Principal Gifts Manager

This is a newly created role in the Principal Gifts team for the Advancement Portfolio. As a Principal Gifts Manager, you will be supporting the Development Directors and Senior Manager, Principal Gifts to develop strategies for the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors capable of contributing gifts of $10 million or more to support projects and programs across the University.

You will be project managing the program of works that enable these complex relationships and funding initiatives to thrive, and maximise the philanthropic outcomes.

This role is best suited to someone with an understanding of philanthropy, who would like to move to a role focusing more on long-term relationships and building strategies. It is essential that you are comfortable working collaboratively with the wider major gifts team to identify and cultivate principal gift prospects, including usually playing a strategic and advisory role rather than a donor-facing one.

To be successful in this role, you will need to take a long-term view of relationships and gifts, and have the discipline and self-motivation to execute against a plan in the short term to see progress to a goal. The role requires adaptability and responsiveness to the needs of the principal gift landscape and an ability to devise and deliver donor strategies at different stages of the donor journey simultaneously.

About you

The University values courage and creativity; openness and engagement; inclusion and diversity; and respect and integrity. As such, we see the importance of recruiting talent aligned to these values and are looking for a Manager, Principal Gifts, who can:

• Can identify and strategize engagement for ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
• can create compelling proposals and presentations and write reports
• has the ability to distil complex content and create succinct briefings for stakeholders
• has highly developed project management skills, including experience creating project plans, tracking project progress and workflows and ensuring deliverables meet deadline and are completed to the highest standard.
• has demonstrated sophisticated relationship building and management skills with the ability to engage internal and external stakeholders.
• Has the ability to assess and analyse projects and assess their success, track KPIs, monitor budgets and report on impact and outcomes
• possesses excellent professional demeanour, discretion, and ability to confidently engage with sophisticated philanthropists and senior leadership
• can work at pace in high pressure situations

About us

The Advancement Portfolio team at the University of Sydney is one of the most successful fundraising program in Australian higher education. Having just completed the nation's first $1BN fundraising campaign and embarking on the next, the team is not only the finest performing, its success facilitates the largest real-world impact that philanthropic giving makes possible.

Since its inception 160 years ago, the University of Sydney has led to improve the world around us. We believe in education for all and that effective leadership makes lives better. These same values are reflected in our approach to philanthropy and underpin our long-term strategy for excellence and growth. We're Australia's first university and have an outstanding global reputation for academic and research excellence. Across our campuses, we employ over 7600 academic and non-academic staff who support over 60,000 students.

How to apply

Intending applicants are welcome to seek further information about the position and for recruitment-related enquiries, or if you require reasonable adjustment or support filling out this application, please contact Sarah Scott, Recruitment Partner (Advancement Portfolio), at sarah.scott@sydney.edu.au

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. For a continuing position, you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident.

Australian Temporary Residents currently employed at the University of Sydney may be considered for a fixed term contract for the length of their visa, depending on the requirements of the hiring area and the position.

Closing Date - 11:59 pm, 1st October 2023

Pre-employment checks

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

The University of Sydney is committed to diversity and social inclusion. Applications from people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; equity target groups including women, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTIQ; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged.

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.

Click to view the Position Description for this role.

Applications Close

Sunday 15 October 2023 11:59 PM