Director of Pipeline Development at UVA Darden School Foundation

The Darden School Foundation at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business seeks a highly motivated professional to join the Advancement team. The Director of Pipeline Development is responsible for strengthening the Foundation's pipeline of prospective and current donors to drive principal and major gift fundraising, thereby supporting Darden's mission and vision. They will be the primary source for expanding the donor pipeline through prospect identification and research, providing fundraisers with organized data to build, enhance, and manage portfolios effectively. The Director will develop metrics, reports, systems, and processes to promote accountability in meeting fundraising goals. They will measure and analyze team performance, identifying opportunities for further education, training, and experience to support fundraising success. The Director of Pipeline Development is pivotal to the Foundation's fundraising success, especially in Milestone II of the Powered by Purpose campaign. This role involves building, refining, and managing the advancement operations infrastructure to ensure continued momentum in fundraising in the final year of the campaign and beyond. The Director will collaborate with senior leaders to establish direction, policy, and strategy, ensuring that these are informed by sound data to promote effective and efficient fundraising and stakeholder engagement. Working as a crucial part of the Foundation Frontline Fundraising Team, the Director's analysis ensures that gift officers can focus their time and resources efficiently. By developing proactive and efficient systems, this role ultimately inspires increased fundraising activity for the Foundation. The Director will continually scan the broader environment, determine best practices, and innovate to propel Darden and the University toward continued improvement and growth. Commensurate with experience, the Director may also manage the Advancement Operations team, which includes direct supervision of the Senior Associate Director of Advancement Operations. The team will collaborate with research analysts, development staff, and the annual, major, and principal gifts program leaders to identify areas for pipeline improvement and growth. They will serve as a key partner to the Senior Director of Advancement Systems Strategy at Darden and University Advancement Prospect Management & Research colleagues, strengthening the principal and major gifts fundraising process. This role aligns gift officer work with the broader strategy of the Advancement and Engagement teams, focusing on building greater efficiency and collaboration to enhance donor and alumni experiences and improve fundraising performance. Primary duties and responsibilities include: Team Management & CollaborationManage the Advancement Operations team of three individuals with direct supervision of the Senior Associate Director of Advancement Operations, commensurate with experience.Collaborate with senior leaders to establish direction, policy and strategy for the team, informed by sound data.Build and sustain productive relationships across Darden departments and within the University Advancement community.Serve as a liaison to the Senior Director of Advancement Systems Strategy and University Advancement Prospect Management & Research.Participate in cross-Grounds committees, providing and advocating for Darden perspectives on database management and reporting needs.Communicate information that assists staff in making decisions, solving problems, and improving workflow.Act as a resource for support and targeted training related to operational excellence, major gifts processes, and database management.Prospect Management & Pipeline DevelopmentSet prospect management strategy, develop systems, and enforce policies for data integrity.Manage the discovery pipeline process for ongoing identification and qualification of new major donors.Enhance effective donor qualification, solicitation, and relationship development policies and processes.Lead proactive efforts to identify, evaluate, and monitor prospects through continuous analysis of various sources.Partner with gift officers in building and managing portfolios and a robust prospect pipeline, ensuring dynamic and balanced portfolios.Promote accountability for gift officers in the execution of moves management.Organize and lead portfolio review meetings, ensuring timely cultivation, solicitation, follow-up, data entry and data tracking of prospects as well as strategy development.Operational Efficiency & Process ImprovementMaintain advanced skills in fundraising systems and resources, collaborating with senior leaders to implement processes for team effectiveness.Assess team needs, promote cross-team collaboration, and design processes to enhance efficiency.Employ advanced analytics to develop forecasting models, prospect ranking tools, and mining strategies.Prepare fundraising and activity reports for the development team, President, Dean, and key volunteer leaders, including all those related to the campaign.Maintain and promote information security and adherence to donor privacy policies and practices, helping all to abide by ethical and confidentiality precepts.Successful candidates will have a proven track record that includes:Bachelor's Degree required. Master's degree preferred.The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 7 years of experience as a seasoned fundraising professional, preferably in higher education, with 3+ years of management experience.Experience in managing and maintaining database systems and research/screening software tools, preferably in a not-for-profit fundraising setting.Formal instruction in, or knowledge of business, financial analysis, statistical methods, information systems, techniques of corporate and biographical research and report writing.Demonstrated experience in prospect research (or related field), data analysis, advanced analytical tools and databases, internet resources, and other references.Demonstrated history of building effective and collaborative relationships internally and externally.Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate and manage individuals and teams.Experience working for a non-profit, foundation, or academic environment preferred.Experience and expertise in strategic planning.A complete understanding of philanthropy is required to perform effectively.Ability to develop and implement the policies, practices and systems necessary for the execution of a significant campaign.Exceptional analytical skills to synthesize high volumes of information from a variety of sources and produce actionable reports. Ability to solve data interface problems independently, prioritize multiple projects, and design innovative reporting solutions.Excellent research and analytical skills, including ability to analyze and interpret business and financial data and information.Demonstrated skill in employee supervision. Ability to set clear expectations and goals and provide feedback that improves performance and motivates a team.Ability to relate to people of diverse backgrounds, training, and experience.Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to work across a complex organization, and to provide leadership and coaching to staff members.Skill in exercising a high degree of initiative, judgment, discretion, and decision-making to achieve organizational objectives.Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a goal-oriented team environment.Proficiency with Advance, Salesforce Ascend, Raiser's Edge, or another fundraising database/client- relationship management system preferred.Ability to exercise sound judgment independently when responding to inquiries and interacting with donors, alumni, volunteers, and staff.Strong personal and professional integrity.Please attach a cover letter and resume when applying for this position. The Darden School Foundation is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity or expression), national or ethnic origin, race, religion, pregnancy, veteran status, or genetic information. We participate in E-verify.About Darden, the Darden School Foundation and Charlottesville, VA:UVA's Darden Graduate School of Business delivers Degree Programs and Executive Education in its Charlottesville and Washington D.C. locations, as well as at client sites around the world. The Darden School Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation established in 1952 with the mission of supporting and advancing the Darden School in its academic mission. The Darden School Foundation provides this support through promoting philanthropic support, managing endowment funds and other assets for the School's exclusive benefit, running Darden's top ranked Executive Education and Lifelong Learning program, and operating the Darden Sands Family Grounds in Rosslyn. An elected Board of Trustees oversees the Foundation's strategy and provides a critical link between the Foundation, School, and business communities.