Job Profile

The Senior Vice President Alumni & HNI Fundraising will lead the Institute's strategy for major gifts, alumni philanthropy, and high-net-worth individual (HNI) engagement in the Office of Institutional Advancement, IIT Madras, under the aegis of IIT Madras Alumni Charitable Trust, an organisation that closely works with IIT Madras for fund raising and Alumni engagement. The selected candidate would engage with the Alumni of IIT Madras spread across the Globe, to raise funds for the Institute. The role focuses on cultivating long-term philanthropic partnerships with distinguished alumni and other HNIs who are committed to advancing research, education, innovation, and societal impact at IIT Madras.
The position requires a leader who combines relationship-building excellence with strategic fundraising capability, capable of developing large philanthropic partnerships and managing complex donor ecosystems involving alumni leaders, trustees, faculty, and institutional leadership.
Role Mandate
The Senior Vice President will be responsible for conceptualising, building, and executing a large-scale alumni and HNI fundraising architecture for IIT Madras.
The role involves 1) Identifying and cultivating global alumni leaders and philanthropists, 2) Structuring large philanthropic commitments and 3) Developing multi-year giving programmes.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Fundraising Leadership

- Design and execute a comprehensive strategy for alumni and HNI fundraising, including major gifts, endowments, chairs, scholarships, and capital projects.




- Identify and cultivate ultra-high-net-worth alumni and philanthropists globally.
- Build a structured pipeline of prospective donors through systematic prospect research and relationship mapping.
- Develop multi-year fundraising campaigns aligned with institutional priorities.

2. Donor Engagement and Relationship Management

- Build trusted relationships with distinguished alumni and HNI philanthropists.
- Engage donors through personalised stewardship, strategic dialogues, and institutional immersion experiences.
- Ensure high-quality donor stewardship including reporting, recognition, and long-term engagement.

3. Major Gifts and Institutional Partnerships

- Lead fundraising initiatives for large philanthropic commitments including:
- Endowed faculty chairs
- Research centres
- Capital infrastructure
- Student support endowments

- Structure complex gift agreements and philanthropic partnerships in collaboration with institutional leadership and governance bodies.

4. Alumni Engagement Strategy

- Develop innovative engagement platforms for alumni across geographies.
- Collaborate with alumni associations and global alumni chapters.
- Design initiatives that convert alumni engagement into long-term philanthropic partnerships.

5.



Team Leadership

- Lead and mentor a high-performing team focused on major gifts and alumni engagement.
- Establish structured processes for donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Develop systems for performance tracking and pipeline management.

6. Institutional Coordination

- Work closely with:
- Institute leadership
- Academic departments
- Research centres
- Corporate partnerships teams

- Ensure alignment between fundraising priorities and institutional strategy.

Qualifications
Education

- Graduates of IIT Madras or other IITs or Masters degree from a leading university (MBA or equivalent preferred).

Experience

- 12 to 18 years of leadership experience in one or more of the following:
- Sales and marketing
- Institutional fundraising
- Philanthropy and development
- Wealth management / family offices
- Strategic relationship management

- Demonstrated success in closing large philanthropic or strategic partnerships.

Skills and Competencies

- Exceptional relationship-building capabilities with senior leaders and philanthropists.
- Strong understanding of philanthropy, endowment structures, and donor stewardship.
- Ability to translate institutional priorities into compelling philanthropic opportunities.
- Strategic thinking combined with robust execution discipline.
- High credibility with academic leaders and trustees.
- TRAVEL
The Role requires the candidate to travel in India and Abroad on Alumni meetings and engagements.

📌 Senior Vice President-Alumni & HNI Fundraising (Chennai)
🏢 Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)
📍 Chennai