Associate Director of Advancement

Job Title: Associate Director of Advancement (Region: Western U.S.)

Reports to: Director of Philanthropy

Location Options:

• Hybrid If based in or near Fort Collins, Colorado, there will be a blend of remote and in-office time. Residing in Northern Colorado is strongly preferred, and a relocation allowance will be available for candidates who move to this region.
• Remote Must reside in or relocate to one of these states: Colorado, Idaho, Oregon or Wyoming

FLSA Status: Exempt (Regular, Full-time)

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Anticipated Start Date: Between November 9th and 26th

Salary Range: Typical starting range for a new employee in this role is $76,000 to $80,000/annually

Organization Description

Established in 1963, the Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) is a 501(c) non-profit organization. In collaboration with academic partner Colorado State University, ISE delivers the Semester at Sea® (SAS) program, one of the longest operating higher education study abroad programs. Semester at Sea® provides its students a global comparative education through classroom and experiential learning in the field. The Semester at Sea® floating campus, the MV World Odyssey, carries around 550 students plus faculty, staff, and others. The duration of the semester voyage is typically 105 days, including visits to 8- 10 countries. ISE conducts two semester voyages annually. See semesteratsea.org for more information.

Organization Mission

Journeys of discovery that spark bold solutions to global challenges

Position Description

The Associate Director of Advancement is a frontline fundraiser responsible for generating philanthropic revenue by managing a portfolio of approximately 100–125 major-gift donors and prospects. The position develops and executes strategies to qualify, cultivate, solicit, close, and steward outright, pledged, and planned gifts that advance ISE priorities.

ISE's expansive alumni community represents tremendous philanthropic potential, with a large base of alumni ready to be re-engaged. Working with the Director of Philanthropy, Advancement Services, organizational leaders, board members, alumni volunteers, and other partners, the Associate Director will creatively reconnect alumni with Semester at Sea, build a sustainable fundraising pipeline, elevate annual and mid-level donors, and support campaign growth.

The Associate Director also serves as a visible ambassador for Semester at Sea, representing the organization with credibility and enthusiasm among alumni, donors, corporate and philanthropic leaders, and other influential stakeholders. Success requires an entrepreneurial spirit, persistence, sound judgment, persuasive communication, disciplined portfolio management, and confidence engaging accomplished individuals and making direct asks. The position requires consistent CRM use and adherence to the highest ethical standards.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The individual in this position must be able to perform the essential duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Manage a portfolio of 100–125 donors and prospects with capacity to give at the five- to six-figure-plus level within an assigned geographic region or territory, developing a tailored strategy for each that aligns individual preferences, interests, and needs with ISE priorities and opportunities.
• Solicit new and renewed outright, pledged, and deferred gifts, including planned gifts integrated into broader solicitation strategy; actively qualify, cultivate, and solicit high-capacity untapped and under-giving prospects through the major gifts discovery process.
• Plan and execute high-impact travel: secure anchor visits, fill remaining time with additional stakeholders, book travel to and within the key markets in the assigned region, and prepare meeting briefs and debriefs. Requires travel, including occasional travel outside those markets and occasionally internationally, as donor opportunities warrant.
• Able and willing to travel across the U.S., and occasionally internationally, up to approximately 40% to 50% of the time.
• Record all donor and prospect communications, strategies, goals, opportunities, and actions in ISE's CRM (Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT) proactively and on time.
• Use RE/NXT to manage the portfolio, record projections, and monitor progress toward goals, reporting results promptly to ensure accuracy of the fundraising pipeline, year-end forecasts, and fiscal year goal-setting.
• Partner with the Director of Philanthropy to set and achieve annual personal fundraising goals and to meet or exceed monthly outreach, visit, and solicitation metrics.
• Research and write funding proposals, appeal letters, meeting materials, and stewardship/impact reports.
• Assume primary development responsibility for an assigned geographic region or territory, including select events and programs for major gift prospects within that territory; assist with organizational events as needed, such as regional alumni events, reunion voyages, parent trips, small donor events, and alumni association board meetings.
• Maintain thorough knowledge of ISE and its priorities, and adhere to ISE gift policies, donor-intent requirements, prospect-management practices, and professional fundraising ethics.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist with alumni events and marketing needs, particularly within the assigned region.
• Solicit annual fund gifts, especially at the $2,500 level and above, to help reach the annual goal for unrestricted support.
• Partner with the Annual Giving Manager to present a coordinated fundraising effort to all donors, including engaging high-potential alumni around annual giving days such as Giving Tuesday.
• Maintain professional affiliations and expand skills by staying current on trends in major gift fundraising, including deferred giving techniques, estate planning, and tax law.
• Other duties as assigned to support the organization and the changing needs of the Advancement Department.

