Director of Leadership Gifts

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 small portfolio of leadership giving prospects through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture aligned with Cornell's values.
• Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree and 7-10 years of fundraising or development experience in a complex organization.
• Demonstrated success managing fundraising staff and driving results.
• Strong communication, organizational, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to analyze data, set goals, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• High level of initiative, integrity, and sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellbeing.
• This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. Employees typically perform this role remotely 3 days per week and on-campus 2 days per week. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke or terminate the hybrid work arrangement at any time.
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• Rewards and Benefits
• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.
• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell
• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: Total Rewards | Working at Cornell .
• University Job Title:
• AAD Development Director
• Job Family:
• Alumni Affairs Development
• Level:
• H
• Pay Rate Type:
• Salary
• Pay Range:
• $143,390.00 - $175,254.00
• Remote Option Availability:
• Hybrid
• Company:
• Endowed
• Contact Name:
• Rachel Colunio
• Contact Email:
• rg50@cornell.edu
• Job Titles and Pay Ranges:
• Non-Union Positions
• Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:
• Prior relevant work or industry experience
• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position
• Unique applicable skills
• Academic Discipline
• To learn more about Cornell's non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator .
• Union Positions
• The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement . To learn more about Cornell's union wages, see Un

Benefits

Additional Information

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.

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