Associate Director, Development

Location: Toronto, ON 

Position Type: Full-time, 3-year renewable contract.

Hiring Range: $85,309 - $106,636 

Application Deadline: Sunday, August 3rd, 2025, at 11:59PM.

About Ivey Business School:

Ivey Business School acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lunaapéewak, and Attawandaron peoples, where Western University and Ivey Business School are located. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous peoples, whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of the community.

Ivey Business School (www.ivey.ca) at Western University (www.uwo.ca) is Canada’s leading provider of real-world, case-based business education. Drawing on extensive research and business experience, Ivey’s faculty provides the best classroom experience, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and capabilities they need to confidently take on today’s leadership challenges and opportunities through Case-Method Learning. Ivey offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as Executive Education at campuses in London, Toronto, and Hong Kong.

Ivey Advancement is more than fundraising—it’s about forging powerful, lifelong connections that inspire engagement, advocacy, and investment from our global community of alumni and stakeholders. Now, as we launch the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the School’s history, the Advancement team stands at the forefront of transformative change. Guided by bold priorities—expanding accessibility, enriching experiential learning, advancing thought leadership, and driving innovation in teaching and global impact—we are shaping the future of business education and empowering the next generation of leaders.

Position Overview:

The Associate Director, Development is responsible for increasing philanthropic support for the Ivey Business School by qualifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding individual major and leadership gifts to support the School’s funding priorities. The Associate Director, Development will manage a portfolio of approximately 70 prospective major gift donors with an annual major gift fundraising goal of $1-$3 million. In addition, the Associate Director provides strategic oversight of for the annual and leadership giving programs. This includes growing membership and contributions to the Ivey Society; supervising two direct reports - the Manager, Annual Giving and the Senior Development Officer - who are responsible for program execution, supporting reunion campaigns and guiding volunteer engagement for the Annual Fund. 

Responsibilities:

1. Donor Portfolio & Activity

• Manage a portfolio of assigned major gift and leadership giving prospects, providing strategic and tactical direction to guide the successful pursuit of projected gift targets.  Assume responsibility for cultivating and soliciting support from the prospects, both independently and in collaboration with the Dean, Associate Dean, senior faculty and campaign volunteers.  
• Develop and maintain a good working knowledge of the Faculty, and Ivey’s activities, priorities and needs in education, research, and outreach.
• Nurture and develop sustainable long-term relationships with alumni, key stakeholders and members of the Ivey community.
• Research and analyze the giving potential and propensity of major gift prospects.  Develop thoughtfully conceived and personally tailored strategies to engage and guide their involvement and eventual investment in the School’s development program.   
• Collaborate with appropriate School administrative officers and faculty in identifying attractive opportunities for donor investment and fashion presentations and/or proposals to secure support for these investments.  
• Guide and support volunteers in the tasks of cultivating and soliciting assigned major gift prospects and, as appropriate, participating in the execution of these initiatives.  
• Analyze data and prepare written materials including tailored proposals, correspondence, briefing notes, progress reports, and planning documents as appropriate.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director, Stewardship to engage in stewardship activities as appropriate.

2. Annual and Leadership Giving Strategy & Program Management

• In collaboration with the Manager, Annual Giving develop and implement an overall strategy for the Annual Fund to attract unrestricted gifts from each of the School’s constituencies to build a sustainable resource base and increased financial support for the School’s annual operations.
• Manage the program budget for annual giving and Ivey Society activity, including maintaining and updated financial spreadsheets and forecasting.
• In collaboration with the Senior Development Officer,  develop strategies to retain and upgrade high-end Ivey Society donors and identify other Annual Fund donors who have the potential to become major gift prospects.
• Manage the reunion class giving program by identifying key classes to be managed and ensuring classes are managed by appropriate development colleagues, key volunteers are solicited and recruited, and effective reporting and communications between Ivey and volunteer groups.

3. Management Responsibilities

• Provide oversight and supervision to Manager, Annual Giving in their execution of the Ivey Annual Fund’s direct marketing campaigns. 
• Provide oversight and supervision to Senior Development Officer in their execution of the Ivey Society program and cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of their donor portfolio. 
• Evaluation and assessment of Ivey’s Annual Fund program on an on-going basis and the development of alternate and additional strategies as appropriate.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• A University degree in business, communications, arts or a related field.
• Five to seven years of progressive fundraising experience in securing major gifts and experience with the full scope of development activities including discovery, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, recognition and stewardship at the major gift level. 
• Successful track record of developing and implementing strategies for major gift solicitations with demonstrated success in personally securing and closing major gifts.
• Understanding of annual fund programs and their significance to the outcomes of the overall development program and donor cycle. 

Skills & Abilities

• Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to inspire confidence and trust in alumni, friends and corporate and foundation stakeholders.
• Superior listening skills and the ability to navigate the concerns and interests of potential stakeholders and translate them into compelling opportunities for investment in the School’s development priorities.
• Ability to organize and manage a diverse range of assignments and projects with efficiency, yet thorough attention to detail and execution.
• Resourceful and independent, with a strong ability to thrive in a collaborative, team-oriented environment within a complex organizational structure.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and writing skills, including experience creating fundraising materials and proposals.
• Appreciation and understanding of the mission, purpose and values of a comprehensive university and, more particularly, a teaching business school and its responsiveness to the educational and research requirements of a sophisticated international business community.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple priorities and be self-motivated in a high pressure, fast paced and demanding work environment is required.
• Political acumen and problem solving skills are required.

What We Offer:

• Flexible or hybrid work plans for many roles
• A collaborative and engaging work culture
• Opportunity to join a community of people-focused professionals
• Market competitive compensation with annual increases available 
• Generous benefits package with employer-paid premiums, including a comprehensive Health and Dental Plan, Health Care Spending Account, short- and long-term disability programs, no waiting period required.
• Enhanced mental health benefits coverage and resources.
• Life and AD&D insurance for you and your family.
• Out-of-country travel insurance.
• Employee and Family Assistance Program.
• Pregnancy and Parental top-up leave program.
• A generous group retirement savings plan with 7.5% employer contributions. 
• Vacation starting at 15 days per year plus 2 paid Ivey Personal Days.
• Paid time off during the School’s December holiday closure.
• Numerous campus-wide arts, culture, and sport events.
• Supports for professional development and career progression opportunities.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Ivey

Ivey Business School is committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Please explore Ivey’s EDI homepage for more information on Ivey's commitment to EDI, to read about Ivey’s progress in the EDI Update, and to meet Ivey’s EDI Advisory Council members.

Ivey Business School invites applications from all qualified individuals. Ivey is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace, and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodation
Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Please contact us at careers@ivey.ca to notify us of any needs related to completing the job application, and/or throughout the recruitment process.

Application:

If you're excited about joining Canada's leading business school and meet the qualifications, please submit your resume and cover letter via the Ivey Careers page by the application deadline.

*Please note only selected candidates will be contacted.