Minimum Qualifications and Skills

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and cultivate relationships with high-net worth individuals.
• Ability to effectively engage and solicit prospective major donors, including presenting compelling cases for support and making effective asks.
• Support the mission of ISE; reflecting ISE values, candidates are expected to advance the Semester at Sea® commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree and/or CFRE preferred.
• Proven fundraising track record, ideally with 3–6 years' experience and demonstrated success securing gifts of $25K+; consideration may be given for related experience and commitment to professional development toward growing major gift fundraising expertise.
• Familiarity with higher education fundraising opportunities, including but not limited to financial aid and scholarships, and strong knowledge of comprehensive fundraising principles, techniques, ethics, and best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic fundraising plans and initiatives, with strong organizational and project management skills and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Knowledge of donor database management systems (Blackbaud Raiser's Edge/NXT) and proficiency in using fundraising software.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, collaborating with colleagues and stakeholders to achieve fundraising goals.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build rapport, identify donor interests, write customized giving proposals, and provide pertinent materials to donors and prospective donors.
• Ability to thrive in an environment where fundraising metrics play an essential role in annual performance evaluations.
• Ability and willingness to work outside normal business hours frequently, participating regularly in fundraising dinners, community events, conferences, and after-hours or weekend meetings with high-net-worth individuals.
• Experience using AI tools to improve donor research, meeting preparation, workflow efficiency, communications, and donor-facing materials, with sound judgment around brand standards, accuracy, and data privacy; willingness to work within the organization's AI platform (currently Google Gemini).

Working Conditions

• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) position. Workdays and hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand
• This position requires work performed in an office environment
• Domestic and international travel may be required. Travel may include time spent on a moving ship in the ocean, with little to no internet access at times

Physical Requirements of the Job

• Requires sitting, bending at neck, waist, legs, and arms; twisting body; and changing positions at will. Occasional standing, walking, stooping, bending, kneeling, and reaching
• Requires repetitive motions with hands and fingers such as keyboarding, use of telephones, cell phones, etc.
• Requires close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus
• Work requires close attention to detail and accuracy and varies in nature with periodic interruptions
• Computer and phone work at a desk for majority of the day

Compensation & Benefits

• Starting range for a new employee in this role is $76,000 to $80,000/annually
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Retirement contributions
• Paid time off/leave
• Paid holidays
• Wellness program
• Tech stipend
• LinkedIn Learning

Application Deadline: Please submit your application on or prior to Friday, October 9, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EDT.

Application Advice

• Applications will be exclusively accepted ISE’s ADP workforce platform
• Use Google Chrome as your web browser. It interfaces with ADP better than other web browsers
• Please complete and save your prepared documents in advance of beginning the online ADP application
• Allow plenty of time to complete the application, upload materials, and submit the application
• Work cannot be saved; applicants cannot return to in-progress applications at a later time
• Once an application has been submitted, it cannot be altered or changed

Application Instructions

To receive full consideration, please submit your application materials as follows:

• Submit both a cover letter and resume; your cover letter should address your interest in the position and your qualifications as aligned with the requirements of the position.
• Submit your cover letter and resume as a single PDF file.
• Save your PDF document with the file name that leads with your last name and upload to the “Resume” option.
• No additional documents are requested at the time of application; any additionally submitted documents will not be reviewed.

Failure to submit your application according to any or all of the above criteria may limit consideration for the position.

Please direct your application questions and position-specific questions to Human Resources at humanresources@isevoyages.org. Please, no phone calls.

The Institute for Shipboard Education | Semester at Sea® is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage anyone, regardless of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, marital status, or any other classification protected by law, to apply.