Director of Development II, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering & School of Materials Science and Engineering Georgia Tech Institute for Technology
The Georgia Institute for Technology (Georgia Tech)
Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. The Institute serves more than 45,000 students through top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech's faculty attracted more than $1.4 billion in research awards this past year in fields ranging from biomedical technology to artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation's top 20 universities for research and development spending and No. 1 among institutions without a medical school.
Georgia Tech - At a Glance:
Mission & Values:
Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything they do:
Students are our top priority.
We strive for excellence.
We thrive on diversity.
We celebrate collaboration.
We champion innovation.
We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
We act ethically.
We are responsible stewards.
Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.
Academic Excellence:
Georgia Tech is ranked #3 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. All of Georgia Tech's graduate engineering programs rank in the top 10 (Source: U.S. News & World Report).
Scheller College of Business ranks #21 among all Undergraduate Business Programs and #17 for their Part-Time MBA (Source: U.S. News & World Report).
Computer Science ranks #6 by U.S. News & World Report's Undergraduate Program Rankings, #7 by U.S. News & World Report's Graduate School Rankings, #17 by Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and #28 in The Guardian's QS World University Rankings.
In the category of Statistics and Operational Research, Georgia Tech ranks #9 in The Guardian's QS World University Rankings. Georgia Tech's graduate urban planning program is ranked #6 in the U.S. and #2 in Big City Programs by Planetizen.
Diversity:
The Institute is consistently ratedamong the top universities in the nation for graduation of underrepresented minorities in engineering, physical sciences, and architecture and planning.
With more than 60 chartered student organizations exploring religious, racial, sexual, and ethnic identity (but open to all), Georgia Tech's students find a way to celebrate, strengthen, and share their part of the robust cultural melting pot that thrives in the university's community.
Georgia Tech Office of Development (DEV)
The Office of Development is committed to securing the philanthropic resources that are transforming Georgia Tech. We engage alumni, friends, families, corporations, and foundations in the life of the Institute and encourage financial investment in Tech's future.
The fundraising team at Georgia Tech currently consists of 100+ professionals who are focused on securing transformative philanthropy (major and principal gifts) to support the strategic priorities of the Institute and its colleges, schools, and programs including Athletics.
Learn about the groups that make up the Office of Development:
For fiscal year 2022, the DEV team’s efforts resulted in over $211 million in new gifts and commitments, which helped to publicly launch Georgia Tech’s largest comprehensive campaign in the Institute’s history Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Techwhich is intended to bring over $2 billion in new commitments and gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, and other organizations. One of the most significant priorities within Transforming Tomorrow is ensuring access of the brightest undergraduate, graduate and professional students to Georgia Tech, regardless of their socioeconomic background. To learn more about Transforming Tomorrow and the other thematic priorities of the campaign, click here.
Georgia Tech Office of Development (DEV) - Leadership Spotlight:
Brad L. Hastings, CFRE - Assistant Vice President of Development
Brad L. Hastings, CFRE
Assistant Vice President of Development
Brad Hastings is a seasoned senior executive with over two decades of exemplary experience in strategic leadership and fundraising. Currently serving as the Assistant Vice President of Development at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Brad oversees fundraising efforts for multiple colleges and units, guiding his teams towards impactful philanthropic endeavors. His role involves not only securing major gifts but also providing strategic and operational leadership and fostering collaboration among academic and administrative leaders to maximize philanthropic impact.
Brad's dedication and expertise have yielded substantial results, with his teams securing over $130.3 million in philanthropic support during his tenure as Executive Director of Development for the College of Engineering. Since coming to Georgia Tech in 2017, Brad has led successful solicitations totaling more than $43 million, including gifts such as an $11.2 million contribution to establish a software engineering center.
Brad holds a Bachelor of Science in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Certified in Fundraising Management and a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), Brad is committed to professional excellence in the field of development.
Brad and his wife, Jessica, have three children and live in northwest Atlanta.
Dave Zaksheske - Executive Director of Development, College of Engineering
Dave Zaksheske
Executive Director of Development, College of Engineering
Dave Zaksheske is Executive Director of Development for the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech, the largest engineering college in the United States, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the College's fundraising strategy. A key member of the senior leadership team for both the Office of Development and the College of Engineering, Dave works closely with the Vice President of Development, Jen Howe, and the Dean of the College, Raheem Beyah, and reports directly to Brad Hastings, Assistant Vice President for Unit Development. Under Dave’s leadership, the College of Engineering aims to contribute $565 million to Georgia Tech's ambitious $2+ billion comprehensive campaign running until December 2027, reinforcing its reputation as a world-class research and educational institution. In his current role, Dave provides strategic oversight and direction for all fundraising efforts across the College's eight academic units. His expertise in cultivating philanthropic support, managing donor relationships, and spearheading large-scale development initiatives has been instrumental in advancing the College’s mission of innovation and excellence.
Prior to this, Dave served as Georgia Tech’s Senior Director of Development for the Western United States, where he established a high-performing team that significantly boosted philanthropic contributions out of the region. Dave's career at Georgia Tech began with roles of increasing responsibility on Tech’s Corporate Development team, where he managed a global portfolio of corporate partners. Dave’s work in corporate development fostered industry collaboration in areas such as research, recruitment, economic development, and continuing education. Before joining Georgia Tech in 2014, Dave held senior fundraising roles at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, part of the Woodruff Arts Center, and led marketing communications efforts at Delta Cargo, a division of Delta Air Lines. At Delta, he also served as Chair of Marketing and Communications for the SkyTeam Cargo Global Strategic Alliance, where he coordinated marketing strategies across global partners.
