Senior Development Officer

Description:

About us:

U of T Mississauga—the second largest campus of Canada’s top-ranked university and the only research university in Ontario’s booming Peel Region—is one of the world’s great catalysts of humanpotential.

Our employee community hums with the energy of 3,400 faculty, librarians and staff, who power our campus with curiosity, connection and care. We work together to spark life-changing research and innovation, make an indelible mark on the world by building equitable cities and societies, enable healthy lives, create a sustainable future and ignite entrepreneurship. Above all, we prioritize student success, and seek to give our 16,500 students the lift of a lifetime through learning and discovery. We love to open opportunities available nowhere else for our community to achieve their ambitions and make their unique contributions to Canada and the world.

This work all comes together on a spectacularly green campus, alongside the Missinihe-ziibi (Trusting Creek or Credit River), where we seek to honour truth, reciprocity and reconciliation on the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, Seneca and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We’re thrilled to welcome those who want to learn more about us and to be part of what we do.

Your opportunity:

As Senior Development Officer (SDO) you will be a key member of a team of dynamic advancement professionals working under the general direction of the Director of Development. You will also join a distinguished group of specialists who are devoted to the highest standards of work and motivated to advance the mission of the University of Toronto. As a U of T employee, you will enjoy themany benefits that come from working at an institution consistently ranked as one of Canada’s top 100 employers. 

As SDO you will be tasked with the responsibility to identify and cultivate donors deemed to be at the major gift level. Drawing on your strong relationship building and management skills you will develop tailored programs to identify and cultivate individuals and organizations capable of making gifts such gifts. You will be responsible for solicitations and ensuring proper stewardship takes place following a gift to maintain the donor's interest and support. You will be involved in the training of volunteers in cultivation and solicitation activities. As the incumbent, you will work closely with other members of the UTM Advancement team, academic leaders, senior volunteers, and Division of University Advancement colleagues to structure gift opportunities and realize the success of the fundraising program. You will be comfortable working in a fast-paced and high-performance environment as the Defy Gravity campaign continues to reach new heights. You will be an individual passionate about working at Canada’s top university, dedicated to inclusive excellence, and driven by a commitment to making a positive impact.

Note: Flexibility is required for occasional evenings and weekends.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Assessing needs and contributing to the development and implementation of plans for prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation and recognition of major gifts, generally $50,000 and above
• Identifying, evaluating and recommending the necessary steps to bring the prospect closer to making a major financial commitment to the University
• Developing tailored fundraising initiatives that support strategic initiatives
• Meeting face-to-face with current and potential donors to discuss giving interests and opportunities
• Cultivating and soliciting current and prospective major gift donors through tailored stewardship programs
• Writing donor-facing materials such as funding proposals, acknowledgements and recognition communications; drafting briefing notes, solicitation plans and call reports to track donor interaction
• Handling sensitive and/or confidential information

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum five years experience in a staff fundraising role with proven track record of success in managing a substantial pool of major gift donors and prospective donors.
• Demonstrated experience in the identification, cultivation, solicitation of donors and prospective donors at the $50,000+ level
• Proven ability to manage and motivate high net worth prospective donors, alumni and friends (i.e., volunteers)
• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Evidence of strong initiative, tact, diplomacy, judgement and decision making in complex environments with competing priorities
• Strong organizational and analytical skills; strong attention to detail
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment.
• Strong team player who values collaboration

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Accountable
• Communicator
• Goal oriented
• Resilient
• Self-directed
• Tactful

Closing Date: 07/20/2026, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW 
Appointment Type : Budget - Continuing 
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:
USW Pay Band 15 -- $97,348. with an annual step progression to a maximum of $124,491. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.
Job Category: Administrative / Managerial

Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.

Job descriptions are available upon request for internal applicants.