Senior Director of Development for the College of Arts & Letters position at Michigan State University

Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Michigan State University in the search for a Senior Director of Development for the College of Arts & Letters.

The Senior Director of Development will report jointly to the Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Letters and the Senior Executive Director of Constituency Programs and will be instrumental in helping the College of Arts & Letters achieve its ambitious campaign goals by identifying, cultivating and soliciting individuals for six- and seven-figure support, as well as periodic calls and special purpose programs with business, industry and foundations. The Senior Director will be an exceptional fundraiser, an experienced motivator and mentor, an effective manager of people, and a visionary change agent who has a proven track record of successfully implementing comprehensive development programs. The Senior Director, who serves as the College’s Chief Development Officer, will maintain a personal prospect portfolio of key donors and deploy a strategic movement management program to ensure consistent positive movement along the development pipeline. As MSU strategically positions itself through its second billion-dollar campaign, the Senior Director will take a leadership role in planning and directing the campaign efforts for the College of Arts & Letters, including recruiting and training volunteers, articulating the arguments for support, identifying and cultivating prospects, developing and evaluating proposals, and actively soliciting contributions with an emphasis on gifts of $100,000 and more. College of Arts & Letters employees currently operate in a hybrid work environment, spending two to four days per week in the office, depending on the nature of work and travel schedules.

Michigan State University remains an example of what a land-grant university can and should do. As a university of, for and by the people, Michigan State University has a long tradition of empowering people through educational opportunities. Every day, Spartans work to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community. Located in East Lansing, three miles east of Michigan’s capital in Lansing, MSU’s campus is one of the largest and greenest in the country. The 5,000-acre campus is home to more than 51,000 students. Top-tier programs, high-quality opportunities, and a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community enable these students to create personalized paths that prepare them to succeed and lead. MSU offers more than 400 academic programs and more than 300 education abroad programs. It has an excellent record of students earning Rhodes, Goldwater and other prestigious national and international scholarships. Wherever you go, there are Spartans working to make the world a better place. The MSU community includes more than 12,000 faculty and academic support staff and an alumni network of nearly half a million people.

Michigan State University has been advancing the public interest with an unusual will for more than 165 years. As a top global university, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery to create a better world while providing students with life-changing opportunities. The university is in the top 10 nationally American news and world report for learning communities, study abroad and service-learning offerings. MSU also has 35 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations that the publication ranks among the top 25 in the nation, including six top-rated programs: undergraduate and graduate programs in supply chain management and logistics, graduate programs in elementary and secondary education, as well as both online and on-campus graduate programs in curriculum and instruction. The university has also been named a Veteran-Friendly School with Gold status by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency eight years in a row and received a 2022 Gold rating for sustainability performance from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Michigan State University is recognized as a national leader in the advancement of knowledge through the most diverse and exemplary group of students, trainees, faculty, staff and alumni who are transforming lives through equitable education, research, scholarship and practice. Michigan State University believes differences are assets. It fosters a community that respects and values ​​a diverse range of backgrounds, viewpoints and experiences, and encourages and creates opportunities so that all Spartans can reach their full educational and professional potential.

Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters trains actors, artists, designers, educators, filmmakers, linguists, philosophers, researchers, translators, writers, entrepreneurs and more in a creative, educational and nurturing environment. Students who come to university with experience in their chosen field find the additional knowledge and personal space to further learn their profession and hone their skills. Those who have not yet identified their future life’s work are provided with various opportunities for creative reflection to explore the world and find their passion. In addition to traditional courses, the College of Arts & Letters offers student-faculty collaboration, interdisciplinary course offerings in the arts and humanities, and opportunities to engage both the greater MSU community and those off campus. In these ways, the college strives to nurture and produce artists, designers, teachers and writers whose work truly matters as they help build the body of work and shape the future of their chosen professions.

A bachelor’s degree or knowledge equivalent to what would normally be acquired by completing a four-year college degree in communications, public relations, marketing and/or business administration, as well as at least five years of related and progressively more responsible or extensive work experience in fundraising, public relations or marketing in professional and higher education. Campaign experience preferred. Michigan State University will consider applicants from a wide range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel you can contribute to MSU, but your experience does not exactly match each qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply. All applications must be accompanied by a covering letter and CV. Cover letters should address the mission of Michigan State University and the responsibilities and qualifications presented in the job prospectus.

The salary range for this position is $145,000 to $160,000 per year.

Michigan State University is committed to the admission of all qualified applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing or participating in the selection process, please contact Michael Carver at [email protected].

To apply for this position, please visit: https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1427.

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