Director of Development, Foundation Development The ASU Foundation (ASUF) fosters partnerships between ASU and like-minded individuals, corporations and foundations who believe in ASU’s mission and provide resources for ASU to manifest its charter into meaningful impact. The Director of Development, Foundation Development at the ASU Foundation, plays a pivotal role in aligning the university's research and programmatic strengths with the interests of private and independent foundations. This position is central to fostering and enhancing partnerships with foundations that advance ASU's charter, as well as the institution’s academic, research, social impact, and other goals. The Director will work closely with unit-based university leadership, faculty, and development colleagues to identify and engage with potential foundation partners. The Director will guide the proposal process from start to finish. This involves in-depth foundation research, developing tailored strategies for engagement, initiating contact with Program Officers or other foundation staff, as appropriate, and assisting in the preparation of letters of inquiry and proposals. Further, the Director of Development will ensure all internal processes and requirements related to agreements, approvals, signatures, account set up and activation, and reporting are met. A significant part of the role involves cultivating and maintaining relationships with foundation partners. The Director ensures that these partnerships not only align with the university's objectives but also with foundations' missions to drive meaningful and innovative change in various societal and technical domains. The Director will be a resource and support to ASU units, providing necessary assistance in navigating the complexities of foundation funding. The Director will aim to establish lasting relationships with foundations that enhance the university's capacity to tackle pressing challenges, accelerate faculty research, improve teaching and pedagogy, and enable students to reach their potential. This role requires a strategic thinker who can effectively bridge the gap between the university's initiatives and the philanthropic goals of foundations, thereby contributing significantly to the advancement of ASU. Reporting to the Sr. Director, Foundation Development, this role will serve as a critical member of our growing team, especially as the ASU Foundation launches its Changing Futures campaign. What you'll do: Collaboration and Strategic Engagement: Collaborate with academic leaders, fundraising colleagues, and ASU staff and faculty to foster and strengthen relationships with foundation and philanthropic LLC leaders and program officers. Engage in strategic planning with ASUF unit-based teams to align ASU’s initiatives with the interests of major foundations and philanthropic LLCs. Project Development and Proposal Creation: Assist in identifying and developing strategic investment opportunities that reflect ASU’s unique position, as well as its unit- and university-wide priorities. Support the creation and refinement of comprehensive proposals, including crafting concept summaries and drafting letters of intent and final proposals. Foundation Relations and Site Visits: Coordinate and participate in foundation site visits to ASU, ensuring effective representation and communication with foundation visitors. Attend relevant conferences and meetings with foundation leaders, both in-person and virtually, to foster and maintain relationships. Goal Setting and Implementation: Work with colleagues on the Foundation Development team and in units to set and implement goals and objectives that maximize foundation awards. Contribute to ASUF’s fundraising efforts, including the identification, research, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of foundation investments. Prospect Management and Monitoring: Utilize ASUF’s shared database, Salesforce, to manage and track prospect clearance, proposal strategies, and project monitoring. Stay informed about trends in private and family philanthropy and assist in developing responsive strategies. Ensures the foundation team’s timely, accurate completion of contact reports, proposals, gift and grant agreements, program and stewardship reporting. Reporting and Documentation: Regularly report on activities and results, maintaining documentation that aligns with the team’s objectives and targets. Team Collaboration and Supervision: Participate in cross-campus meetings and contribute as a member of relevant teams or committees. Engage in the cultivation and management of a portfolio of foundation partners, including identifying, engaging, and soliciting investments. Strategic Planning and University Alignment: Work closely with ASU and ASUF leadership to navigate and prioritize competing priorities and initiatives in the solicitation of foundation partners. Develop knowledge of ASU’s extant and emerging research, academic, and social impact activities and the corresponding foundations funding those sectors, coordinating activities with relevant university offices. Community and Event Representation: Represent the Foundation Development team at key university events and external foundation/community events. What you'll need: Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to make connections between ideas, organizations, and people. Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative in identifying and pursuing new funding opportunities. Skilled in conducting, outlining and implementing research assignments regarding the goals, funding priorities, personnel, and processes of foundations. Experience in communicating effectively in person, in writing, and by phone with a variety of audiences, including an understanding of the sensitivities, formalities, and expectations involved in communicating with university and foundation leaders. Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines. Problem solver who can set priorities, while being flexible. Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively with various internal teams and external partners. Strong desire to learn more about funders to best connect them with opportunities for impact at ASU. Lifelong learner who enjoys acquiring new skills, learning about new concepts, and staying updated on trends in philanthropy and higher education innovation trends and practices. Ability to quickly gain an understanding of ideas to support their competitive positioning for philanthropic partnership. Competence in using databases and CRM systems, with a preference for experience with Salesforce or similar platforms. Commitment to ethical conduct in all aspects of the work, maintaining confidentiality and integrity in dealing with sensitive information. A belief in the ASU’s charter, and the university’s vision of ASU as a New American University. Ability to represent the institution well. Relevant qualifications: A bachelor’s degree in a related field is required, an advanced degree is preferred. Minimum of 5 years of professional experience, preferably in higher education or development/fundraising. At ASU Enterprise Partners: We serve. We serve the faculty and staff of ASU to bring them resources so they can do all the great things that they do. We innovate. We’re always looking for new ideas, new solutions, new approaches and new ways to address the challenges facing ASU. We engage. We engage our donors, philanthropists, investors and partners, connecting them to ASU and helping them share their time, talent and treasure. We care. When we serve, innovate and engage, it shows that we care — about faculty, staff, donors, fellow employees and other partners as we bring resources to ASU. ASU Enterprise Partners and its subsidiaries is an equal opportunity employer that is firmly committed to promoting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within our organization and throughout our sphere of influence. Because we embrace a spirit of innovation and achievement, we will endeavor to maximize the talent and potential of all employees, directors, and volunteers through bold and strategic action aimed at building success and a sense of belonging. All employees are expected to act in good faith to support these actions and to not impede the efforts of others to build a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive organization. ASU Enterprise Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer Who we are: Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American Research University creating an institution that is committed to excellence, access and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes and how they succeed, not by those it excludes. ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good and assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it. In order to become that model for the New American University, ASU has undergone some radical changes over the last few years. Like many universities, it has added new buildings, hired new faculty and brought in new students. But, unlike many of its peers, ASU has also undertaken a massive reorganization of the institution. ASU has torn down walls between disciplines and encouraged collaboration among diverse units. ASU has altered the trajectory of the university and reevaluated the role that universities play in society, in the economy and in education at all levels. It has changed the relationship between ASU and the State of Arizona. ASU Enterprise Partners supports the evolution, development and success of Arizona State University and its mission. ASU Enterprise Partners is uniquely positioned to bring solutions to help ASU fulfill its charter by connecting the university to human, financial, physical, and mission-driven resources. These resources are maximized within Enterprise Partners in an innovative and entrepreneurial manner through the design, development and management of specialized business units. ASU Enterprise Partners serves as the resource-raising arm of Arizona State University. As the parent organization of five nonprofits that are each tasked with identifying new revenue opportunities, ASU Enterprise Partners represents a new, innovative and highly efficient model for diversified revenue generation. Through its nonprofits and business units, ASU Enterprise Partners invests in initiatives and partnership opportunities that provide resources to Arizona State University. ASU Foundation-Matches donors with their passions by raising and investing private contributions to ASU programs, faculty and students. University Realty LLC-cultivates and advances commercial and residential real estate projects to support ASU. Skysong Innovations-ASU Enterprise Partners’ technology transfer, creates a pipeline between ASU and Northern Arizona University inventions and the private sector. Realm Spark-a driving connector for EdTech innovation, investment, and integration at ASU. Realm Spark delivers resources and capabilities across the realms of teaching and learning to support ASU’s success as a Public Service Enterprise. Realm Spark serves to identify and foster the best solutions, partners, and technologies for the university. To facilitate innovation and drive positive financial outcomes, Realm Spark acquires and deploys capital from external sources, philanthropic partners, and internal investment pools. ASURE-Conducts applied research, operationalizes university solutions and consults for classified and midrange technology-readiness-level (TRL) services for the defense and security industry. ASU Enterprise Partners employs a diverse team engaged in meaningful work, including fundraisers, designers, scholars, financial wizards, filmmakers, inventors, entrepreneurs and volunteers. Each member brings a different perspective to our vision, yet we share a mission to advance the most innovative university in the country. Advance your career, too. Professional development is highly valued at ASU Enterprise Partners, where employees are encouraged to look across the organization and nurture new areas of interest. Roles often shift as passions are discovered. Employees and eligible dependents enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance; a 401(k) plan; and significant tuition reductions. Details about our comprehensive benefits are available at http://asuenterprisepartners.org/employeebenefits