Senior Director of Development, Berkeley Engineering Fund (0462U) - College of Engineering

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At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, our Principles of Community, and our Strategic Plan.

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Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Development , this Senior Director of Development position is a frontline fundraising role focused on discretionary gifts to the College of Engineering including complex major, blended, and planned gifts. The Senior Director of the Berkeley Engineering Fund is responsible for qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors to the Berkeley Engineering Fund and other college funding priorities; for leading and overseeing the programmatic activities of the team (such as mini-campaigns, coordination with UDAR's Direct Response Marketing), and supervision of the Associate Director of Development, Berkeley Engineering Fund.

Through timely communications, campaigns and stewardship events, the Berkeley Engineering Fund team members increase awareness and membership of the Dean's Society, the College's leadership annual giving group. We are seeking an individual that can highlight the Dean's priorities - supporting student success, launching new faculty careers and research directions, growing an equitable and inclusive culture, and providing state-of-the-art facilities. This position is a pivotal member of the Development Team.

At Berkeley Engineering, we educate and prepare engineering leaders who will create our future. While interest in STEM topics is desirable, a technical background is not required. We believe enthusiasm for innovation, entrepreneurship and a curiosity about engineering's impact on the public good are key ingredients for success in this position.

This is an incredible time to join Berkeley as a frontline fundraiser. We are among the top fundraising universities (public or private) in the country, and recently completed a $6 billion campaign. We have multiple communities of practice and working groups built to increase collaboration and knowledge sharing across campus, as well as invaluable professional development opportunities available to staff.

Under general supervision of the Assistant Dean of Development, this individual will grow the community of benefactors that support the Dean's highest priorities through a combination of frontline fundraising and programmatic strategy.

The First Review Date for this job is: July 2, 2026 - Open Until Filled

Leadership Annual Gifts, Major Gifts and the Dean's Society

• Manage a portfolio of 120-225 major gift or leadership annual fund prospects, with the capacity to give $100k- $1M and beyond. Identifies, cultivates, solicits and/or stewards major and leadership gift prospects and donors.
• Make 4-6 substantive contacts per month (in-person and online visits, or via phone) and customized correspondence to cultivate, solicit and steward annual, major and planned gift donors and prospects.
• Qualify major and leadership gift prospects and solicit gifts directly.
• Implements digital outreach strategies to maximize time spent with key donors and prospects.
• Coordinates and encourages leadership annual giving solicitations with the broader Development team.
• Build high trust relationships with a variety of colleagues across Berkeley Engineering and the greater campus as necessary to ensure all tracked prospects are adequately engaged, solicited, and stewarded.
• Takes on shared responsibility for ensuring the integrity of our donor database including adding timely contact reports and updating data points including biographical details, contact information, relationships, etc.
• Ensures that predetermined fundraising goals for the Annual Fund are met at least $4M annually.

Supervision and Leadership

• Serves as lead staff member for the Berkeley Engineering Fund team.
• Supervises and coaches the Associate Development Director, providing support for portfolio management and creating achievement goals for quarterly performance. Give written and verbal feedback at quarterly Achieve Together meetings.
• Manages the annual Berkeley Engineering Fund calendar of events and leads team meetings to create communications, campaigns, and giving opportunities.
• Develops new giving opportunities, innovates reporting, and evaluates Annual Fund performance through data-driven analysis.
• Under the direction of the Assistant Dean, serve as liaison between the College Development team and an academic department or other key partner (ie, Center, Institute, or other academic program).
• May attend functions, meetings and serve on internal / external committees as a representative of the location.

Annual Fund Mini-Campaigns: Strategy, Design, Execution, and Analysis

• Oversees the planning and implementation of fundraising projects and programs including email campaigns, digital giving days, matching challenges, partnering with UDAR's Direct Response Marketing team, Board Meetings, and new special projects.
• Leads short and long-range strategic planning, including annual summer sprints and writing an Annual Fund plan to identify goals, strategies and tactics supporting the health of the Berkeley Engineering Fund.
• Oversees collaborative design and execution of annual fund mini-campaigns.
• Collaborates with the Development team to identify and implement strategies encouraging major gifts to the annual fund.
• Oversees and collaborates with the Associate Development Director to analyze annual giving data and trends, including response rates to mini-campaigns to improve fundraising results.

Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of fundraising, donor relations and public relations concepts, principles, techniques, procedures and practices.
• Advanced working knowledge of the location, its vision, mission, goals, objectives, achievements and infrastructure.
• Advanced knowledge of and an interest in UC Berkeley and the landscape of higher education generally.
• Advanced knowledge of and interest in the campus including its vision, mission, goals, objectives, achievements and infrastructure, as well as a desire to learn about technology and its impact on society.
• Advanced knowledge of or can quickly learn applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, etc.
• Advanced written, oral and interpersonal communication skills, including political acumen, to establish and maintain good working relationships throughout the organization and with outside constituencies.
• Advanced skills in building & maintaining rapport with constituents and can articulate a compelling case for support. Strong customer service orientation.
• Advanced skills in establishing and maintaining working relationships with internal and external constituents.
• Demonstrates confidentiality when working with sensitive information.
• Advanced organizational, analytic, and planning skills. Demonstrated ability to achieve project deadlines with excellent attention to detail.
• Flexible, positive attitude and ability to work both independently and as a team player.
• Skills to meet or exceed fundraising goals and objectives.
• Must be located in the Bay Area, hybrid schedule is available.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel to attend in-person donor visits, college events & campus meetings.

• Demonstrated experience and keen interest in personally soliciting special gifts from individuals ($2,500+).
• Experience working with Board members and managing other volunteers.
• Interest in STEM topics, Entrepreneurship, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $112,400 to $163,200 yearly ($9,366.67 to $13,600.00 monthly); the full salary range for this title (FUNDRAISER 4) is $112,400 to $214,000 yearly. This is a 100% FTE career position eligible for full benefits. This position is FLSA Exempt and paid monthly.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.