Current Opportunities

The Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago (smartmuseum.uchicago.edu), located in one of the nation’s greatest cities for art and on the campus of one of the world’s leading research universities, opens the world through art and ideas. The Smart Museum is widely known for its ambitious exhibitions and programs; its collaborations with scholars and students have animated its collection both historically and conceptually. The Museum plays a central role in the University’s arts initiative, which has brought extraordinary new focus and energy to the arts on campus. At the same time, the Museum collaborates closely with other units on campus as well as institutions and scholars in the city and across the country. Its exhibition projects often arise from partnerships with other institutions and travel nationally and internationally. The Smart Museum is also deeply dedicated to engaging its surrounding communities through programming that offers visitors of all ages a transformative experience involving significant and often unexpected examples of artistic expression.  The University of Chicago Campaign: Inquiry and Impact (http://campaign.uchicago.edu), the most ambitious and comprehensive campaign in the University's history, is raising $5 billion to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. The campaign supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute. Along with its fundraising goal, the campaign has an equally ambitious goal of engaging 125,000 alumni and friends through intellectual, professional, and social activities on campus, around the world, and online. 

The Director of Development will be responsible for leading and coordinating arts related fundraising efforts for the Smart Museum of Art. Reporting to the Dana Feitler Director of the Smart Museum of Art and the Assistant Vice President for Development, Arts and Humanities, the Director will design and implement comprehensive strategies to identify, cultivate and solicit annual, major and principal gifts donors in collaboration with Smart leadership, Smart Board of Governors and development colleagues. Working closely with the Smart and University Alumni Relations and Development teams, the Director will identify funding opportunities, support individual and foundation donor engagement opportunities and solicitations, and collaborate with the Smart Board and Smart Director to develop strategic approaches for fundraising growth. Director of Development is a senior fundraising position with management responsibilities for the Smart Museum fundraising team and will also work closely with other arts leaders across the UChicago Arts initiative and develop partnerships with other appropriate UChicago fundraising colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead Smart’s fundraising activities including annual giving, major gifts programs, fundraising events, campaigns, institutional funding as well as create and refine cases for support.
• Lead, collaborate and manage the creation and implementation of a strategy for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and gift closure of individual and foundation major prospects in collaboration with Alumni Relations & Development (ARD) staff and leadership.
• Work with the Smart Director in supporting the Smart Board of Governors, including overseeing and managing Board committees.
• Build and manage a portfolio of 75-100 individual prospects. In addition to portfolio management, partner with fundraising colleagues on multi-interest prospects to include Smart solicitations in their overall prospect solicitation plans. Monitor progress against goals ensuring deadlines are met.
• Manage and supervise a team of three fundraising professionals. Hire, manage, evaluate, develop and terminate development staff as needed and as assigned. Actively encourage staff members' professional growth and participation in the life of the University.
• Assist with the planning and execution of events, including the bi-annual fundraising Gala, working directly with the Board and Gala committee.
• Monitor and manage an annual development budget. Address budget variances as they occur.
• Prepare timely, accurate, and relevant proposals, presentations, and other fundraising materials for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Seek opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Communicate Effectively & With Influence
• Exhibit Resilience & Optimize Resources
• Display Emotional Intelligence
• Demonstrate University Stewardship & Serve as a Brand Ambassador
• Foster Partnership & Collaboration
• Build a high performance team
• Willingness and ability to travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
• Willingness and ability to work evenings and weekends.

Preferred qualifications

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Experience soliciting and closing major gifts experience
• Experience leading a project team or managing staff
• Demonstrated record of organizing successful fundraising, marketing or membership programs

Compensation
This is a full-time (37.5 hours/week), benefits-eligible position. Compensation depends on qualifications.

Required Documents

1) Resume

2) Cover Letter (optional)

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter through the University of Chicago jobs portal. Search posting number JR04790.