Dave holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati. He currently resides in Atlanta, GA.
Georgia Tech, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Offering excellent undergraduate and graduate programs in the nation’s largest college of engineering, Georgia Tech's School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering provides students with incomparable opportunities, countless options for collaboration with experts in other fields across campus, and access to some of the best research and academic facilities available in higher education. Boasting world-class professors, the School has one of the largest faculties of any chemical engineering program nationwide. The faculty members are leaders in their research fields and recipients of many of the most prestigious awards given to professionals in the discipline.
With some of the most eminent minds and access to the biggest and best laboratories, the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering is known for producing a high volume of innovative research that addresses some of the biggest problems facing humankind today, including developing new therapeutics for diseases, designing sustainable systems for improving the environment, and creating more efficient methods for producing new and better technologies.
Georgia Tech, School of Materials Science and Engineering
Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is an enabling discipline that focuses on developing processes needed to design and create materials with atomic and molecular scale structures that provide the properties necessary for meeting performance requirements for functions and applications for meeting next generation societal challenges.
Graduates with an MSE degree guide the selection of materials for application-specific performance requirements. They design and create materials with required properties, e.g., metals lighter and stronger, ceramics tougher, polymers degradable, and composites more affordable. They develop processes employing environmentally friendly, low-cost, sustainable, manufacturing approaches, with strategic use of rare materials and natural resources.
MSE at Georgia Tech is amongst largest, most diverse, and top ranked materials program in the U.S. At the School, undergraduate education covers wide range of academic areas spanning Structural and Functional materials, Polymers and Textiles, & Biomaterials. Throughout GT student's learning experience, instruction is by expert in both traditional and advanced fields. Individualized academic advisement and mentoring is available for all students. There are many Co-op, Research, Study-abroad, and Business Option opportunities for students at the School of Materials Science and Engineering.
The Opportunity: Director of Development II, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering & School of Materials Science and Engineering
The Director of Development II, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and School of Materials Science & Engineering will be an experienced and successful fundraiser responsible for planning and implementing a coordinated program of fundraising activities. The Director will use advanced relationship-building skills to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and principal gift prospects, including individuals, corporations, and/or foundations. This position will establish and effectively manage relationships with critical, high-profile prospects. The Director will design and implement strategic fundraising plans as well as manage special events to involve and cultivate prospects. The Director will collaborate with deans and faculty, and coordinates with other development and alumni relations staff. This position will be required to identify stewardship opportunities for major donors and may service complex fundraising markets or regions. Typically, this position solicits gifts in the range of $100,000 to $5 million and manages a portfolio size (average annual fundraising accountability) of $2.5 million to $3.5 million. The prospect pool managed is up to 150 prospects. This position will interact on a regular basis with major and principal donors and prospective donors. This position typically will advise and counsel: Deans, school chairs, faculty, academic unit and program leadership, unit volunteer leadership, and other development officers. This position may supervise assigned staff.
The Role and Responsibilities
Responsibilities:
Design and implement comprehensive fundraising plans for assigned college, school, program, region, or constituency.
Use advanced professional relationship building skills to develop and implement plans and strategies for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and principal gift donors and prospective donors.
Close major gifts and commitments, personally and consistently, with a typical gift solicitation range of $100,000 to $5 million. Maintain ongoing relationships and provide exceptional donor stewardship to encourage future giving.
Establish and maintain a high degree of collaboration with other development officers and staff, as well deans, school chairs, faculty, and other Institute academic and executive officers.
Submit timely contact reports, prospect plans, and solicitations into tracking system.
Prepare written development materials including case statements, proposals, and fundraising initiative/ campaign related literature for assigned college, school, and/ or program(s).
Manage special events and/ or advisory board meetings to involve and cultivate prospects.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Skills and Qualifications
Skills:
Broad knowledge of fundraising approaches.
Highest levels of interpersonal skills, ethical standards, and good judgement.
Excellent skills in building long-term relationships.
Persuasive written and verbal communications skills.
Abilities in prioritizing, negotiating, influencing, strategic planning, project management, program administration and organization.
Self-motivation, ability to work independently and as a team member.
Capacity for multi-tasking.
Use of office-related computer applications is required.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Four to six years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising and/or relevant experience in sales and marketing, or other related fields.
Travel is an essential part of the position as is participation in evening and weekend activities.
Preferred Qualifications
Master's Degree.
Eight plus years of proven experience and results in soliciting and closing seven-figure major gifts in a higher education setting and a campaign environment.
Applications & Nominations
The Georgia Institute for Technology has partnered with Boyden Executive Search. For more information about this opportunity or to submit a cover letter and resume, please email:
Lisa Vuona has decades of experience in executive search and human resource management, primarily in the non-profit, healthcare and education sectors. She is distinguished by her track record and network, and by her approach, which combines the strategic power of data with a finely tuned ability to understand the client’s organization and identify high-caliber leaders who fit the culture.
Leslie Smith has helped numerous individuals and organizations achieve their goals. She works with non-profits and educational institutions, helping to define leadership needs and connecting them with the right talent. Along with extensive knowledge of the non-profit sector, she has a passion for strengthening mission-driven organizations and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden Boston is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.
Georgia Tech - Director of Development II, School of ChBe and School of MSE - Job Description (PDF Download)
