Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts - Institutional Advancement
- Job Number
- 2025-15028
Position Summary
Applications are welcome from all qualified candidates. In line with UAE regulations, Emirati candidates are encouraged to apply.
New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint an Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts in the Advancement department reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement. Join a dynamic team of fundraising and alumni relations professionals to prepare and launch an upcoming comprehensive University Wide Campaign.
Primary responsibilities of the Associate Director include the identification, development and management of a portfolio of potential donors. The candidate will secure major gifts at the $50,000 - $500,000 level across multiple initiatives including scholarship, research, space and program activity. Portfolios will consist of (but not limited to) high-net-worth individuals, Corporations, Trusts and Foundations. The Associate Director will focus on building a long term pipeline of champions for the University through excellent relationship building and the ability to identify synergistic opportunities for funders and the University.
Superb communication skills are required to understand and share the NYUAD narrative into compelling and attractive propositions for investment. The role will require close working relationships with key internal stakeholders, such as Faculty and Staff, who will serve as partners and champions in the fundraising process. The Associate Director will ensure that prospects, donors and key stakeholders are continuously engaged in the NYUAD community and campaign activities.
Key performance indicators will include extensive tracking of portfolio development, personal fundraising targets and proposal volume. Portfolios will reflect a variety of sectors and regions with priority given to local and regional funders. Occasional international relationship management may be required.
Key Responsibilities:
Identify, prioritize and consistently manage a portfolio of approximately 125-150:
- Understand and successfully translate the comprehensive NYUAD offer to potential donors/sponsors
- Management of the end to end donor cycle including preparation of pitch documents, involvement in gift agreements and stewardship activities.
- Collaborate with peers across NYUAD and NYU on fundraising campaign
- Actively participate in events across the year, including evenings and occasionally weekends which provide opportunity to grow and nurture the pipeline
Internal/External Relationship Management:
- Maintain excellent internal relationships across NYUAD with key faculty and staff
- Active in regional industry activities to build brand and reputation of NYUAD
- Represent AVC IA when called upon
- Maintain established IA policies and procedures for best practice
- Conduct proposal generation, stewardship activity, event design and delivery, volunteer management and any operational activities needed
- Work closely with Operations teams on donor agreements/sponsorships ensuring they are compliant with NYU, NYUAD and UAE policies and procedures
- Working closely with Alumni Engagement team within advancement and with other key departments across the University
- Maintain excellent and thorough call reports
- Proactively update database ensuring accuracy and confidentiality
Required Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree
Required Experience:
- 7+ years of related experience in nonprofit fundraising, preferably in a higher education environment
- Proven track record in fundraising at the major gift level
- Strategic, creative thinker with excellent prioritization and multi-tasking skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Ability to effectively work with different internal and external audiences
- Excellent writing, communication and relationship skills
- Ability to influence and negotiate with a diverse stakeholder group
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office suite
- Experience with relational databases
Preferred Experience:
- Experience with Blackbaud
- Fundraising in the GCC/MENA region
- Arabic speaking
Other Information
About NYUAD
NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai, form the backbone of NYU’s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.