Director of Regional Development, Wharton External Affairs

University of Pennsylvania•Philadelphia, PA

5d•$109,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

Founded in 1881 as the world's first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a diverse population of staff, representing a rich array of backgrounds, expertise, and cultures. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu. Wharton External Affairs serves as the gateway for alumni, friends, and partners to remain actively engaged with the Wharton community. The department fosters meaningful connections among alumni, faculty, and students, facilitates philanthropic partnerships, and strengthens lifelong ties to the School. Reporting to the Senior Director of Major and Planned Gifts, The Director of Regional Development provides strategic leadership for regional fundraising and engagement efforts. This role leads a team of major gift officers and is responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects with a giving capacity of $250,000 and above within an assigned region.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 7 to 10 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Demonstrated success managing a portfolio of high-capacity prospects.
Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, with experience engaging senior leadership, faculty, and high-level external stakeholders.
Proven experience supervising and developing professional staff, including goal-setting, performance management, and coaching.
Strong strategic planning skills with the ability to develop and execute regional fundraising strategies aligned with institutional priorities.
Advanced professional skills in complex problem-solving, decision-making, and navigating multifaceted donor situations.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage a team of major gift officers, setting clear goals, evaluating performance, and supporting professional development to drive strong results across key fundraising metrics.
Personally manage a portfolio of approximately 75 top-tier prospects with a giving capacity of $250,000 or more, meeting established goals for prospect visits, solicitations, and closed gifts.
Develop and execute regional fundraising strategies aligned with the School’s major gifts program.
Serve as a key liaison to the Dean, Chief Advancement Officer, senior administrators, and faculty to advance fundraising priorities.
Partner closely with academic leadership to effectively leverage relationships in support of philanthropic objectives.
Collaborate with colleagues across External Affairs and the broader University to strengthen alumni engagement and advance comprehensive relationship-building efforts on behalf of the School.

Benefits

Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.