About the Opportunity This is an exceptional opportunity to join an enthusiastic and accomplished Development and Alumni/ae Relations team. Northeastern University School of Law has experienced tremendous growth in recent years throughout all levels of their fundraising program and set new records in 2021, 2022, and again in 2023. There is a strong pipeline of loyal annual and leadership giving donors as well as a large major gift pool and significant potential in planned giving. Reporting to the Director of Development and Alumni/ae Relations for Northeastern University School of Law and working in partnership with University Advancement colleagues and NUSL faculty, the Associate Director of Major Gifts will develop tailored fundraising strategies targeted to constituents who have the capacity to make gifts of $100,000 . The ideal candidate will embody what it means to be donor-centric and mission-driven, motivated by the desire to help people create meaningful impact through philanthropy. They will be a genuine leader with the presence, interpersonal skills, and energy to build relationships at all levels; a natural relationship builder who takes a solutions-focused approach to development and believes there are no dead-ends, only other roads to pursue; a true team player who has collaborative instincts, an inclination to integrate efforts, and the tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty in a complex, interdisciplinary environment. Responsibilities: 1) Prospective Portfolio Management: Build and manage a portfolio of 125 major and planned gift prospects that are primarily NUSL alumni/ae but may also include friends and university leaders. Play a key role in qualification of NUSL’s 1,000 alumni/ae major gift pool and help to identify, qualify, cultivate, and solicit prospects. 2) Relationship Development and Engagement: Develop relationships with existing donors. Assess interest in supporting Northeastern School of Law and the capacity to make gifts at the $100,000 levels through a mix of in-person and virtual meetings. Employ innovative approaches to engagement, cultivation, and solicitation strategies. Enhance donor relationships with Northeastern and the Law School by strategically involving them in special programs and events, such as Reunion, Women in the Law, NUSL’s Centers of Excellence, and Giving Day, and by connecting them to other university leaders and supporters. Travel as needed to qualify new prospects and to build relationships with donors. 3) Strategic Initiatives and Fundraising Opportunities: Partner with faculty and staff leadership across NUSL to identify fundraising opportunities and create new initiatives that resonate with donors and provide meaningful, substantive engagement opportunities. Collaborate with University Advancement colleagues—particularly with the Gift Planning team, but also Leadership Giving, and Corporate & Foundation Relations—and on donor engagement strategies to successfully meet donor interests and leverage their full philanthropic potential. Qualifications: Highly entrepreneurial, energetic, and collaborative individual with three (3) or more years of progressive fundraising experience. Track record of soliciting and closing major gifts at the 5- and 6-figure levels. Experience closing planned gifts is a plus Ability to elevate giving levels of donors, converting annual fund and leadership donors ($25K - $99K) to major gift giving ($100K ). Proven experience in building, expanding and cultivating existing donor relationships over time; campaign experience a plus. Natural relationship builder who takes a solutions-focused approach to development and believes there are no dead-ends, only other roads to pursue. Enthusiasm for and experience in pipeline building and discovery meetings. Necessary interpersonal skills for building authentic relationships with external (donors, prospects, trustees, volunteers) and internal (deans, faculty, staff, colleagues) constituents. Exceptional verbal communications skills and active listening skills. Demonstrated ability to write clearly and persuasively to all internal and external constituents, including briefings and other written materials at NUSL and across the University. Detail orientation and accountability to performance measures. An appreciation for lifelong learning and the value of skills gained through a structured education as well as through hands-on work experience. Committed to diversity and inclusion and contributes to a sense of belonging among all community constituents. High energy, positive "can-do" attitude, flexibility, teamwork, high degree of initiative and good sense of humor. Ability to travel, including nights and weekends, as global health conditions allow. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience. Documents to Submit: Please upload your resume, cover letter, and list of reference in one PDF document. Position Type Advancement Additional Information Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer. Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information. Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff. Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. To learn more about Northeastern University’s commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity. Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experiential lifelong learning. Our approach of integrating real-world experience with education, research, and innovation empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create worldwide impact. Our global university system provides our community and academic, government, and industry partners with unique opportunities to think locally and act globally. The system—which includes 14 campuses across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, 300,000-plus alumni, and 3,000 partners worldwide—serves as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions. The university’s residential campuses for undergraduate and graduate degrees are located in Boston, London, and Oakland, California. Our research and graduate campuses are in the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant; Arlington, Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami; Portland, Maine; Seattle; Silicon Valley, California; Toronto; and Vancouver. Northeastern’s personalized, experiential undergraduate and graduate programs lead to degrees through the doctorate in 10 colleges and schools across our campuses. Learning emphasizes the intersection of data, technology, and human literacies, uniquely preparing graduates for careers of the future and lives of fulfillment and accomplishment. Our research enterprise, with an R1 Carnegie classification, is solutions oriented and spans the world. Our faculty scholars and students work in teams that cross not just disciplines, but also sectors—aligned around solving today’s highly interconnected global challenges and focused on transformative impact for humankind.