Director, Major Gifts

Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) has built a global reputation based on its immersive and innovative management programs. We provide students a transformative leadership experience, pushing the boundaries of knowledge with faculty research, and offering a portfolio of entrepreneurial and non-degree programs that deliver global impact. We invite you to be part of our mission of developing innovative, principled, and insightful leaders who change lives, change organizations, and change the world.

The Stanford Graduate School of Business seeks a Director, Major Gifts to lead its fundraising efforts, focusing on securing major gifts ranging from $100,000 to $10 million. Additionally, the Director will be a key partner in supporting a structured principal gift program for solicitations exceeding $10 million. This pivotal position involves managing a high-performing team, including seven fundraisers, with a strong emphasis on achieving the school's fundraising goals. The ideal candidate will be a dynamic leader adept at building relationships, inspiring teams, navigating ambiguity, and achieving results in a complex, collaborative environment.

This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of philanthropy at Stanford's prestigious Graduate School of Business, enabling transformative leadership experiences that have a global impact. As the Director of Major Gifts, you will lead a dynamic team in securing significant funding that directly supports innovative academic programs and initiatives, making you a vital contributor to a mission that shapes principled leaders and drives meaningful change in the world. Joining this role means being part of a collaborative environment where your leadership can inspire others and foster groundbreaking ideas, making a lasting difference in education and beyond.

Your primary responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement the major gift strategy for the GSB, overseeing new gifts and collaborating across the school and Stanford to establish fundraising goals and opportunities.
• Partner with faculty and volunteers to define resource needs and translate the Dean's priorities into actionable giving opportunities. This will include designing and running task forces, conducting interviews, engaging constituents in campaign design, and executing communication plans to ensure faculty awareness and buy-in.
• Play a vital role in collaborating and partnering with principal gift colleagues focused on shaping strategic initiatives.
• Act as a player-coach, maintaining a personal portfolio while exceeding individual fundraising targets.
• Lead, inspire, and motivate the Major Gifts team by fostering an innovative work environment that celebrates achievements, encourages new ideas, and supports risk-taking.
• Set team culture and expectations while ensuring that all members have access to the knowledge and resources they need to be successful.
• Develop strategies to increase prospect coverage and manage hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluation, and professional development for team members, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Deliver coaching to staff, understanding their short and long-term career goals while providing opportunities for learning and development.
• Collaborate with the team and other stakeholders to ensure appropriate allocation of resources toward programs and address any internal allocation challenges.
• Maintain stewardship to donors, actively engaging to cultivate and solicit support.
• Manage communication standards across the team to ensure transparency and effective information flow.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree with eight years of relevant experience, including management experience, ideally in educational institutions or nonprofits.
• Proven track record in fundraising with strong interpersonal, communication, and strategic planning skills.
• Effective management skills with a demonstrated ability to mentor and retain fundraising staff, coupled with a customer service focus.
• Demonstrated experience in management of projects, including project planning, scheduling, tracking, and budgeting.
• Strong analytical capabilities and comfort with technology and data management to drive fundraising strategies.
• Strong communication skills to effectively educate internal and external audiences.
• Ability to work a hybrid schedule.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed.

Certifications and Licenses Required:

• Must possess and maintain a valid California non-commercial Class C Driver's License.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to drive day or night.

Work Standards:

• When conducting university business, must comply with California Vehicle Code and Stanford University driving requirements.

In addition, preferred requirements include:

• Advanced degree preferred.
• Experience in major and principal gifts or similar fundraising roles.
• Experience in higher education working directly with faculty and alumni.
• Functional experience in financial analysis, operations, program management, or customer service is desirable.

The expected pay range for this position at 100% FTE is $169,027 - $250,000 per annum for Stanford Work Locations. Candidates who live in the Bay Area are expected to be able to work a hybrid schedule.

Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website provides detailed information on Stanford's extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.

Stanford's dedicated 16,000 staff come from a breadth of educational and career backgrounds. We are a collaborative environment that thrives on innovation and continuous improvement. At Stanford, we seek talent committed to excellence, driven to impact the future of our legacy, and improve lives on a global sphere. We provide competitive salaries, excellent health care and retirement plans, and a generous vacation policy, including additional time off during our winter closure. Our generous perks align with what matters to you:

• Freedom to grow. Take advantage of career development programs, tuition reimbursement, or audit a course. Join a TedTalk, film screening, or listen to a renowned author or leader discuss global issues.
• A caring culture. We understand the importance of your personal and family time and provide you access to wellness programs, child-care resources, parent education and consultation, elder care and caregiving support.
• A healthier you. We make wellness a priority by providing access to world-class exercise facilities. Climb our rock wall, or participate in one of hundreds of health or fitness classes.
• Discovery and fun. Visit campus gardens, trails, and museums.
• Envenible resources. We offer free commuter programs and ridesharing incentives. Enjoy discounts for computers, cell phones, recreation, travel, entertainment, and more! We pride ourselves in being a culture that encourages and empowers you.

We pride ourselves in being a culture that encourages and empowers you.

How to Apply

We invite you to apply for this position by clicking on the "Apply for Job" button. To be considered, please submit a cover letter and rsum along with your online application. Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources by submitting a contact form. Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.