Description

About the University & Department
North Carolina State University was founded in 1887 with the purpose of creating economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina. Today, NC State is the largest university in North Carolina, with more than 40,500 high-performing students, more than 10,000 preeminent faculty and staff, and more than 310,000 dedicated alumni.

As a Carnegie Research One (R1) institution, NC State is recognized for leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while also excelling in agriculture, business, design, education, humanities and social sciences, natural resources, textiles, and veterinary medicine. The university is consistently recognized as one of the nation's best values in higher education, and many academic programs rank among the best in their disciplines.

The mission of University Advancement is to amplify NC State's local and global impact by nurturing lifelong relationships, championing philanthropy, and strengthening the Wolfpack community. The division includes six collaborative teams:

• Advancement Services
• Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving
• Finance, Administration and Talent Management
• Principal Gifts Program
• University Development
• University Special Events and Experiences

Together, these teams create a best-in-class experience for alumni, friends, and donors while advancing the university's strategic priorities. 

NC State fosters a collaborative, supportive, and collegial culture while investing in professional development and personalized career growth. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, the university offers the opportunity to build a meaningful career while making a lasting impact on one of the nation's leading public research universities.

Essential Job Duties
Reporting to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Development, the Executive Director of Gift Planning serves as the university's senior leader for gift planning, providing strategic direction, oversight, and execution of a comprehensive, campus-wide program. The Executive Director partners across University Advancement to integrate gift planning into fundraising strategy, supports complex and deferred gifts, and ensures alignment with institutional priorities and industry best practices.

The Executive Director Will:

• Lead the university's comprehensive gift planning program serving all colleges and units.
• Develop and implement strategies for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gift planning prospects.
• Provide strategic leadership for complex and deferred gift opportunities.
• Establish policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure exceptional donor service and compliance.
• Oversee the administration and stewardship of planned gifts and estates.
• Serve as the university's subject matter expert on charitable gift planning.
• Lead and develop a high-performing gift planning team.
• Collaborate closely with advancement professionals across the university to incorporate gift planning into fundraising strategies.
• Represent NC State internally and externally while maintaining active engagement with industry trends and professional organizations.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a comprehensive, proactive gift planning program serving all colleges and units, focused on expanding and sustaining the pipeline of active prospects through effective strategy, operations, and performance metrics.
• Develop and implement strategies for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gift planning prospects, including active portfolio management.
• Establish and refine policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure high-quality donor service, compliance, and effective administration of planned and complex gifts.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of planned gifts, including estates, while partnering with legal, financial, and internal stakeholders to secure and steward commitments.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on complex and deferred gift strategies and advise Advancement colleagues on best practices.
• Lead, supervise, and develop gift planning staff through recruitment, coaching, performance management, and professional development.
• Oversee team operations, including marketing, training, analytics, and stewardship activities.
• Develop customized gift proposals and collaborate with professional advisors as appropriate.
• Build effective partnerships with volunteers and advancement colleagues to cultivate prospects, develop proposals, visit donors, and close gifts.
• Ensure gift planning opportunities are incorporated into appropriate solicitation strategies.
• Provide training and guidance to advancement professionals on charitable gift planning concepts and opportunities.
• Evaluate program effectiveness using key performance indicators and adjust strategies to strengthen outcomes.
• Prepare and present regular reports to Advancement leadership, including the Vice Chancellor and college and unit leaders.
• Collaborate with colleges, units, and affiliated foundations to align gift planning with institutional priorities and fundraising initiatives.
• Develop and implement comprehensive marketing, communications, and stewardship strategies to increase awareness and engagement.
• Create and deliver educational programming for staff, donors, alumni, and volunteers.
• Prepare strategic reports and insights to support campaign planning and leadership decision-making.
• Represent Gift Planning and University Advancement in internal and external settings.

Other Responsibilities:

• Travel regularly to support donor engagement and university priorities.
• Work occasional evenings and weekends.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of estate planning vehicles and charitable gift planning strategies, including wills, trusts, life income gifts, and related tax considerations.
• Demonstrated success securing significant planned gift commitments and participating in complex gift discussions.
• Ability to synthesize complex donor, financial, and institutional information to develop and execute effective gift planning strategies.
• Proven leadership experience developing and inspiring high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships across a large, complex organization.
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to engage donors, volunteers, and professional advisors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly explain complex gift planning concepts.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• High level of integrity, discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• Self-motivated, goal-oriented leader with initiative, creativity, and accountability.
• Experience utilizing donor databases, planned giving software, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to travel and work evenings and weekends as needed.
• Ability to obtain a valid North Carolina driver's license within 60 days of employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supervising professional staff.
• Experience in law, accounting, financial planning, or trust and estate administration.
• Knowledge of national best practices in charitable gift planning as demonstrated through presentations, publications, or experience within a high-performing gift planning office.

Hybrid Work

NC State University supports flexible hybrid work arrangements where operationally appropriate. Schedules are based on the responsibilities of the position and business needs and are determined in partnership with the hiring manager.