Job Abstract

To enrich education through diversity, The College of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse staff committed to teaching and working in a diverse environment, and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans.

Job Title: Major Gift Officer
Job Category: Non-Unit
Close Date: Continuous
Salary Range: $90,000 - $100,000
For non-unit positions, salary commensurate with experience and is accompanied by a competitive benefits package.

Position Summary:

The Office Development and Alumni Engagement is seeking candidates for a Major Gift Officer role. Reporting to the Director of Leadership and Major Gifts, the Major Gift Officer is a member of The College of New Jersey Advancement Division's development team. The incumbent is charged with developing and implementing strategies to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward potential major gift donors with the capacity to contribute $25,000 or more. The MGO will solicit prospects and identify and motivate those alumni, faculty, volunteers, and friends who can advance the development function of the college.

Note: Travel via car, train and airplane with occasional overnight lodging may be required.

Main Responsibilities:

• Manage a donor/prospect portfolio of approximately 175 individuals for cultivation and solicitation of major gifts.
• Develop and implement prospect-specific strategies for cultivating and soliciting major gift prospects to meet funding priorities.
• Make a minimum of 12-15 personal visits and other contacts in order to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and appropriately steward donors and prospective donors, with an emphasis on major gifts.
• Submit at least 15 proposals of at least $5,000 or higher during the fiscal year (preferably at the $25,000 or higher level).
• Make at least 75 unique outreach contacts per month (including email, phone, and hard copy correspondence)
• Build relationships with donors and coordinate solicitations as appropriate with the senior administrative and academic leadership, volunteers, and other members of the TCNJ community.
• Develop and maintain a thorough working knowledge of TCNJ and its vision, mission, and strategic plan in order to effectively articulate the College’s priorities and fundraising objectives to donors.
• Document all activity in the institutional advancement database.
• Attend college-sponsored events as appropriate.
  

Required Qualifications:

• Three to five years of progressive experience in development in a higher education environment.
• Undergraduate degree required, advanced degree preferred.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, preferably within a higher education setting.
• Substitutions: Hospital or other not-for-profit development experience can be substituted for an individual’s tenure in higher education. Candidates who lack formal fundraising experience but who possess a minimum of 5-7 years of experience in sales, marketing, or client-facing work in financial services and/or investments will also be considered.

Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations in order to perform the essential functions of the position. If the requested accommodation(s) cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, the applicant may not be eligible for the position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of major gift fundraising in a college setting.
• Strong organizational and communication skills and a clear, concise writing style.

Employer Qualifications:

• Final offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and reference checks.
• Residency Requirement: In accordance with the New Jersey First Act P.L. 2011 c.70, effective September 1, 2011, new public employees in certain positions (faculty exempt) are required to obtain New Jersey residency within one (1) year of employment. Applicants must meet the requirements listed.

About TCNJ:

TCNJ is a highly selective institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. Founded in 1855, TCNJ has become an exemplar of the best in public higher education and is consistently acknowledged as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the nation. TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 "Most Competitive" schools in the nation by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges and is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report. TCNJ was named the #10 value in public higher education by the Princeton review in 2009 and, in 2006, was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter - an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for programs offered through TCNJ's seven schools - Arts & Communication; Business; Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Science; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Engineering. TCNJ faculty members are teacher-scholars who share a commitment to liberal learning. TCNJ is located within an hour, by train, of New York City and Philadelphia. The College's campus is set on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township and is known for its natural beauty and has 39 major buildings.

Employee Benefits:

As a member of The College of New Jersey Community, you will be a part of an exciting and rewarding public university career. Eligible full-time employees will be able to take advantage of a generous benefits package that includes health, welfare, and retirement benefits, including:

• Comprehensive benefit plans covering medical, dental and prescription plans
• Generous leave entitlements program and Energy Savings Program
• Employee and dependent Tuition Waiver and Reimbursement Program
• Pension, retirement, and deferred compensation plans, group life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employee affinity groups
• New Jersey State Employee Discount Program (Pet insurance, cell phone plan discounts, discounted amusement park tickets, etc.)
• Access to extensive learning opportunities

To view a comprehensive list of benefits available to employees, visit our Health Benefits Plans and Programs page to learn more!

Application Instructions:

Qualified candidates should apply online at: careers@tcnj.edu and submit a letter of interest, resume (CV), as well as the names and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be considered until a viable candidate is selected.