Executive Director, Annual Giving Strategies

Carnegie Mellon University is world-renowned as the birthplace of artificial intelligence, and that spirit of innovation is the heartbeat of our University Advancement division. As we enter a transformative era of philanthropy, we are seeking an Executive Director, Annual Giving Strategies to provide expertise in designing and executing a visionary and modern annual giving program, serving as a catalyst for innovation through the strategic adoption of emerging technologies.

Reporting to the AVP, Advancement Communications and Marketing, this role will serve as a leader and a driver in advancing the use of artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital tools. The incumbent will utilize omnichannel strategies to achieve ambitious and quantitative objectives in donor acquisition, retention and pipeline development, ensuring a sustainable and data-informed future for annual giving. Well versed in industry best practices, evolving technologies and trends, the Executive Director will lead a central Annual Giving team focused on direct marketing, crowdfunding and special initiatives, including Giving Tuesday, and a growing digital leadership annual giving program that leverages technology to engage alumni, parents, faculty, students, and friends of the university.

A strong collaborator and innovator, the Executive Director partners with colleagues across University Advancement and within CMU's schools and colleges on robust strategies to acquire and retain donors and to strengthen the donor pipeline. This position also plays a critical role in coordinating with Constituent Development and Alumni Engagement to identify the most rewarding path toward engagement at the university.

Core responsibilities include:

• Serving as CMU's lead strategist for annual giving, creating a university-wide vision that encompasses direct marketing, digital engagement, and high-velocity donor qualification.
• Championing and supporting AI-powered tools, modern technology and data analytics to develop and execute comprehensive, data informed strategies for annual giving that increase donor acquisition, retention, upgrade rates and annual giving revenue.
• Monitoring industry best practices, trends, issues and technologies, and evaluate existing programs and processes for potential efficiencies using technology, artificial intelligence and other emerging trends.
• Overseeing the execution of university-wide annual giving campaigns, including Giving Tuesday, reunion giving, and integrated solicitations via mail, email, social, phone, video, and text.
• Providing strategic direction, enhancement and day-to-day oversight for the digital leadership annual giving program with a focus on one-to-one digital donor engagement, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Providing supervision and mentorship to a large team of diverse annual giving professionals.
• Developing and maintaining KPIs and performance dashboards for the annual giving program aligned with the broader advancement goals.
• Developing shared performance metrics and integrated strategies with Development to bridge annual giving and major giving efforts.
• Serving as a mentor and advisor to colleagues across campus with annual giving responsibilities, fostering a collaborative and innovative culture.
• Promoting professional growth and shared learning through performance coaching and skill-building.
• Working cross-functionally with colleagues across Alumni and Constituent Engagement, Advancement Communications and Marketing, Donor Relations and Stewardship, Gift Planning, Constituent Development, and Advancement Information Services to ensure alignment across donor touchpoints.
• Lead the development of new initiatives to increase efficiency and donor impact.
• Other duties as assigned.

Adaptability, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Carnegie Mellon University. We are in search of a team member who can effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

You should demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking and long-term planning skills.
• Results-oriented leadership with strong execution skills.
• Sound judgment and data-informed decision-making.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong presentation and storytelling abilities.
• Relationship-building with diverse stakeholders (internal and external).
• Strong collaboration skills across cross-functional teams.
• Ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
• Project management and prioritization across multiple initiatives.
• Deep understanding of annual giving strategies and donor pipelines.
• Ability to align annual giving efforts with broader advancement goal.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required (master's degree preferred)
• 15 years of relevant work experience required
• Budgeting and resource allocation experience required
• A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Requirements:

• Successful background check
• Valid state driver's license. Must complete a driver's license verification on an annual basis and complete the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving training program once every three years.