Major Gifts Officer

Post End Date:

November 21, 2025 at 11:59 PM

This job advertisement is to fill an existing vacancy in the Administrative Professional (Employee Group)

About the Role:

Reporting to the Director, Development and Stewardship the Major Gifts Officer is responsible for managing all aspects of the donor development cycle, including identification, engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. The Major Gifts Officer will successfully meet/exceed their annual and multi-year fundraising goals, while serving as a key member of the integrated University Advancement and External Relations team and working to deliver exceptional results for the University.

The Major Gifts Officer will:

• Implement activities for all aspects of the donor development cycle, including; understanding the University’s strategic priorities and goals, achieving/exceeding fundraising and performance goals, manage an active major gifts portfolio of major gifts prospects, building and cultivating relationships with alumni and members of the community, and engaging, cultivating, solicitating and stewarding, of major gifts (over $25,000) prospects to support the goals of the University;

• Liaise with the Development and Alumni Relations and Advancement Services Research team to develop and provide background and briefing materials to individuals attending donor meetings;
• Prepare project specific marketing materials and donor specific correspondence;
• Identify opportunities for the President and Vice-Chancellor, the Associate Vice-President Advancement and External Relations, the Provost, Deans and other University representatives to participate in development activities;
• Cultivate Annual Fund and Leadership level donors into major gifts donors;

• Provide appropriate ongoing stewardship to all past and current donors in the portfolio, including the development of personalized stewardship strategies for major gifts donors;

• Prepare reports, updates, and maintain accurate and timely information for individual constituent records within the portfolio;
• Act as the primary liaison between faculties and Development and Alumni Relations to coordinate all activities relating to major gifts fundraising initiatives, including the annual fund and leadership giving programs, events and other alumni activities;
• Engage the Deans and faculty in events and stewardship opportunities (where appropriate);
• Provide information and summaries for donor interactions that have occurred at events and ensure the information is captured within the Raiser’s Edge NXT database;

• Set short-term development goals in concert with the Director of Development and Stewardship;
• Provide background materials in preparation for monthly Prospect Management Committee meetings for requests made from faculties and student clubs;
• Maintain a high level of current information about activities within the University to communicate to donors to aid Brock’s effort to fulfil its mission and achieve its academic plan;

• Provide monthly expense reports in relation to development activities.

Please note: This position may require occasional evenings and weekends for events and department operations. 

Key Skills and Experience:

• An undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline;
• Current Ontario G Class driver’s license with an acceptable drivers abstract; 
• Major gift, fundraising, or relevant experience (preferably in an educational institution) with a successful track record soliciting and raising major gifts (over $25,000) and proven results in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship;

• Strong understanding of advancement research and prospect research methodologies;
• Comprehensive understanding of fundraising principles and strategies;
• Thorough understanding of University-level education and the philanthropic environment in Ontario, Canada, and internationally;
• Strong understanding of relational databases and reporting;
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT database or a similar fundraising database;
• Solid computer competency including word processing, spreadsheet, database, social media, and internet search engines;  The ability to work effectively in an environment with sensitive and confidential information and situations;
• Ability to keep up-to-date with legislation, collective agreements, and internal policies, procedures and practices;
• Strong presentation skills & cold calling ability;

• Highly developed written and oral communication skills as well as face-to-face relationship building skills;
• Strong negotiation skills including the ability to build on common ground;

• Excellent time management and organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload in a fast-paced environment with changing deadlines;
• Ability assess and match prospects to best suited philanthropic opportunities.

Preferred or Asset Skills:

• Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) certification.

Salary and Total Rewards:

• Job Grade [M], Salary Scale ($73,245- $118,776);
• Target Hiring Range: $73,245 – $75,000 *
• This is a permanent position that includes:  
• Health & Dental Benefits: Comprehensive extended health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Pension Plan: Enrollment eligibility in the Brock University Pension Plan.
• Vacation: Up to 3 weeks per year, in addition to university holidays.
• Professional Development: Eligibility for the Brock Tuition Waiver Program.

*The final salary is based on experience, internal equity, and budget considerations within the target hiring range.