Career Center

Job location is at 10240 Science Center Dr, San Diego, CA 92121

Reporting to the Senior Principal Gifts Officer, the Principal Gifts Officer is a critically important role, primarily responsible as a member of the External Relations (ER) team for identifying and closing major gifts to advance the mission of scientific discovery at the Salk Institute.  The Principal Gifts Officer will have primary responsibility of raising funds for the Cancer Institute, Neuroscience, Immunobiology and Computational Biology areas of research, capital needs and supporting faculty at the Salk Institute. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.  Manage a portfolio of principal gift prospects/donors for the purposes of qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
2. Work in a collaborative way with the fundraising team and other External Relations Departments to identify and steward major gift prospects/donors.
3. Establish positive and strategic working relationships with Faculty.
4. Demonstrate core values of integrity, community, accountability, respect, and empowerment to donors, colleagues, faculty and volunteers; and provides quality service in the performance of work assignments and duties.
5. As part of the Development Fundraising Team, participate in planning and implementing effective fund-raising strategies that considers the unique mission of Salk and the special needs of donors and potential donors.
6. Willingness to work on special assignments and/or projects as directed by the Senior Director for Development or the Vice President for External Relations.     

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree (BA) from a four-year college or university; and eight to ten years of related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Computer skills required: Development Software; Microsoft Office

The expected pay range for this position is $120,000 to $155,000 per annum. Salk Institute provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the institute reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

SALK VALUES:

• Integrity - Guides our moral compass and underpins our every action. We do what is right in all situations for no other reason than because it is right. We uphold honesty and ethical behavior and make good on our commitments. We understand that words and deeds matter and that integrity leads to trust.
• Community - Enables us to harness the power of our collective talents. We work together towards common goals. We recognize the importance of diversity where everyone’s ideas, identities, backgrounds, and perspectives are valued and pave the paths that propel us forward. We understand our pioneering role in the broader scientific community and take pride in our efforts to have a positive impact on the world.
• Accountability - Keeps us focused, and keeps us honest. We are responsible not only for our own success, but the success of our teams and the entire Institute. We consider how the actions we take and the decisions we make in our own work may impact others.
• Respect - Creates the foundation of trust and brings out the best in us all. We value the experiences, identities, and feelings of those we work with, regardless of their position or their relationship to us. We provide feedback in a constructive manner, use appropriate language, and allow others to share their thoughts and ideas without fear of ridicule.
• Empowerment - Amplifies all voices and inspires the pursuit of greatness. We lift each other up, enabling us to grow continuously and live to our fullest potential. We support the expression of ideas, encourage self-advocacy, inspire confidence and recognize that an environment of mutual respect is critical to our collective success.

 COMPETENCIES:

• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
• Business Acumen - Understands business implications of decisions; Displays orientation to profitability; Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Aligns work with strategic goals.
• Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
• Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.
• Judgement - Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.
• Leadership - Exhibits confidence in self and others; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
• Motivation - Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence; Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals.
• Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
• Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.
• Strategic Thinking - Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; Understands organization's strengths & weaknesses; Analyzes market and competition; Identifies external threats and opportunities; Adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
• Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Ethics - Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.
• Diversity - Demonstrates knowledge of EEO policy; Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; Educates others on the value of diversity; Promotes a harassment-free environment; Builds a diverse workforce.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Frequently required to stand
• Frequently required to walk
• Frequently required to sit
• Frequently required to utilize hand and finger dexterity
• Frequently required to talk or hear 
• Occasionally exposure to outside weather conditions
• While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
• The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 10 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include: Close vision; Distance vision; Depth perception and ability to adjust focus
• Must be willing to work in an animal-related research environment

The Salk Institute is an internationally renowned research institution that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We seek bold and interactive leaders passionate about exploring new frontiers in science. Our collaborative community embraces diverse perspectives and unique life experiences, fostering innovation, and a sense of belonging. Together, we strive to improve the wellbeing of humanity through groundbreaking research.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or physical requirements.  Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. All individuals who accept a position with the Salk Institute must be willing to work in an animal-related research environment, must successfully complete the Institute’s background investigation and must be willing to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)