Director, Complex Assets

Director, Complex Assets

Pomona College has retained the Executive Search Firm, Aspen Leadership Group, to lead the search efforts. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to Don Hasseltine : donhasseltine@aspenleaderhipgroup.com and reference "Pomona College" in the subject line. If you are an internal applicant, please apply here.

Located near Los Angeles, California, Pomona College is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges. Established in 1887, Pomona College is known for small classes, a challenging curriculum, close relationships between students and faculty, and a range of student research and leadership opportunities.

The director, complex assets (legacy) is a talented, self-motivated, and intellectually curious fundraising professional with primary responsibility for the strategic growth of the legacy giving program. Charged with contributing significant resources to develop and grow a sustainable pipeline of complex gifts with a focus on bequests, trusts, and other deferred or complex giving vehicles, the director will cultivate and close gifts from alumni, families, donors, and prospects in support of the division's annual and multi-year campaign fundraising goals and will effectively collaborate with the director, complex assets (principal gifts), assistant vice president of development, and the highly regarded Pomona Plan team that is charged with securing life income, primarily from friends of the College.

A primary responsibility for the director is securing new legacy intentions and new members in the College's legacy society Granite & Sagebrush, individually and in collaboration with fundraising colleagues across the Advancement division. The director will manage a portfolio of assigned alumni, families, friends, donors, and prospects to generate interest in and to secure legacy intentions, partnering with directors of development on blended giving opportunities for alumni and families. The director will also manage one assistant director of complex assets.

Reporting to the assistant vice president of complex, legacy, and principal gifts, the director will activate and support colleagues in sustained, donor-centric complex assets fundraising for the College's top priorities and campaign initiatives. The director will provide vision and leadership for a comprehensive and well-integrated complex assets fundraising and marketing program for Pomona in support of the most aspirational, comprehensive capital campaign in the history of the College, while also raising the level of giving beyond the campaign.

The director must demonstrate familiarity in building collaborations with other high-performing fundraising teams. This position requires judgment and the ability to act independently to plan and accomplish goals. The successful candidate will be an inspiring leader, good listener, and an effective advocate for the value of a liberal arts education. The director will actively contribute to a healthy team environment, inspire colleagues toward excellence, and lead by example.

Pomona is committed to a donor-centric approach to development. Every member of the Advancement staff plays a role in providing the College's donors with the service and attention that ensures an exceptionally positive and fulfilling philanthropic experience.

Essential Functions :

• Lead the growth and development of a robust pipeline of significant legacy gifts, ensuring alignment with Pomona College's long-term fundraising strategy and achievement of annual and multi-year campaign goals.
• Maintain a personal portfolio of high-level donors and prospects, including complex assets and major gifts, and demonstrate frontline fundraising success through identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Serve as the College's recognized expert in complex assets, collaborating with senior leadership and donors' financial, tax, and estate advisors to develop and present tailored complex gift strategies.
• Lead in the creation, design, and execution of Pomona College's complex asset strategies and goals and develop metrics to measure ongoing success and ROI. Achieve personal annual fundraising goals with a focus on legacy giving from alumni, families, donors, and prospects.
• Recruit and supervise one assistant director of complex asset. Develop a comprehensive, metrics-based, fundraising plan and set aspirational goals.
• Operationalize short and long-term complex assets goals and strategies, with an emphasis on legacy giving, to build upon existing commitments and expand the current donor base of support.
• Provide complex assets training to frontline fundraisers.
• Collaborate with and support major gift, life-income gift (Pomona Plan), reunion and family giving fundraisers in cultivating complex assets and legacy gifts from alumni, families, donors, and prospects that may combine major, life-income, complex assets and legacy gifts into their annual planning and strategy sessions.
• Develop and implement strategies to maximize the acquisition and retention of alumni, families, donors, and complex assets and legacy giving prospects, particularly legacy gift donors.
• Develop and coordinate annual marketing strategies and materials that promote complex assets and legacy giving, in partnership with the Office of Advancement Communications.
• In collaboration with the stewardship team, help oversee the stewardship of alumni, families, legacy giving donors, and prospects, strategically increasing membership in the Granite & Sagebrush Society, the College's legacy giving society.
• Track mature estate expectancies to ensure the preservation and timely distribution of all estate gifts to Pomona College.
• Build and nurture strong relationships with financial, legal, and tax advisors in support of complex assets and legacy giving to Pomona College.
• Foster a leadership style that inspires, empowers, and motivates staff while promoting a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Partner, coach, equip and encourage development staff to pursue complex assets gift opportunities, assisting them in the design and implementation of individualized strategies for the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of planned, major and blended gifts as appropriate.
• Perform other duties as requested, delegated, or assigned.

Qualifications :

Required Knowledge and Critical Skills :

Required Hours :

The regular hours for this full-time position are 8 : 00 a.m. to 5 : 00 p.m., Monday Friday. Holiday, weekend and evening work hours may be required. Travel may be required. Regular hours may vary due to needs of the College or division.

Additional Position Details : Regular, full-time, exempt position. Annual Salary : $175,000 to $195,000. The specific factors that the College will consider when offering a salary to an individual will include, but not be limited to : education, training, relevant prior experience, and performance in prior roles. All staff positions are ineligible for visa or permanent resident card sponsorship. As a California employer, Pomona College requires all employees to be residents of California.

Pomona College offers a wide variety of benefits and perks including health, dental, and vision plan options;