Assistant Director of Development, OSU Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa

VISION: Transform the university through the power of generosity.

MISSION: Unite donor passions with university priorities to elevate the impact of Oklahoma State University.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE: The OSU Center for Health Sciences Academic Programs team contributes to the mission by securing philanthropic support for Oklahoma State University through meaningful donor engagement and strategic fundraising partnerships.

PRIMARY PURPOSE: Under the direction of the Director of Development and Team Lead, the Assistant Director of Development will solicit private support from alumni, friends, corporations, and foundations for Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and will coordinate these initiatives with other OSU Foundation fundraising activities.

Key Areas Of Focus

Major Gift Fundraising (50%)

• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects, focusing on those capable of gifts of $25,000 .
• Facilitate strategic relationships among donors, the OSU Foundation Development team, faculty, and administrators to advance fundraising initiatives for Oklahoma State University.
• Maintain a robust schedule of prospect contacts, solicitations, and stewardship activities across corporations, foundations, and individuals.
• Conduct at least 150 personal visits annually with donors, prospective donors, and their advisors to solicit planned and major gifts and coordinate on-campus site visits.
• Report and monitor fundraising progress using contact reports, prospect management, and communication tools for optimal efficiency.
• Solicit a minimum of 12 major gifts each year.
  
  

Donor Engagement and Stewardship (25%)

• Build and sustain productive, long-term relationships with donors, campus partners, and colleagues.
• Collaborate with teams in donor relations, corporate and foundation relations, annual giving, planned giving, and regional programs to maximize constituent engagement.
• Design and implement tailored engagement and stewardship plans for assigned prospects.
  
  

Effective Portfolio Management (15%)

• Maintain precise donor records and uphold best practices in Ascend.
• Engage in qualification and disqualification activities, ensuring proper documentation.
• Communicate regularly with portfolio prospects to strengthen relationships.
• Partner with Prospect Development and Research to discover new OSUF donors.
  
  

Team and Organizational Contribution (10%)

• Work collaboratively with OSU system unit leaders, colleagues, and faculty and staff, with a focus on OSU Center for Health Sciences.
• Develop and maintain subject matter expertise on OSU Center for Health Sciences.
• Promote cross-campus partnerships and interdisciplinary collaborations across the OSU System.
• Initiate opportunities for faculty and administrators to interact with corporate and foundation prospects and interpret corporate and foundation interest to OSU constituencies.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Job Competencies And Experience

Education & Certifications-

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing and communications, nonprofit management, humanities, or related fields required.
  
  

Experience-

• Minimum of 2-4 years in fundraising, development, major gifts, or relevant professional experience required.
• Experience in a higher education setting preferred.
• Fundraising and donor management software experience desired.
• Proven sense of humor and ability to have fun!
  
  

Organizational Competencies-

• Effective Communication: Proactively ensures effective communication throughout the organization; makes relevant contributions to discussions and meetings, giving clear and concise explanations and sticking to the point; chooses language and communication method to suit the audience, reframes and articulates to help others understand; asks questions to check understanding when disseminating information.
• Execution & Initiative: Motivates self and others to achieve the best results, displaying energy, drive and a desire to succeed; enlists the support of others as necessary to overcome resistance; supervises cross-functional project team execution on tasks to meet stated objectives; helps other employees’ gain the skills and experience they need to contribute; proactively outlines milestones, outcomes and deliverables and effectively communicates them to internal and external stakeholders.
• Teamwork/Interpersonal Skills: Develops and nurtures formal & informal relationships with a wide circle of people beyond those involved in current activities, including potential donors, stakeholders, and information links; encourages collaboration among colleagues, departments and entire organization to achieve results; compromises, handles conflicts, seeks common ground, articulates own and others goals; stays focused on positive win-win outcomes; seeks input on how to leverage existing processes to improve the donor experience; translates ideas into action.
• Problem Solving/Judgment: Gains understanding of how to apply approved policies and procedures; when and why escalation of issues is needed and to whom and communicates decisions and desired outcomes to others; anticipates the outcome of a single decision; recognizes problems in advance, systematically gathers information to define the root cause, breaks down complex information into component parts, develops alternatives, seeks input from others, selects and recommends the best solution.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Embraces complex or first-time problems as opportunities to learn and incorporate new skills; flexes style based on immediate needs; accepts responsibility for implementing change; evaluates and manages resources needed to implement change; personally supports (in words and actions) organizational direction and change agenda.
• Courage & Conviction: Takes responsibility for individual & project outcomes regardless of success and learns from all results; encourages candid responses, feedback, new ideas and conflicting opinions.
• Donor Centered: Takes time to actively learn about the stated needs by asking questions, exploring how to unite the donors and university’s passions and priorities; anticipates customer needs and proactively makes recommendations.
  
  

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone, and via video conferencing. Requires frequent repetitive motions when operating computers, telephones, and standard office equipment. Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while working at a computer, attending meetings, or participating in events. This role includes traveling locally, regionally, and occasionally nationally for donor visits, meetings, and university events, which may include walking on campus and navigating varied environments. Requires a valid driver's license. Availability to work occasional evenings and weekends to support fundraising events and donor engagement activities. Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull materials weighing up to approximately 20 pounds.