Position Description
The Development Director proactively identifies, cultivated, solicits, and stewards major gifts of $25,000+ for Talbot School of Theology, specifically for the Talbot Embedded programs. Talbot has been awarded a $10 million grant to help fund new regional sites and new partnerships with networks and denominations. This position will work to advance this work and create scholarships to support these endeavors. The Development Director will seek to build long-term relationships with donors and prospects that believe in Talbot’s mission, vision, and values, and who desires to resource this mission and vision. The candidate must be willing to travel.
Alignment with Theological Positions
The person who fills this position must be someone who personally agrees with Biola’s Articles of Faith and Statement of Biblical Principles and who is supportive of the positions taken by Biola as contained in its Eschatology Teaching Position. As such, this person may not speak against or act in a manner inconsistent with these positions during the course of their employment at Biola.
Department
Talbot
Supervisor
Dean of Talbot
Educational Requirements
Bachelors degree required.
Training or degrees in theology or a related discipline a plus.
Work Requirements
Exempt (01), full-time – 40 hours per week, 12 months per year
This position requires personal attendance at Biola’s campus in La Mirada, CA.
Essential Duties
The Development Director is responsible to build and manage a portfolio of approximately 100+ qualified donors and prospects and actively cultivate and solicit gifts. They will focus their attention on building a robust network of donors through individuals in California and selected regions throughout the U.S., with a particular focus on the Talbot Embedded regions (including but not limited to Pacific Northwest, Nevada, Hawaii, Chicago, Texas). Accordingly, this position requires frequent travel in the field with donors regionally and throughout the U.S.
General Duties
- Manage a portfolio of approximately 100+ qualified donor households and prospects, actively cultivating and soliciting gifts by building a robust network of donors capable of giving $25,000 or more.
- Meet or exceed annual solicitation goals (submitted and realized) for various giving priorities, while maintaining a strong emphasis on the number of meetings and donor cultivation required to drive results.
- Move donors through the major giving process (moves management) year-over-year by developing and maintaining key relationships with assigned constituents.
- Establish an intentional treatment stream/strategy for each constituent that aligns with the Philosophy of Stewardship & Resource Development at Biola University.
- Accurately and regularly record all actions and key information in the university’s fundraising CRM (Raiser’s Edge/NXT).
- Regularly attend various Biola University and University Advancement events (e.g. Convocation, Christmas Tree Lighting, President’s Circle events, etc.) with an emphasis on strategically inviting and cultivating the relationship with assigned constituents
- Utilize Department resources for the cultivation and solicitation of gifts. These include:
- Events
- Print, Electronic, and Media Promotion
- Research, Queries, and Reports (from Raiser’s Edge)
- Networking and “Third Party” participation
- Be a cooperative and contributing member of the team within Talbot and Biola’s Advancement Division.
- Be in agreement with Biola’s Philosophy of Stewardship.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Skills and Qualifications
- Understanding of and commitment to the mission of Talbot School of Theology.
- Seasoned major gift officer with 5+ years of direct major gift solicitation experience, preferably in higher education, or similar sales experience in another field.
- Demonstrated ability to understand the needs and interests of donors in order to develop and strengthen relationships within the University.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, grammar and spelling skills, and telephone manners.
- Warm, interpersonal skills, personable, cordial, professional demeanor, and works well with a team.
- Highly relational and have ability to interact with donors and prospects of all ages.
- Good organizational and time management skills. The ability to employee self-initiative and to work independently while engaging in multiple tasks. Commitment to continuous process work.
- Self-starter who has a strong record of both organizational skills and financial production.
- Demonstrated experience in successful completion of multiple significant projects, events and responsibilities
- Must be able and willing to travel regionally and throughout the U.S. and work before or after work hours and over weekends as needed.
- High level of computer skills with working knowledge of Mac and PC computers, Microsoft Office, Google Applications, and Adobe Acrobat, as well as experience with computerized donor tracking software, preferably Raiser’s Edge or Raiser’s Edge NXTCommitment and understanding of the practice of biblical stewardship.
- Type a minimum of 50-65 words per minute with accuracy.
- Ability to work with many different people and handle a variety of tasks, all with a good sense of humor.
- Dependability, integrity, and ability to receive and implement suggestions from supervisors.
- Willing to be flexible and sustain a learning posture.
- Open to supervision with a teachable spirit.
- Ethical competence.
- Ability to work with a diverse constituency and promote an effective work environment.
- Strong, stable and mature Christian faith.
- Understand that the Biola Statement of Principles reflect the unwavering convictions of the University, and hold personal theological beliefs and actions that are in agreement with the statement.
- Maintain a lifestyle consistent with sound Biblical principles and standards of conduct in alignment with the Biola University Articles of Faith, actively pursuing Christ-like maturation in your life.
- Willing and able to walk substantial distances and climb stairs on campus without accommodation.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in higher education leadership.
- Extensive ministry networks across denominational, parachurch, and global contexts.
- Familiarity with trends in seminary education, ministry training, and church growth.
Hiring Range: $85,000 - $100,000 annual salary
Talbot School of Theology is one of eight schools that comprise Biola University. As a part of the University, Talbot serves both graduate and undergraduate students.
Biola University is a protestant evangelical Christian university in which faculty affirm personal faith in Jesus Christ, endorse a university statement of Christian faith and community values, and are committed to the integration of faith and learning. Candidates must be willing to support Biola’s mission and preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate a clear commitment to the integration of faith into their scholarship and teaching. See Biola's Theological Positions at www.biola.edu/about/theological-positions. Applicants for this job must believe to be true all of the tenets contained in each of those documents.
