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New England College of Optometry · 1 day ago

Director of Development

Boston,MA,US

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

$130K/yr - $150K/yr

10+ years exp

The New England College of Optometry (NECO) is seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Development to lead its fundraising initiatives. This role involves designing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy, managing donor relations, and overseeing advancement operations to enhance NECO's philanthropic efforts and support its mission.

Higher Education

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a multi-year fundraising strategy focused on building a sustainable and scalable fundraising program

Lead the creation of a comprehensive campaign plan, including campaign readiness, case development, volunteer recruitment, pipeline development, and long-term philanthropic strategy

Create and lead an internal Campaign Steering Committee and external Campaign Leadership Committee, ensuring clear strategy, management, accountability, and volunteer engagement

Serve as a strategic advisor to the President and Board of Trustees, providing insights on philanthropic trends, donor behavior, campaign performance, and emerging opportunities

Foster a college-wide culture of philanthropy, educating and partnering with faculty, staff, students, and senior leaders to strengthen engagement and impact

Manage a personal portfolio of 75 – 100 high-capacity prospects, including alumni, trustees, corporate leaders, and foundation partners. Conduct 80 face-to-face or Zoom annual visits with prospects

Design and execute individualized strategies for major, principal, and planned gift prospects, securing commitments ranging from $10,000 to $1M+

Establish metrics, systems, and accountability structures for donor engagement and revenue growth across the advancement team

Collaborate with academic and clinical leaders to develop compelling philanthropic priorities and giving opportunities

Build and oversee a best-in-class stewardship and donor relations program that deepens donor engagement, increases retention, and meaningfully recognizes generosity

Create individualized stewardship strategies for major and principal donors, ensuring timely reporting of impact, personalized communications, and meaningful ongoing engagement

Partner with faculty, clinical leaders, and students to create donor impact stories that illustrate the transformative effect of philanthropy at NECO

Oversee and enhance all donor recognition programs, including giving societies, endowed fund stewardship, scholarship reporting, donor honor rolls, and special recognition opportunities

Ensure that every donor, at every level, receives thoughtful, timely, and accurate acknowledgment and appreciation

Develop stewardship communications in partnership with Marketing & Communications, including digital content, impact reports, and campaign stewardship collateral

Establish stewardship metrics and performance indicators that align with NECO’s broader advancement strategy

Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing advancement team, including an Assistant Director, Program Specialist, and a part-time Alumni Liaison

Build capacity by hiring, coaching, and developing staff with an emphasis on collaboration, accountability, innovation, and data-driven decision making

Oversee annual budgeting, resource allocation, workflow optimization, and planning necessary to support campaign and institutional priorities

Advance professional development, goal-setting, and performance evaluation practices across the team

Reimagine, strengthen, and expand NECO’s alumni relations program to increase alumni pride, connection, involvement, and philanthropy

Partner with the Alumni Board to deepen alumni volunteer leadership and advance engagement strategies aligned with institutional priorities

Oversee the planning and execution of signature alumni events including reunion, regional gatherings, industry conference receptions, and student–alumni initiatives

Ensure alignment and collaboration between alumni engagement, development, and student services

Collaborate with the VP of Professional Affairs to deepen NECO’s long-established relationships with industry partners while proactively cultivating new corporate and foundation prospects to support research, clinics, scholarships, pipeline programs, and strategic institutional priorities

Lead the strategy, development, and submission of high-quality proposals, grant applications, and sponsorship packages to corporations, foundations, and other organizations, ensuring alignment with funder interests and NECO’s mission and goals

Oversee the full lifecycle of corporate and foundation funding, from prospect identification and cultivation through proposal development, award management, reporting, and renewal, building a sustainable portfolio of institutional supporters

Coordinate and guide industry and foundation engagement across academic, clinical, and administrative units to ensure consistency of messaging, avoid duplication of outreach, and maximize philanthropic and strategic outcomes

Partner with faculty, institutional leaders, and program directors to identify compelling funding opportunities, translate academic and clinical priorities into strong cases for support, and develop budgets and narratives that meet sponsor requirements

Oversee a high-functioning advancement services operation, including gift processing, database management (Little Green Light), prospect research, donor analytics, reporting, and compliance

Ensure data integrity, strong fiscal oversight, and seamless collaboration with the Business Office for gift reconciliation and fiscal reporting

Partner with Marketing & Communications to develop compelling philanthropic messaging, donor impact communications, digital engagement strategies, and campaign branding

Provide regular updates and reports to the Board of Trustees, President’s Leadership Team, and other key stakeholders on fundraising progress, trends, and performance metrics

Qualification

Fundraising leadershipCampaign managementMajor gifts expertiseAlumni engagementCorporate relationsData systems managementAnalytical abilitiesTeam leadershipCommunication skillsCreative solutions

Required

10+ years of progressive leadership experience in fundraising, including major/principal gift work and campaign leadership

Proven success in designing and managing comprehensive campaigns from silent phase through public launch and completion

Demonstrated success building and leading high-performing teams

A strong track record of securing major, principal, and planned gifts

Experience working with volunteer leaders, boards, and senior academic or clinical leadership

Sophisticated understanding and experience of the fundraising enterprise—from pipeline development to stewardship and operations—with experience in higher education or healthcare strongly preferred

Bachelor's degree required; master's degree preferred

Ability to work nights and weekends, as needed, as well as occasional overnight-travel

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, able to articulate NECO's mission and impact with clarity and authenticity

Strong planning, analytical, leadership, and organizational abilities

Diplomacy, discretion, and professionalism in all interactions with donors and stakeholders

A commitment to data-informed decision making and operational excellence