Description

Reporting to the Executive Director of Advancement Services, the Senior Director of Donor Relations provides strategic leadership for Pace University's donor relations, stewardship, donor recognition, and philanthropic impact programs. The Senior Director is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive donor relations strategy designed to strengthen donor retention, enhance the donor experience, increase donor loyalty, and support long-term philanthropic growth. 

The Senior Director serves as a strategic partner to Development Officers, Annual Giving, Alumni Relations, Advancement Services, and University leadership to develop and execute a comprehensive donor engagement strategy that supports fundraising priorities and enhances the donor experience throughout the philanthropic lifecycle. Through personalized stewardship, impact communications, donor recognition, and data-informed engagement initiatives, the Senior Director strengthens donor loyalty, improves retention, maximizes lifetime philanthropic value, and advances the University's long-term fundraising and revenue growth goals.

 The successful candidate will be a strategic and collaborative leader with exceptional communication, relationship-building, and project management skills. The Senior Director will work extensively with Planned Giving, Development Officers, Advancement Services, Alumni Relations, Financial Aid, Finance, University Events, Communications, Marketing, Academic Leadership, and senior University administrators. 

The position requires the ability to lead organizational change, implement best practices, utilize data to inform strategy, and build strong partnerships that advance donor retention, engagement, and fundraising success.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• At least five years of experience in donor relations, stewardship, or philanthropy-related roles.
  Five years of leadership experience.
• Strong understanding of donor lifecycle management, donor experience, philanthropic engagement, and stewardship best practices.
• Strong project management, organizational, analytical, and leadership abilities.
• Experience utilizing donor engagement metrics, retention data, and analytics to evaluate program effectiveness and inform strategy.
• Knowledge of fundraising CRM systems such, Banner Advancement, Blackbaud CRM, Salesforce, or comparable platforms.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering a culture of philanthropy through exceptional donor experiences, strategic stewardship, and meaningful engagement.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• Ability to lead through influence across teams and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated political acumen and ability to manage sensitive information.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• Ability to build effective relationships with internal teams, donors, and community leaders.