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GENERAL SUMMARY OF POSITION: 

The executive director will build, manage and direct a corporate and foundation relations program that provides significant philanthropic support to all components of the medical school and medical center and addresses the priorities outlined in the Joint Strategic Plan.  Working closely with faculty, physicians, researchers, colleagues in sponsored research, and key administrators, the executive director will identify funding opportunities and potential donors.  S/he will carry a portfolio of major institutional funders and be responsible for an annual bottom line of dollars raised and visits made. 

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Management

• Assess the CFR program and conduct benchmarking with peer and aspirant institutions; formulate short-term and long-range plans to strategically enhance and strengthen fundraising efforts with corporations and foundations
• Provide forward thinking, dynamic and comprehensive leadership to support critical new initiatives, large scale transformational projects, and investments in new ideas and partnerships
• Develop and establish priorities and procedures to ensure the success and smooth administration of the program
• Recruit, mentor and lead a team of corporate and foundation relations professionals; maintain an open, fluid leadership style that empowers staff through active communication and effective delegation
• Instill confidence in and excitement about CFR among all staff and internal constituent groups by fostering an atmosphere of cooperation and collegiality across the advancement office and the larger UMass community.

Engagement of Corporate and Foundation Prospects

• Systematically lead identification, strategy and solicitation activities for leading foundations and corporations that will bring significant resources (six-, seven- and eight-figure commitments) to the academic health science center’s highest priorities in teaching, research, patient care and service; create a case for corporate and foundation support that is compelling and connected to the core priorities of UMMS/UMMHC
• In coordination with faculty/physicians, major gift officers, staff and senior administrators, steward foundation and corporate donors, recognizing them for their contributions and positioning UMass to secure additional philanthropic support; produce interim and final reports in coordination with principal investigators and faculty; coordinate site visits.

Engagement of Key Constituents

• Facilitate strategic relationships between senior leaders and institutional giving prospects; educate senior administrators and faculty about corporate and foundation fundraising strategies and best practices; determine ways to leverage relationships key internal partners have with corporations and foundations
• Enhance positive working relationships with the Office of Research; coordinate with this office on Requests for Proposals for restricted, unrestricted and limited submission foundation and corporate support
• Work in partnership with the director of innovation and business development to identify initiatives that may attract significant funding from institutional donors
• Engage alumni and parents who have established relationships with leading corporations and foundations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate level degree preferred; or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of seven years of increasingly responsible experience in foundation and corporate fundraising, preferably in higher education, health care or a research setting; leadership experience in institutional giving in a campaign environment preferred
• Exceptional written, oral and interpersonal communication skills; the ability to craft compelling cultivation and solicitation strategies for corporate and foundation prospects; ability to conceptualize and formulate plans and proposals that excite major potential donors around big ideas and projects
• Working knowledge and understanding of the foundation and corporate sectors, particularly those organizations that historically support universities, academic medicine and research-based institutions; the ability to articulate UMMS/UMMHC mission and interests to these diverse constituencies and develop presentation materials, proposals, budgets, and other correspondence that support this effort
• Passionate and/or knowledgeable about biomedical research and the important role basic science plays in overcoming some of the world’s most complex diseases
• Ability to assess philanthropic capacity of prospects and identify campus priorities most likely to attract substantial support
• Ambition to build and maintain effective partnerships at all levels of internal and external constituencies
• Demonstrated aptitude to thrive in a complex and dynamic environment, managing sometimes conflicting priorities and coordinating multiple tasks

• A self-starter who uses an entrepreneurial approach to building and guiding an advancement program and who has the ability to reach out to a broader community to promote the mission of an institution
• A problem solver who can anticipate challenges and obstacles and has the intelligence, creativity, and tenacity to execute solutions efficiently and effectively
• Experience with a variety of business and financial models and have proven ability providing management with actionable reports and information, competencies typically associated with experience as a senior manager with a Big 4 international accounting firm