Feb 28th, 2025
The University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation
Executive Director of Development and Chief Development Officer Manning College of Information & Computer Sciences
( Massachusetts | Hybrid )
About the Organization
Established in 2003, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation (UMAF), a private 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization, exists to raise philanthropic funds in support of the University of Massachusetts
Amherst’s mission and highest aspirations. Located on the Amherst campus and wholly dedicated to
supporting the University’s mission, UMAF is a separately governed nonprofit organization with its own health, wellness, and retirement benefits.
UMAF serves the University of Massachusetts Amherst community by serving as a best practices
resource for fundraising strategy and implementation. The UMAF team encompasses all University Advancement operations and includes alumni and donor communications, engagement, cultivation, and annual, major and principal gift solicitation, as well as gift processing, stewardship, and corporate and foundation relations. Through best-in-class delivery, UMAF creates a bridge between donors and the schools, programs, faculty, and students that make up the university. We help to match caring people with meaningful opportunities that support both UMass Amherst’s mission and the personal objectives of our donors.
Job Description
Position salary range: $136,000 to $150,000
Purpose Statement
The University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation (UMAF) seeks an entrepreneurial, high energy, and results-oriented Executive Director of Development and Chief Development Officer (CDO) to work closely with the Manning College of Information & Computer Sciences (Manning College) to create, plan, advance and implement a wide range of fundraising activities, strategies, programs and priorities, as part of the University's next comprehensive campaign and in support of the College’s strategic plan. The Manning College is internationally recognized for its research activities with one of the highest ranked and most competitive computer science programs in the nation, and educates the largest number of computer science undergraduates in New England.
The CDO will join UMAF at a time of transformation and entrepreneurial growth with a chance to contribute to Accelerate: The Campaign for UMass Amherst, which has a working goal of $600 million. This is a special opportunity to cultivate a maturing and evolving donor pool that is ready to produce seven- and eight-figure gifts, and to leverage the interdisciplinary and thematic fundraising potential unique to Manning College as it drives toward its goal of creating an environment and programs that support excellence, community, and growing population of faculty, students and staff, and enabling the next big ideas in computing and technology.
The Position
The Manning College community of problem-solvers and innovators has been at the forefront of revolutionary ideas in computing research and education—ideas that have expanded the field’s reach, fueled the state’s innovation economy, and helped solve global-scale problems across disciplines.
Distinguished by its culture of collaboration and leadership in multidisciplinary research, the Manning College is proud of its external partnerships as well as internal collaborations across the UMass Amherst campus. The college is uniquely positioned to lead interdisciplinary fundraising efforts as computer science is not only deeply interwoven with nearly every subject area at UMass Amherst but also serves as a cornerstone of innovation in our day-to-day lives. Faculty and researchers collaborate across disciplines, from fintech and AI to cybersecurity and healthcare, to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, forging partnerships with colleges and programs across campus.
The CDO will establish new philanthropic relationships and expand long-standing partnerships with innovative leaders in the computer and information sciences field, interacting with a diverse range of stakeholders from Fortune 500 technology executives to young entrepreneurs on the forefront of every industry, in ways that advance the Dean’s objectives and the college’s long-standing vision of Computing for the Common Good,
Reporting to the Vice President of Development, Matt Carlyon, the CDO will assume and build out a national portfolio of individuals, corporations, and foundations rated at the major and principal gift levels ($50K-$1M+) with likely geographic emphasis on prospects and donors in the Northeast, West Coast, and Pacific Northwest. In addition to fundraising responsibilities, the CDO will partner closely with the Dean, manage an Associate Director of Donor Relations, create and lead an active and engaged volunteer group to support fundraising initiatives, and actively pursue collaborations with colleagues across UMAF that benefit interdisciplinary programs.
The Candidate
The ideal candidate is relationship-driven and donor-centric with a track record of fundraising success at 6-figure gift levels and above. They possess the ability to think and act strategically while demonstrating diplomacy, creativity, and the confidence to initiate solicitations and close gifts independently. They must be able to remain focused and adaptable in high-pressure situations, balancing long-term vision with immediate priorities. This CDO communicates actively with the Dean and colleagues, exhibits cultural fluency, empathy, and high emotional intelligence, along with the organizational skills needed to handle complex details and manage multiple projects effectively.
Additional information Pearl Street Collective, the search firm with purpose, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. To express interest in the position, please submit your confidential resume and cover letter to cics-cdo@pearlstreetcollective.com or visit https://www.pearlstreetcollective.com/positions/cics-cdo
Contact email for applicants cics-cdo@pearlstreetcollective.com