About this role
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Overview Founded in 1890, the Yale Alumni Fund is one of the world’s oldest continuously operating annual giving programs. Its purpose is to secure flexible, unrestricted support that advances Yale’s core mission: to create, disseminate, and preserve knowledge through research and teaching. As part of the recently concluded For Humanity campaign, the Alumni Fund contributed more than $375 million through over 350,000 gifts—demonstrating the extraordinary collective impact of Yale alumni, parents, and friends. With an annual goal of securing more than $50 million from constituents across Yale College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Yale’s professional schools, the Alumni Fund is a cornerstone of Yale’s philanthropic tradition and a vital source of support for the university’s highest priorities. Its work is championed by university leadership and carried out in close partnership with schools, units, volunteers, and colleagues throughout Yale.
Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Development, the Managing Director of the Yale Alumni Fund will provide strategic vision and operational leadership of Yale's annual giving program. The Managing Director will develop and execute comprehensive, data-informed strategies for donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, acquisition, retention, pipeline development, and volunteer engagement, ensuring that the Alumni Fund consistently achieves ambitious annual goals while advancing the broader priorities of the Yale University Office of Development. The role will strengthen participation and philanthropic support across Yale’s constituencies, expand the pipeline of future volunteers and leadership-level donors, and foster meaningful, lifelong relationships between Yale and its alumni, parents, and friends. Success will require close coordination with colleagues across Development, Alumni Affairs, Yale College, the Graduate School, the professional schools, and other university partners to align strategy, share insights, and deliver a cohesive donor and volunteer experience.
The Managing Director will lead, inspire, and develop a team of approximately 25 professionals, including three deputy directors, who design and implement comprehensive annual giving and engagement strategies. The team partners with volunteers, alumni, parents, students, and colleagues across Yale to achieve fundraising and participation goals while deepening donor loyalty and volunteer commitment. The Managing Director will establish clear priorities and performance expectations, promote collaboration and innovation, support professional growth, and cultivate an inclusive, high-performing culture grounded in accountability, creativity, and shared purpose. The role will also ensure that resources, systems, communications, and programmatic efforts are aligned to maximize results and position the Alumni Fund for sustained success.
The Managing Director serves as the principal staff leader for the Alumni Fund Board of Directors, a volunteer body of nearly 100 members that convenes three times each year. In this capacity, the Managing Director will work closely with board leadership to shape agendas, advance strategic priorities, strengthen member engagement, and equip volunteers to serve as effective ambassadors and advocates for Yale. The Managing Director will also foster strong relationships with class, school, and regional volunteer leaders and will serve as an invited guest of the Yale Alumni Association Board of Governors, helping to connect annual giving priorities with Yale’s broader alumni engagement strategy.
The principal responsibilities outlined below provide a broad framework for the position. Candidates should give particular attention to the position focus, which describes the leadership priorities, strategic opportunities, and organizational needs most relevant to the Managing Director’s success.
Required Skills and Abilities 1. Proven ability to mentor and guide fundraising staff to collaborate with colleagues and execute immediate strategies and long-term projects. Experience in leading, coaching and motivating other professionals. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality. 2. Proven track record in fundraising. Demonstrated accomplishment in managing or executing a wide range of solicitation, marketing, and stewardship activities. 3. Possesses excellent written, oral and presentation skills. Experience synthesizing and prioritizing information from a wide array of sources while maintaining attention to detail and effectively managing workflow. Excellent organizational and analytical skills and the ability to improve business practices and processes. 4. Proactive, productive team leader with a positive attitude 5. Possesses initiative, creativity, a data-driven work ethic, and willingness to take personal responsibility for outcomes. Results-oriented, driven to succeed, innovative, and inspired by challenging goals.
Preferred Skills and Abilities 1. Experience in a university setting or with development work; advanced degree; familiarity with Yale.
Principal Responsibilities
1. Responsible for planning, managing, and executing all aspects of development effort. 2. Works closely with senior management to develop both short- and long-term fundraising goals and strategies, including a strategic plan for building a post-campaign pipeline in anticipation of the next campaign. 3. Works with staff to develop and implement plans to carry out the organization's goals and strategies, including establishing specific activity goals for all phases of the donor/prospect life-cycle (cultivation, solicitation, closure and stewardship). 4. Directs and grows a team of development professionals responsible for generating an increased volume of successful development activities and establishing a culture that encourages ever-improving levels of performance and responsiveness to donors. 5. Develops strong ties with the faculty in order to understand and support the organization's programs and mission. 6. Manages engagement of faculty, administrators, and University officials in fundraising efforts. 7. Manages and staffs the senior management development activities and calendar to ensure maximum deployment. 8. Personally maintains a significant portfolio of leadership and principal gift prospects. 9. Participates in the development of strategy and content for all development publications and events. 10. If requested, develops and maintains relationships with members of the School Fund Board, if in existence. 11. Works regularly and cooperatively with other development offices to ensure overall development priorities, plans, and initiatives are coordinated. 12. Serves as the liaison with other development offices to provide information on organization needs and to develop strategies for prospects that are staffed centrally. 13. May perform other duties as assigned.
Required Education and Experience
Bachelor’s Degree and ten plus years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Job Posting Date 09/11/2026 Job Category Manager Bargaining Unit NON Compensation Grade Administration & Operations Compensation Grade Profile Senior Manager; Senior Program Leader (M7) Salary Range $120,000.00 - $225,000.00 Time Type Full time Duration Type Staff Work Model Hybrid Background Check Requirements
All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.
Health Requirements
Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.
Posting Disclaimer
Salary offers are determined by a candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education in relation to the position requirements, along with the role’s grade profile and current internal and external market conditions.
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring department.
The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.
Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).
Note
Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.