing Director of University Initiatives (SMD) will lead an integrated team of fundraising units focused on broadly engaging and building a culture of philanthropy amongst the Penn community, discovering new prospects and donors for unrestricted support and core priorities across the university, and generating both long-term and current use funding with a focus on undergraduate financial aid and annual giving.
As the first incumbent in a newly developed role, the Senior Managing Director will elevate the work of a portfolio of synergistic units, including Undergraduate Financial Aid, the Penn Fund and School and Center Annual Giving, to achieve even greater engagement and fundraising results with meaningful budgetary impact for the university.
Specific units managed include:
The PENN Fund
Since 1927, gifts to The Penn Fund has made a profound and immediate impact on all aspects of student life and learning at the University, by helping to provide grant-based financial aid packages to undergraduates, support enhancements to academic programs and campus technology, and foster community through student clubs and organizations.
The Penn Fund consists of three major program areas to which team members are assigned, including Class Giving and Reunion Programs, Young Alumni and Student Philanthropy, and Marketing and Donor Participation. There are 24 positions on The Penn Fund team.
School & Center Annual Giving
School and Center Annual Giving (SACAG) provides annual fund consultation and services to school and center annual funds at the University of Pennsylvania. SACAG oversees two University-wide annual giving initiatives - the Benjamin Franklin Society (BFS) and the on-campus student calling program. In addition, it provides best practices for multi-channel marketing and creative communications, collaborates with Central colleagues as well as Penn's decentralized school- and center-based units on special initiative projects and provides interim support and new staff orientation for annual fund programs. There are six positions on the SACAG team.
Undergraduate Financial Aid and Penn First Plus Development
Initiated in 2008, Penn's no-loan policy enables all dependent undergraduate students eligible for financial aid to receive loan-free aid packages, regardless of family income level. The Undergraduate Financial Aid and Penn First Plus team (UGFA) is pointed at supporting Penn's commitment to increasing access for undergraduate students with financial need. UGFA, along with Central and school-based frontline partners, helps raise money for named undergraduate endowed scholarships and manages stewardship of named endowed scholarships. They also oversee Penn's comprehensive scholarship challenge fund program designed to leverage growth in undergraduate endowed scholarships. In addition, they manage fundraising and stewardship for Penn First Plus - a university program dedicated to supporting students who represent the first generation in their families to attend college and/or are from a modest income background to ensure that they can not only afford to attend the University, but also fully experience all that a Penn education has to offer. There are five positions on the UGFA team.
In leading the work of this dedicated, ambitious team of teams, the SMD will drive vision, planning and implementation around ways to:
• Innovate in our broad-based marketing/annual fund campaigns, with a
specific focus around ways to enhance our digital fundraising and
discovery efforts;
• Build effective cases for support for unrestricted funding, financial aid and
other key aspects of university life;
• Meaningfully engage Penn alumni in class and reunion-based fundraising
and other volunteer leadership opportunities;
• Creatively identify and engage new donors with a focus on core university-
level needs and budget priorities;
• Effectively steward donors to leverage retention and growth in their giving
and involvement across the institution;
• Partner internally to build a culture of collaboration, innovation and growth.
As a thought partner to the SAVP and in collaboration with management colleagues in the University Development team and beyond, the Senior Managing Director will also play a vital role in developing aligned and collaborative fundraising strategies within Central DAR and in partnership with Penn's undergraduate schools and the University's academic and administrative leadership around financial aid and other key budget relieving priorities. The SMD will also serve as part of the team interacting with and deepening Central DAR's relationship with the university's school- and center-based units, offering support and creative solutions to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of annual campaigns across the institution. With new university and Central DAR leadership in place, this role will also be part of department's leadership core engaged in planning Penn's next campaign.
Penn's Senior Managing Director for University Initiatives will be an innovator with exceptional leadership skills and deep enthusiasm for the profession who is drawn to both the academic and societal mission of the University of Pennsylvania. They will lead the program in a manner that generates meaningful fundraising growth in their areas of focus, with a particular emphasis on strategies that enhance leadership annual giving, especially from alumni with strong long term philanthropic potential; expand Penn's endowed and current use support for financial aid; and further develop Penn's overall pipeline. In addition, they will bring a successful track record of leading teams that represent best practice models, a desire to contribute to a culture committed to the highest standards for performance and professional growth, and a passion for developing talent and camaraderie. This is an outstanding opportunity to experience creating meaningful and productive partnerships in complex environments with ambitious and aspirational goals.
Job Description
Specific Responsibilities

