OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Position DescriptionTitle:Sr Director of Development for
Major Gifts
Department: Advancement
Purpose: The Sr Director of Development for Major Gifts is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of approximately 150 major donors and prospects with the capacity to make gifts of $25,000 and above. This position serves as a frontline fundraiser for
Oklahoma Baptist University's Shape the Future Campaign, advancing key institutional priorities through strategic donor engagement and relationship management.
The Sr Director of Development for Major Gifts will build strong personal relationships with alumni, parents, friends, and corporate and foundation partners in an assigned multi-state territory. This position is remote, with heavy travel required throughout the assigned regions.
Essential Functions:Donor Portfolio Management
- Manage a dynamic portfolio of 150 assigned donors and prospects, developing individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for each.
- Conduct 15+ meaningful donor visits per month, leading to measurable progress and philanthropic outcomes.
- Secure a defined number of major gift commitments annually in alignment with campaign and institutional fundraising goals.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of all donor interactions, proposals, and outcomes in the University's CRM system/ Blackbaud.
- Partner with the Executive Director of Development and Vice President for Advancement to design strategies for key donors, corporations, and families with significant capacity and planned gifts.
Campaign and Strategic Engagement
OBU Mission Statement OBU transforms lives by equipping students to pursue academic excellence, integrate faith with all areas of knowledge, engage a diverse world, and live worthy of the high calling of God in Christ.
Expectations for all Employees Oklahoma Baptist University achieves its mission through a shared commitment to the following expectations. All employees must embrace these expectations and model them in their behavior.
- Demonstrate commitment to the essentials of the Christian faith.
- Commit to the mission and vision of Oklahoma Baptist University.
- Treat people with dignity and respect.
- Build relationships on honesty, integrity, and trust.
- Strive for excellence through teamwork, leadership, and a strong work ethic.
- Manage human and financial resources wisely and efficiently.
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Position Description- Advance philanthropic priorities tied to the Shape the Future Campaign, including capital, scholarship, and programmatic initiatives.
- Serve as an OBU ambassador at alumni, donor, and church events, regional gatherings, and partner meetings as needed to expand awareness and engagement.
- Collaborate with the Office of Alumni & Engagement, Advancement Services, and
Donor Relations team to ensure a cohesive donor experience.
- Provide strategic insight from the field to inform campaign messaging, proposal development, and stewardship strategies.
Regional Leadership
- Develop and maintain a strong regional network in assigned regions, engaging alumni, church leaders, business professionals, and philanthropic partners.
- Identify and qualify new major gift prospects within the assigned states through proactive outreach and networking.
- Coordinate presidential and senior leadership travel and donor meetings within the region.
Represent Oklahoma Baptist University with excellence, demonstrating a deep commitment to its mission and Christian distinctives.
Other Duties: Performance Metrics
- Achievement of annual revenue goals from major gift portfolio.
- Minimum of 15 substantive donor visits and 5 proposals per month.
- Growth in number and size of major gift commitments.
- Progress in qualification and cultivation of new major donors.
- Positive collaboration with internal colleagues and campaign team members.
Required Qualifications:- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to connect authentically and communicate persuasively with diverse audiences.
- Proven ability to manage a large, geographically dispersed portfolio and meet measurable activity and revenue goals.
- High initiative, self-motivated, and comfortable working remotely with minimal supervision.
- Excellent organizational and written/oral communication skills.
- Commitment to the mission and values of Oklahoma Baptist University and the Office of the President as well as full alignment with its Christian worldview.
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Position Description- Willingness and ability to travel extensively (50-70%) throughout the assigned territories, including nights and weekends as necessary.
- Commitment to building and improving team culture and campus relations for the OBU
Advancement Team.
Education: Required: Bachelor's degree required.
Preferred: Master's degree preferred.
Equipment: - History of working with CRM such as Blackbaud, Salesforce, or similar systems.
Experience: - Required: Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, development, sales, or relationship management with a demonstrated record of securing major gifts of five and six figures.
Special Requirements:* Must be a member of a local evangelical* Christian church.*Evangelical is a broad term referring to segment within Christianity which maintains the authority of the Bible and the belief in salvation by faith in Jesus alone.
OB
U Benefits Summary:OBU understands that our employees are our most valuable assets when fulfilling our mission. We strive to offer an extensive array of benefits and opportunities for employees to choose from. Full- time employees benefit from the generous OBU provision of premium contributions for nationwide family-friendly Health and Dental coverages along with free life insurance that includes accidental death and dismemberment equal to an employee's base salary. OBU provides access to optional employee-paid ancillary benefits like vision, hospitalization, critical illness, accident, additional employee-paid family life insurance coverages, and education benefits at OBU and other institutions of higher education. There is generous paid time off that includes annual granted vacation time, accrued sick leave, six annual holidays, and week-long breaks for
Thanksgiving and Christmas that include energy conservation days. For all employees working at least half-time, there is an employer matching opportunity for retirement investments in a 403(b)(
9) plan administered by Guide Stone. There are numerous other perks and opportunities for OBU employees including FREE family membership to the OBU Recreation and Wellness
Center or RAWC, Global outreach university mission trips, cafeteria discounts, and parking privileges to name a few. For more information about the current OBU employee benefits and opportunities, please contact the Human Resources staff at
HR@okbu.edu.
