Director of Development, West Coast

Job Title

Director of Development, West Coast

Department

Annual Giving Support

Worker Type

Regular

Pay Type

Salary

Position Salary Minimum

$115,000

Position Salary Maximum

$128,000

Salary will be commensurate with the level of the position, education, and experience.

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Benefit Eligible

Yes

Screening Date

2026-06-05

Job Description Summary

The Director of Development, West Coast will help advance the mission of Miami University by planning, organizing, and implementing strategies to increase the level of personal involvement and financial commitment of donors and prospects of Miami University through its major gift program.

Job Description

Miami University is a public university founded in 1809 with over 200,000 alumni and 20,000 enrolled students. With its close proximity to the city of Cincinnati coupled with a nationally recognized excellence in undergraduate education, there is a significant opportunity to increase support from alumni, friends, and partners. Everyone on our team plays a part in achieving this goal.

The Director of Development, West Coast will help advance the mission of Miami University by planning, organizing, and implementing strategies to increase the level of personal involvement and financial commitment of donors and prospects of Miami University through its major gift program.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, National Team through the Senior Associate Vice President of Development for University Advancement, it is preferred that the Director of Development for the West Coast lives in or near a metropolitan in the Western half of the United States, with regular and frequent travel required throughout the region and periodic travel to Oxford, Ohio for meetings and other activities.

Duties: The Director of Development for the West Coast region will have the following specific duties:

• Implement and direct a comprehensive university advancement program for the Western region in response to the goals and initiatives established by the Division of University Advancement. Specific emphasis to assigned areas will include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Arizona as well as a focus on the surrounding states in the region.
• Effect solicitation and stewardship calls to alumni and friends alone and in collaboration with other staff, faculty, administrators and alumni volunteers.
• Develop and implement assessment, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for assigned prospects with the Office of Development staff, and university faculty and administrators.
• Develop and maintain a prospect pool focused primarily on major gift ($50,000+) prospects.
• Prepare and present gift proposals to prospects with the input and assistance of faculty, administrators, and deans, as well as other constituent and central development officers. Proposals may involve establishing multi-year commitments, as well as helping to facilitate gifts of real estate, personal property, securities, and gifts in wills, trusts, annuities and insurance.
• Encourage and coordinate involvement of alumni and friends through campus visits and regional events.
• The Director of Development will serve as the direct point of contact and liaison for activities in the Western region related to the Division of University Advancement.
• Perform other duties related to the mission of the Office of Development under the guidance of the Assistant Vice President, National Team.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum five years of fundraising or comparable work experience. (Internships, volunteer work, and other experience gained during the completion of degree programs may be counted towards these requirements.)

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Outstanding oral and written communication skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout Western region with frequent focus on California, Colorado and Arizona.
• Ability and willingness to reside in or near a metropolitan city in California, Colorado or Arizona working from their residence.
• Commitment to collaborative approach to fundraising.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and an ability to work with little day to day supervision is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in an educational setting.
• Direct fundraising experience.

Additional Position Information (if applicable)

Required Application Documents

To be considered for this position please upload a resume and cover letter.

Special Instructions (if applicable)

N/A

Additional Information

A criminal background check is required. All campuses are smoke- and tobacco-free campuses.

This organization participates in E-Verify.

Remote Work
For positions that are approved for remote work: Remote work is not a right, it is a work arrangement that can be modified or revoked by Miami University at any time for any reason, including the convenience of the University.

Reasonable Accommodations
Requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities related to employment should be directed to [email protected] or 513-529-3560. Questions and follow-ups regarding requests should also be directed here.

Miami University Values Statement
Miami University is a scholarly community whose members believe that a liberal education is grounded in qualities of character as well as of intellect. We respect the dignity of other persons, the rights and property of others, and the right of others to hold and express disparate beliefs. We believe in honesty, integrity, and the importance of moral conduct. We defend the freedom of inquiry that is the heart of learning and combine that freedom with the exercise of judgment and the acceptance of personal responsibility.

For more information on Miami University’s mission and core values, please visit the Mission and Core Values webpage.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Statement
Miami University, an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, encourages applications from protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Miami University prohibits harassment, discrimination and retaliation on the basis of age (40 years or older), color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin (ancestry), pregnancy, race, religion, sex/gender, status as a parent or foster parent, sexual orientation, or protected veteran status in its application and admission processes, educational programs and activities, facilities, programs or employment practices. Requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities related to employment should be directed to [email protected] or 513-529-3560.

Clery Act
As part of the University’s commitment to maintaining a healthy and safe living, learning, and working environment, we encourage you to read Miami University’s Annual Security & Fire Safety Report at: which contains information about campus safety, crime statistics, and our drug and alcohol abuse and prevention program designed to prevent the unlawful possession, use, and distribution of drugs and alcohol on campus and at university events and activities. This report also contains information on programs and policies designed to prevent and address sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Each year, email notification of this website is made to all faculty, staff, and enrolled students. Written notification is also provided to prospective students and employees. Hard copies of the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report may be obtained from the Miami University Police Department at 513-529-2223.

Labor Law Posters for Applicants

Please visit our Labor Law Posters webpage to access all relevant and applicable labor law information.