Major Gifts Program Manager

Are you excited about building meaningful relationships with impactful donors to support the future of technology? Does a strong organizational mission motivate and inspire you? Do you have a desire to provide essential support to a nonprofit mission? If so, come work at USENIX Association—a nonprofit organization committed to supporting advanced computing systems communities and advancing the reach and impact of innovative research. We organize professional conferences, publish peer-reviewed research, and promote open science and diverse engagement to advance the field of advanced computing systems.

The ideal USENIX employee is mature and responsible, thorough and accurate, and collegial and collaborative. There’s no room for big egos here; we do whatever needs to be done in support of our mission, operating as a single team across multiple functional areas. We work hard but also respect work-life balance. USENIX is a fully distributed organization, and employees should display technical proficiency with cloud-based software and be enthusiastic about learning new programs and systems.

The Major Gifts Program Manager is a new position that will focus on securing major gifts as a new fundraising initiative for USENIX to ensure our long-term sustainability. Reporting to the Development Director, the Major Gifts Program Manager will primarily focus on fundraising efforts on behalf of the Association while also providing support for sponsorship sales at USENIX conferences. In filling this new role, the successful candidate will play a key role in developing the strategy and implementation of our major giving goals.  

Responsibilities

• Plan and carry out development strategy focused on major gifts, considered donations valued at $100,000 or more, in coordination with other sales and fundraising activities, with an expectation of multiple major donations within a 12- to 18-month period. 
• Develop, cultivate, and maintain relationships with existing and potential high-level individual donors, foundations, corporations, and government agencies to maintain and expand the USENIX donor base. 
• Design and implement solicitation strategies and campaigns to attract major gift donations, tracking interest and following up to finalize major gifts.
• Support the Development/Grants Program Manager in foundation and corporate fundraising efforts, including support on foundation and institutional grant writing and reporting. 
• Support the Development/Sales Manager with essential sponsorship sales tasks, including proofreading, administration, communications, and supporting event sales and logistics as needed.
• Create and update cases for support, presentations, proposals, reporting, and other written documentation as needed. 
• Join in Development Team responsibilities related to sponsorship and fundraising, including reporting, record keeping, and other tasks as needed. 
• Work collaboratively within USENIX to prioritize activities in line with executive, operations, and development priorities. 
• Actively maintain the CRM database (Salesforce).
• Contribute to and aid in the implementation of USENIX’s evolving diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy.
• Travel to and represent the Development Team at USENIX conferences, as well as other travel as needed for donor cultivation.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• 6+ years of professional work experience
• 2+ years of experience in a similar role
• Demonstrated success in major gift fundraising, including strategizing, soliciting, and closing gifts valued at $100,000 and above. 
• Proven track record of acquiring, retaining, and reactivating enough donors to offset donor attrition.
• Enthusiasm for making big asks.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with established and potential donors.
• Excellent English skills, both written and oral 
• Exceptional communication skills with a variety of audiences
• A personable and professional attitude that carries through via email exchanges
• Impeccable organizational skills and ability to thrive and be flexible with multiple simultaneous deadlines
• Keen and efficient attention to detail
• Solid computer skills: demonstrable familiarity with Google Drive/Docs/Sheets and Microsoft Office 
• Growth mindset: a desire to improve existing skills and learn new ones
• Service orientation: enthusiasm for helping out wherever needed
• High level of initiative: ease with both independent and remote work and identifying when to reach out to supervisor or colleagues for assistance and collaboration 
• Accountability: commitment to taking ownership of assigned tasks and ensuring timely completion
• Ability to learn, understand, and convey information about the USENIX mission and the value of USENIX conferences
• Ability to travel within North America to attend USENIX conferences and in-person staff gatherings as needed

USENIX offers a generous benefits package including health, vision, dental, retirement, holidays, and vacation. This is a remote position; candidates must be U.S.-based.

USENIX is a fully distributed organization, with employees located across the United States. USENIX currently offers a four-day, 32-hour workweek, in which Fridays are non-work days for all employees. USENIX employs individuals perceived to be mature, responsible, and trustworthy, which allows us to operate without rigid schedules except when we’re running a conference. This trust-based system requires effective communication, accountability, and collegial collaboration by the entire team.