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Working/Functional Title

Associate Director of Development, CANR

Position Summary

Are you passionate about building relationships and securing major gifts for interdisciplinary research that tackles pressing global challenges? The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University is the largest STEM academic unit. It is a dynamic interdisciplinary powerhouse focused on solving global challenges that reach far beyond traditional agriculture. The college, along with MSU Extension and AgBio Research, serves as an epicenter of innovation that tackles pressing global issues such as climate science, sustainability, urban planning, food security, and public health.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University is seeking a talented and ambitious individual to join our collaborative development team as the Associate Director of Development.

In this results-oriented position, you’ll play a critical role in shaping the future of STEM education and research. You’ll leverage your strategic thinking and interpersonal skills to cultivate relationships with alumni and friends, securing vital resources that fuel innovation and opportunity in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

What will you do?

• Become a champion for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Michigan State University by raising support for cutting-edge research with a real-world impact across multiple fields: You’ll manage a portfolio of 90- 100 prospects, fostering long-term relationships that elevate the College’s reputation and fuel its success.
• Uncover hidden potential: Employ your keen eye for discovery to identify new alumni and donors, building a robust pipeline for future giving.
• Leverage your strategic planning experience: Develop and execute personalized cultivation and stewardship strategies, averaging 12-15 strategic face-to-face visits and 2-4 solicitations per month.
• Collaborate for collective success: Partner with faculty, college leadership, and internal stakeholders to deepen relationships and maximize your impact.
• Be a part of and learn from a team dedicated to building a cohesive culture: Work alongside a high-performing development team, sharing best practices and celebrating collective achievements.

Why You’ll Love Working Here:

• Make a tangible difference: Your efforts will directly translate into increased resources that empower students, faculty, research, and programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, AgBio Research, and MSU Extension.
• Join a collaborative environment: We foster a supportive and team-oriented atmosphere where you’ll be empowered to grow and excel.
• Be part of a prestigious institution: You’ll have the privilege of doing Spartan green and white, while representing the land grant mission to provide high-quality education, conduct research, and engage with the public to advance knowledge and improve lives.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, along with AgBio Research, Michigan State University Extension (MSUE), and the Office of University Advancement, is seeking an accomplished, responsive, and collaborative member of its External Relations team. This team member will be the primary development liaison with several units within the college and will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward alumni and friends of CANR, MSUE, and AgBioResearch, as well as business, industry, and foundations, in support of the Land Grant mission and the units’ priorities. The ability to think and act strategically will be critical to the success of this position.   

The duties of the Associate Director of Development are as follows but are not limited to:

Duties and Responsibilities:

Fundraising - 

• Engage in the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of gifts from mainly individuals, and some corporations, and professional groups in support of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources strategic and campaign priorities.
• Collaborate and coordinate with University Advancement, and administrators and faculty of in the college to create and carry out fundraising strategies and solicitation of gifts of $100,000 and more.
• Identify and maintain an active pool of 90-100 prospects under strategic management.
• Achieve college fundraising goals through an active and consistent program of prospect and donor outreach that includes 180 significant contacts annually.
• Utilize phone calls, email, mail, social media, and other strategies to identify, connect with, and engage alumni with the goal of soliciting financial support.
• Identify, qualify, and work to build strong, engaged relationships with major gift prospects to determine and merge prospect passions, interests, and needs with the college’s funding priority areas.
• Schedule joint prospect visits with members of college leadership, faculty, or other Development colleagues.
• Serve as a liaison officer between the unit and donors and potential donors to ensure that such information and service as may be desired is provided to the full extent permitted by university policy, rules, and regulations.
• Serve as a consultant to donors on the tax advantage of various types of gifts.
• Plan and host campus visits for donors or potential donors and their representatives.
• Prepare annual personal fundraising goals and analyze and report on goal achievement.
• Assist in planning and implementing special-purpose appeals.
• A significant amount of the Associate Directors time will be dedicated to traveling out of state and managing prospect activity within a few major metro areas.

Program Management - 

• Develop and prepare solicitation appeals, proposals, and other materials with focus on gifts of $100,000 or more that, through the clear identification of funding priorities and articulation of the case for support of the college, engender a level of understanding that is conducive to giving and that helps achieve the unit’s fundraising goals.
• Interpret needs and priorities of CANR units/AgBio Research/MSUE, verbally and in writing, to engender a level of understanding that is conducive to giving.
• Assist with the coordination of and participation in college alumni and donor engagement, prospecting and recognition and stewardship events.
• Utilize the Advance alumni and donor database to coordinate with other development colleagues, record contact activities, update donor information, record strategic moves management steps and gift documentation.
• Build working relationships with internal constituents to enhance information exchange between units within the college, including advising faculty and administrators on appropriate fundraising strategies.
• Serve as a primary development liaison with several units within the college and will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward alumni and friends of CANR, MSUE, and AgBioResearch, as well as business, industry, and foundations, in support of the Land Grant mission and the units’ priorities.

Communication and Stewardship -

• Cultivate, engage, and train Michigan State University alumni, leadership, and employees as potential donors and volunteers.
• Engage faculty, department chairs, program directors, and other college leaders in order to assist in the understanding and implementation of fundraising procedures, to seek their advice on funding needs, to answer development questions, to advise them on development strategy, and to solicit them as potential donors.
• Obtain advice and counsel from peers across the enterprise in order to coordinate the cultivation and solicitation of donor prospects.

Data Management & Planning - 

• Prepare annual personal fundraising goals and analyze/report goal accomplishment.
• Assist in planning and implementing special purpose appeals as necessary.
• Act as a public goodwill ambassador for Michigan State University, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, AgBioResearch, and Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) 
• Ensure best practices in office systems, practices, files, and record keeping; ensure effective use of strategic tools and resources such as contact reports, prospect management, research, and analysis, and the Advance database.  

 SUPERVISION RECEIVED 

Supervision is received from the CANR Director of Development.

Minimum Requirements

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing and/or Business; three to five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in public relations, volunteer administration, professional and higher education fund raising, marketing or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive experience in professional fundraising, public relations, marketing, or a related field; working knowledge of tax laws affecting charitable giving; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.  
• Excellent interpersonal skills. 
• Experience in public speaking. 
• Collaborative team-oriented style. 
• Experience with “Moves Management” or related strategic relationship development.   
• Ability to “close” gifts or business deals with demonstrative experiences closing gifts of $100,000 or more. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

Resume and cover letter

Special Instructions

Interested in joining the team at Michigan State University? For questions, contact Patricia Karam, Director of Talent Acquisition, at karampat@msu.edu. 

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Work Hours

8 am - 5 pm with possible evenings and weekends

Website

Advancement.msu.edu

Remote Work Statement

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment,

and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.

Bidding eligibility ends May 12, 2026, at 11:55 PM

About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

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