Institutional Advancement Positions

Sacred Heart University, in Fairfield, Connecticut, is the second-largest Catholic university in New England. U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review place SHU among America's best colleges in the Northeast, and Intel rates it #11 among the nation's most ?unwired? campuses. Over 5,600 students are enrolled in its four colleges: Arts & Sciences; Education & Health Professions; University College; and the newly established John F. Welch College of Business, committed to educating students in the leadership tradition and legacy of Jack Welch.


Contribute your talents to our dynamic Institutional Advancement office!
Four unique positions available.

Director of Planned Giving

As the Director of Planned Giving, reporting to the Executive Director of Development, you will develop and direct the implementation of the school?s planned giving program including marketing, soliciting donors and managing the administration and stewardship of planned gifts.

The Director of Planned Giving is a senior soliciting staff member in Institutional Advancement and as such will lead the planned giving marketing effort by writing promotional literature and gift testimonials and presenting seminars on charitable giving and estate planning to donors, prospects, staff and volunteers. The Director will personally solicit donors and prospects and also develop an annual marketing plan defining approaches for planned gifts and marketing our planned giving program.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor?s degree with three to five years of experience in planned giving or a related field. You?ll have a progressive track record in fund raising; in-depth knowledge of current tax and estate planning laws, gift annuities, bequests, charitable trusts, pooled income funds and other planned gift instruments. A working knowledge of PGCalc and/or other planned giving software programs is desirable. Excellent problem-solving, organizational, writing and interpersonal skills are required.

2 Major Gifts Officer

As a Major Gift Officer, reporting to the Executive Director of Development, you will plan and implement major gift strategies for the cultivation and solicitation of assigned prospects and donors for major gifts of $25,000+. These prospects and donors will include alumni, parents, friends, faculty and staff located primarily in the CT/NY/NJ/MA area.

The responsibilities include personal cultivation and solicitation calls on individuals and corporations. The position requires development of an assigned pool of prospects and solicitation of approximately 150-200 major donor prospects. Major Gift Officers will achieve an annual fund-raising goal from assigned prospects and donors. In addition, they?ll identify, research, and solicit individual and corporate prospects and help coordinate donor cultivation events such as the annual Pioneer Open Golf Tournament and the Discovery Dinner.

The University seeks outstanding fundraisers with a Bachelor?s degree and at least three to five years? prior experience in development or a related field. Knowledge of Microsoft Office and Raiser?s Edge are pluses while excellent verbal and written communication skills are required.

Academic Grants Writer

The newly created position, of Academic Grants Writer will report to the Executive Director of Foundations and Grants, within the University?s Institutional Advancement unit, and will be responsible for
developing and writing competitive proposals for academic priorities, as identified and approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the Provost?s Council.

As Academic Grants Writer, you will research and identify appropriate public and private funding sources for assigned priorities. The candidate will develop program plans for approved projects, in cooperation with the academic Deans and/or designated faculty planning teams. This position requires the writing and submission of competitive proposals for priority projects to public and private agencies, in keeping with agency guidelines and assisting in the preparation of related post-award reports, among other duties.

Qualifications include a Bachelor?s degree and a minimum of five years of demonstrated successful experience in the writing and submission of grant proposals in an academic setting. A thorough knowledge of public and private funding sources and electronic submission procedures and a clear understanding of what constitutes a competitive proposal is desirable. The Academic Grants Writer will have strong communication and organizational skills, the ability to lead and work collaboratively, with teams, and experience with Microsoft Office software suite.


Please apply online at www.sacredheart.edu/jobs.cfm We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits and compensation package.

Ecumenical in spirit and led by the laity, Sacred Heart University is dedicated to excellence in academics and to the Catholic intellectual and liberal arts traditions. We are looking for individuals who value the University?s Catholic identity, tradition and spirit, and support its commitment to the intellectual and ethical development of our students.

Sacred Heart University is an EOE/AA employer.