Chief Development Officer

We have engaged the Bryant Group Executive Search Firm to assist in filling this position. Please apply online at

to be considered for this role.

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• Administrator: President & CEO

• Experience Required: Minimum 10+ years’ progressive fundraising experience, oversight and collaboration on alumni engagement and comprehensive communications strategies, a proven record of accomplishment in securing major gift commitments, and demonstrated ability to organize, motivate, and manage a team of skilled multi-disciplinary professionals.

• Experience Preferred: Comprehensive campaign, alumni engagement, and strategic communications experience, preferably in a higher education setting. Dynamic team leadership.

• Education Required: Baccalaureate Degree and experience, or Masters’ Degree

• Overtime Status: Exempt; not eligible for overtime

• FTE and Benefits: 1.0 FTE; eligible for full employment benefits

• Preferred Start Date: July 1, 2026

• Location: Onsite in Bozeman, MT

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Chief Development Officer (“CDO”) of the Montana State University Alumni Foundation (“Alumni Foundation”) provides visionary, integrated leadership and direction for the Alumni Foundation’s engagement, strategic communications, and fundraising enterprises across colleges, units, and alumni and friends constituent groups. The CDO champions a holistic advancement model that places alumni and donor engagement at the center of relationship-building, philanthropic success, and long-term organizational and institutional impact.

The CDO oversees Engagement, Development, and Strategic Communications, ensuring these functions operate as a highly coordinated engine building meaningful relationships, strengthening affinity and pride, and advancing philanthropic outcomes. As a member of the Alumni Foundation’s Leadership Team, the CDO partners with Montana State University (“MSU”) leadership and the Alumni Foundation’s CEO and leadership to set strategy, ensure aligned messaging and cultivate a culture of collaboration, transparency, and results. The CDO reports directly to the President and CEO (“President”) of the Alumni Foundation.

The CDO manages a small personal portfolio focused on principle-level major gifts while serving as a leadership ambassador for the Alumni Foundation, engaging alumni, donors, volunteers, MSU affiliates and institutional partners across the university community.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Strategic Leadership & Campaigns

• Serve as the executive architect for an integrated engagement and development strategy that aligns fundraising (major gifts and annual giving), communications, engagement, and stewardship efforts to advance organizational and institutional priorities.

• Lead comprehensive fundraising campaigns with oversight of engagement initiatives with clear performance metrics, accountability, and cross-functional alignment.

• Provide regular briefings to Alumni Foundation and MSU leadership on fundraising performance, pipeline health, and strategic direction for key campaign and development strategy bodies. Collaborate with Advancement Services on dashboards.

• Manage and support the Vice President of Engagement to elevate alumni and broader engagement as a strategic driver of lifelong relationships, volunteerism, advocacy, and philanthropy.

• Manage and support the Vice President of Strategic Communications to advance communications strategies that elevate alumni and broader community engagement as powerful drivers of successes in engagement, donor relations, annual fund, and stewardship functions.

• Represent the Alumni Foundation at community and university-sponsored events, as part of a larger Leadership Team.

• Foster strong cross-departmental collaboration with Engagement, Strategic Communications, Advancement Services, Finance and Accounting, and other operational teams to strengthen alignment, reduce silos, and advance shared organizational goals.

• Champion collaborative, transparent, and highly coordinated engagement and fundraising culture across colleges, units, and internal teams.

• Team Leadership & Management

• Lead strong, multidisciplinary teams, setting vision, establishing expectations and shared goals across development, engagement, and strategic communications modeling a positive collaborative culture.

• Support thoughtful and well-coordinated execution across major and leadership gift activity.

• Set strategic goals and benchmarks in partnership with the President of the Alumni Foundation and leadership team, in collaboration with MSU leaders; oversee performance measures, reporting, and personnel actions; ensure ongoing professional development opportunities, oversee recruitment, and retention efforts of staff; align people, processes and culture during change.

• Portfolio Leadership & Donor Strategy

• Maintain and actively manage a small portfolio of principle-level gift prospects; guide cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies, with collaboration as appropriate with the President.

• Model frontline excellence by closing significant philanthropic commitments in support of top institutional priorities.

• Travel as necessary to cultivate and steward relationships with alumni and donors as well as solicit gifts.

• Governance, Policy, & Operations

• Lead or delegate as appropriate, the execution of major gift programs and campaigns with plans, resources, and accountability.

• Develop and refine policies and procedures governing engagement, communication, and major gift work, including strict adherence to donor confidentiality and donor intent.

• Oversee unit budgets and staffing plans; determine annual operating plans aligned with the Alumni Foundation’s strategic plan.

• Serve on Alumni Foundation Board of Governor committees as assigned, supporting engagement, fundraising and strategic communications objectives.

• Perform additional duties assigned by the Alumni Foundation’s President & CEO, recognizing that responsibilities may evolve to meet organizational needs.

KEY WORK PARTNERS:

The CDO works closely with the Alumni Foundation’s President & CEO, Leadership Team, MSU President, Provost, deans, and other academic leaders. The role collaborates with executives in all departments to ensure a coordinated, engaged, and high-performing organization.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS:

• Achievement of engagement, fundraising, strategic communications, and campaign goals in alignment with MSUAF strategic plan.

• Provide strategic leadership for fundraising, engagement, and strategic communications teams; design plans that achieve targets and advance organizational and institutional priorities.

• Attract, develop, retain, and inspire a high-performing team; foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Affect and maintain a professional, proactive, positive, highly collaborative, and performance-centric work environment.

SPECIAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Willingness to take initiative, assume responsibility, and motivate others by example.

• Highly adept at facilitating collaboration among multi‑disciplinary teams.

• Adept at operating transparently and flexibly in complex and evolving environments.

• Comprehensive campaign experience, preferably in a higher education setting.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to articulate charitable giving options to a diverse group of constituents.

• A high level of confidence and comfort in making presentations before diverse groups of constituents.

• High standard of professional ethics.

• Strict adherence to donor confidentiality and donor intent.

• Valid driver’s license.

ABOUT MSU AND THE ALUMNI FOUNDATION:

The Montana State University Alumni Foundation exists to serve one mission, to "cultivate lifelong relationships and secure private support to advance Montana State University." In addition to raising private support for the university, the MSU Alumni Foundation also manages the endowment, a $350 million pool of more than 1,200 investment funds that provide perpetual support to the university. Growing the endowment is the best way to ensure that Montana State University remains healthy, strong, competitive and able to fulfill its land-grant mission into the future.

BENEFITS:

The MSU Alumni Foundation offers a comprehensive benefit package which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance (all of which are 90-100% employer-paid for employee-only coverage), 403(b) retirement plan with 7% employer contribution, up to 5 weeks’ paid time-off, 11 paid holidays, tuition assistance and more.

APPLICATIONS AND RECRUITMENT:

Apply online at Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The MSU Alumni Foundation is an equal employment opportunity employer who believes that diversity, equity and inclusion allow us to better serve our students and communities and are critical to supporting the mission of Montana State University as a land-grant institution.