Director of Development

About the role

The Director of Development reports directly to the Vice President of Advancement (VP-A) and is a high-growth, results-oriented role responsible for expanding KGI's philanthropic footprint. This position is designed for a sophisticated relationship manager with a background in strategic business development, professional services, or high-value client management. The Director will lead the strategic oversight of annual giving cycles and initiatives such as KGI Giving Days. The successful candidate will demonstrate a proactive "business development" mindset to identify new prospects and the consultative skill set required to align donor interests with KGI's leadership in Healthcare and Biotech. Central to this role is the ability to build deep, authentic trust with faculty and staff, translating complex academic and research excellence into meaningful philanthropic opportunities. Located in beautiful Claremont, California, KGI is a member of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five undergraduate liberal arts colleges, two graduate institutions, and The Claremont Colleges Services, which provides shared institutional support services. Each nationally recognized college has its own campus, students and faculty, and distinctive mission, and each offers top-notch curricula, small classes, distinguished professors, and personalized instruction. The Claremont Colleges consistently place at the top of national college rankings, including Forbes, Money and U.S. News and World Report, and the Princeton Review. Education and Experience A bachelor's degree is required, with experience in business development, marketing, banking/finance, or account management. Candidates should have five or more years in relationship-based sales, business development, or major gift fundraising, with a proven track record of meeting revenue targets and closing high-value contracts, multi-year agreements, or major gifts ($25,000+). Experience providing strategic oversight for multi-channel campaigns, project launches, or annual fund programs is a plus. Strong skills in managing complex client or donor pipelines, lead qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and long-term stewardship are essential. Essential Functions and Responsibilities Individuals must possess knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the essential function of the position or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions may be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities. Strategic Business Development & Relationship Management Portfolio Growth: Proactively manage a "portfolio" of 100-120 prospects. Use a disciplined, CRM-driven approach to move prospects from initial discovery to successful solicitation. Prospect Outreach: Conduct 10-12 high-quality strategic meetings per month to qualify new leads and deepen existing relationships. Collaborative Proposal Development: Work in close, daily partnership with Faculty and Staff to understand KGI's research, mission and clinical breakthroughs. The Director must be adept at building internal trust, ensuring that faculty feel supported and that their academic priorities are accurately represented to potential investors/donors. Value Proposition: Translate KGI's complex research and educational initiatives into a compelling "impact proposition" for individual donors and private partners. Annual Fund and Giving Day Oversight Campaign Strategy: Provide high-level oversight for KGI's primary annual fund activities, specifically the Fall Campaign (November-December) and the Spring Giving Day (April). Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the primary liaison to the Marketing Office, defining the strategic "why" and target audience insights while delegating creative execution and digital deployment to the marketing team. Operational Alignment: Partner with the Operations Coordinator for Advancement Services to ensure high-quality data segmentation and list preparation. Oversee the process to ensure communications are sent accurately and on time, without being responsible for data entry or execution. Institutional Representation & Internal Culture Faculty & Staff Integration: Actively participate in the life of the campus to build the internal "social capital" necessary to be an effective fundraiser. The ability to navigate the nuances of a university setting and build consensus with academic colleagues is critical. Executive Partnership: Work in direct, frequent collaboration with the Vice President for Advancement to identify funding priorities and refine KGI's case for support. Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Individuals must possess knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the essential function of the position or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions may be performed, with or without. reasonable accommodation, u