• Lead the effort to build and sustain a culture of lifelong philanthropy within the broadest swath of Penn's alumni, with a specific focus on fundraising for unrestricted support and financial aid.
• Set a clear strategic course for and with a team of individual program leaders. Establish priorities for various fundraising units in the SMD's managerial portfolio as well as the overall team, ensuring that managers are focused on those strategies and tactics that are essential to each unit's performance against clearly articulated goals.
• Work closely with University Development's core leadership team as well as various department leaders to ensure messaging, funding priorities and strategies are aligned across the organization.
• Develop innovative strategies and methodologies to identify, engage and cultivate new donors and grow and diversify support across the university.
• Monitor and analyze data and metrics to track progress and identify areas for growth.
• Explore new platforms and technologies as well as industry innovations and best practices to ensure that Penn remains at the forefront of new models of engagement and fundraising.
• Lead and supervise a team of experienced fundraising professionals, providing mentoring, guidance and support for their success.
• Manage a portfolio of donors, including identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of gifts.
• Contribute to strategic planning and program development within central DAR and partner with colleagues and volunteer leaders in the development of the next capital campaign.
• Develop successful partnerships with colleagues across Development and Alumni Relations as well as campus colleagues in departments including Financial Aid, Admissions, Human Resources, the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life and the Office of General Counsel.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations governing fundraising and philanthropy.

**Please provide a resume and cover letter in order to be considered for this role. Please upload all documents in the "Resume/CV" section of the application prior to submitting.**
Required Qualifications and Competencies

• Master's Degree, and 7 to 10 years of experience of successful fund-raising experience including a proven record of success in fundraising with demonstrated experience in annual giving, marketing and/or areas of broad alumni-focused philanthropic engagement or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Experience in higher education fundraising in complex institutions including an understanding of the impact of philanthropy in meeting both long-term and current use institutional budgetary needs.
• Strong leadership, management and program administration skills with demonstrated ability to set goals and drive implementation in a matrixed and highly decentralized organizational context. The ability to establish clear objectives, set performance standards, and organize and motivate staff and volunteer leaders to achieve both short- and long-term fund-raising goals.
• An entrepreneurial mindset with a sense of urgency and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances in an environment where working across boundaries and leveraging strengths are necessary. Must have a creative approach to problem solving, and the ability to take advantage of emerging opportunities.
• Demonstrated facility with analytics and data informed planning. A preference for familiarity with advancement enabling models, designs, technologies or systems to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Superior interpersonal skills and a capacity to engage, inspire, and persuade faculty, University administrators, officers, volunteers, donors, prospects and staff, both within the University and beyond. These skills should be combined with the ability to make the appropriate connections among members of these groups and to nurture strong and long-lasting institutional relationships.
• A high level of energy, a positive "can-do" attitude, and the ability to function at peak levels in a high expectation environment.
• A team building orientation with a commitment to a non-hierarchical approach to organization and the willingness to empower subordinates to get the job done while providing the support and advocacy they need. Must have a history of recruiting and developing exceptional people.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusiveness and belonging, including but not limited to programming and staffing.
• Appreciation for the mission and identity of the University of Pennsylvania.
• Travel, evening/weekend work required.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Department / School
Development and Alumni Relations
Pay Range
$129,695.00 - $230,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.
Affirmative Action Statement
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.
Special Requirements
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.
University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn of...