Development Manager, Ontario Veterinary College

Department: OVC Advancement
This position is represented by the agreement between the Professional Staff Association and the University of Guelph

Temporary full-time from 07/07/2025 to 07/07/2028 
Temporary Absence of the Regular Incumbent

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page in order to be considered as an internal applicant. 
Career Opportunities (sapsf.com)

General Purpose

This position is an opportunity to join a high-performing team of passionate fundraising professionals in Alumni Affairs and Development at one of Canada’s leading comprehensive research-intensive universities.  

In our work, we advance the mission of the University of Guelph by building lifelong relationships with our community: alumni, donors, and friends. Our vision is for the University of Guelph to be personally relevant in the lives of our community members. Through these relationships, we amplify the impact of philanthropy to create unique solutions for the challenges facing our world. As a member of this campus-wide team, the Development Manager epitomizes the department’s shared values of respect, empowerment, integrity, appreciation, and forward focus.

The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) is consistently ranked among the best in the world for veterinary science and its dedicated Advancement team aspires to lead best practices in our field. If you are looking to join a supportive team who are committed to improving the health and well-being of animals, people and the environment, we encourage your application to this exciting role.  

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Associate Director, Philanthropy (OVC) and working in partnership with the Advancement Team, you will be a relationship builder responsible for personal solicitation of donations, estate gifts and sponsorships in the range of $10,000 to $100,000. This role supports OVC’s Healthy Futures Strategic Plan and is primarily focused on developing OVC’s major gift pipeline. 

We believe that fundraising is a team sport, and collaboration with colleagues in the broader OVC External Relations and Alumni Affairs and Development teams is essential for success.

As part of our mission to build lifelong relationships within our community, the Development Manager, OVC will play a key role in connecting donors with meaningful opportunities to support the College’s highest priorities. This includes engaging alumni, grateful clients, corporations, and friends of the University of Guelph to build lasting philanthropic support. The Development Manager will personally generate support through relationship-building and strategic engagement, with a focus on both advancing current funding opportunities and identifying new prospects to strengthen and grow our donor pipeline.

This position carries an annual fundraising goal that may evolve year to year, depending on institutional priorities and donor opportunities. Flexibility and adaptability will be essential to success, as will the ability to connect authentically and confidently with donors and prospects from diverse backgrounds. More specifically, the responsibilities of this role include: 

• Identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding donors and prospects through the fundraising cycle; 

• Maintaining a personal prospect portfolio of 80-100 cleared donors/prospects, undertaking 10-15 face-to-face meetings per month with donors/prospects;
• Preparing briefing materials to support Senior Administration (President, VPs, AVPs, Dean) fundraising activity;
• Collaborating with the Director of Advancement, the Dean, Associate Director, Philanthropy, the Senior Development Manager and other internal partners to identify university priorities that will resonate with donors, e.g., scholarships, sponsorships, and capital projects; 
• Creating and presenting materials to advance fundraising asks such as: generic cases for support to more customized proposals; 
• Negotiating the closure of major gifts, including the creation of gift agreements and other supporting documentation; 

• Actively develop the OVC planned giving pipeline working in partnership with the OVC Director, Associate Director and the University of Guelph’s Gift Planning Manager.

Requirements

The university recognizes that no one individual will have the following skills/experience in equal measure but the qualifications below will be used to assess the suitability of candidates throughout the process:

• An undergraduate degree and a minimum of two (2) years fundraising experience (with preference for experience in major gift fundraising), or you have attained an equivalent combination of education and experience that has prepared you for this next step in your career.
• Ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and professional development.
• Self-starter and action-oriented, motivated by deadlines and measurable outcomes.
• You approach new challenges with integrity, tenacity and patience.
• You think and act quickly and effectively under pressure, exercising tact, diplomacy, discretion, good judgment, and with a high degree of self-awareness of your own implicit bias.
• Track record of working successfully as part of a team in a fast-paced, complex environment.
• You interact effectively with senior executives in the corporate community.
• Strong writer, and you can present complex ideas with clarity, emotion and brevity in writing as well as in person.
• You adapt readily to new technology and are proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite and donor databases and/or CRM systems.

If you have a passion for animal welfare and/or background in animal, medical or healthcare charities, that would be a tremendous asset and will contribute to your success and satisfaction in this role

Please include a cover letter along with your resume in your application. 

Why choose the University of Guelph

• Comprehensive Extended Health Care Benefits: Immediate enrollment in extended health to cover yourself and your family
• Time off: Strong vacation allocation, floater days, and paid time off during the December closure to ensure that you are at your best
• Wellness: In addition to extensive wellness programming, the University offers a yearly flexible spending credit that can be allocated to any of the following: Health Spending, Wellness or Professional Development
• Learning & Development: Learning and development curriculum and other professional growth opportunities
• On-campus Activities: Discounts on food and apparel, fitness programming, access to networking events and team building opportunities
• Improve Life: Work that directly impacts a brighter future by turning knowledge into action

The university provides a flexible work arrangement. This position is required to be fulfilled both remotely and on-campus (Guelph Campus)

Employee Type: Regular 
Position Number: 10920282 
Classification: P&M FT- Band 04    
Professional/Managerial Salary Bands 
The target hiring salary for this position is minimum up to 96% of midpoint for the salary grade.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date:  05/23/2025  
Closing Date:  06/09/2025