Director, Development

Job Description

INSEAD is seeking a Director, Development (Europe) to join our Advancement Department. This is a full-time, permanent position, based on our Europe Campus in Fontainebleau, France. A hybrid working model is in place - 3 days on campus, 2 days from home.

About the Job

Reporting to the Executive Director, Development, you will lead INSEAD's major gifts fundraising strategy across Europe, driving revenue growth, strengthening donor engagement and building a sustainable pipeline of philanthropic support for the School's strategic priorities. You will combine hands-on fundraising excellence with regional leadership, personally cultivating and securing transformational gifts while shaping the overall fundraising approach across Europe. As a visible ambassador for INSEAD, you will work closely with alumni, donors, volunteers, faculty and senior leadership to maximise philanthropic impact and build long-term support for the institution.

Your role within the team

• Own and manage a personal portfolio of high-potential Europe-based prospects.
• Personally close major gifts in the €50K-€1M range, delivering ambitious individual revenue targets in support of institutional priorities.
• Build and sustain a robust prospect pipeline, ensuring consistent progression and long-term revenue growth across the donor lifecycle.
• Identify, qualify, and advance the next generation of top European prospects.
• Develop and execute tailored solicitation strategies aligned with donor interests and institutional priorities.
• Undertake regular travel across Europe to engage donors, deepen relationships, and accelerate philanthropic outcomes.
• Lead and influence the Europe fundraising team, ensuring strong regional performance and accountability for fundraising outcomes. Manage and develop the team, including recruitment, coaching, and performance management.
• Work in close partnership with the Executive Director to support regional strategy and pipeline performance, ensuring donor relationships are managed effectively.
• Fully integrate an end-to-end Europe fundraising strategy and ensure strong collaboration across the Europe team, including key fundraising volunteers, INSEAD Board representatives, colleagues and local alumni associations to maximise fundraising outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with global Advancement colleagues, faculty, senior leadership and volunteers to deliver a coordinated and integrated fundraising approach.
• Represent INSEAD at events and engagement activities across the region.
• Maintain accurate and timely CRM records, ensuring high standards of data quality, planning and reporting.
• Drive effective coordination across fundraising stages, ensuring seamless prospect movement, communication and data sharing from Annual Giving through to Principal Gifts and stewardship.

The Ideal Candidate Profile

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced training in philanthropy, non-profit management, or related fields an advantage. An MBA or equivalent global experience is a plus.
• Minimum 10 years' experience in face-to-face gifts fundraising or senior-level stakeholder relationship management, ideally within an educational institution.
• Demonstrated success closing gifts of €50K+ (or equivalent complex deal-making in commercial or non-profit settings).
• Proven track record of portfolio management, pipeline development, and consistent delivery against revenue targets.
• Strong understanding of the European fundraising landscape, with experience engaging senior donors, volunteers and board-level stakeholders across diverse markets and cultures.
• Exceptional storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to articulate INSEAD's mission and translate it into compelling philanthropic cases.
• Ability to build trusted, long-term relationships with donors and stakeholders, proactively anticipating their interests and aligning them with INSEAD's strategic priorities to deliver meaningful philanthropic outcomes.
• Ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder gift processes involving faculty, leadership, volunteers and external partners.
• Able to consistently deliver at the highest standard, demonstrate sound judgement and integrity, and take full ownership of ambitious goals in a complex, international environment.
• Proven track record in team leadership, volunteer management and/or end-to-end development strategy ownership.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Passionate about understanding stakeholder needs and building trusted, long-term relationships that create meaningful outcomes.
• Excel at delivering high-quality engagement experiences and aligning donor interests with institutional priorities.

Kindly submit your application along with a CV in English.

About Us

INSEAD is a Mission-Driven Global Organisation and is rapidly evolving to shape the future of business education

We develop responsible, globally minded leaders to improve the well-being of societies through world-class education across four continents. As we operate in a very dynamic and rapidly changing sector, we continue to innovate, modernising our operations, and driving ambitious strategic initiatives across our campuses, to remain the business school of choice.

Our Culture

Our culture is defined by diversity, independence, rigour, and an entrepreneurial spirit, underpinned by six key competencies. We empower our teams to lead with a growth mindset and a client-focused approach, foster a culture of professionalism and integrity, where collaboration and empathy are the engines of our innovation. These competencies guide how we work, make decisions, and contribute to the School's mission every day.

Independence as a Strategic Advantage

Free from government or university systems, our financial and ideological independence allows us to think, teach, and act without political constraints. This autonomy enables our faculty to pursue rigorous, evidence-based research that creates objective value for our participants and the world.

Our Customers

We serve an influential global base, including senior leaders, multinational corporations, and public sector institutions committed to leadership development at scale. Our programmes attract ambitious individuals who want to shape business and society while our corporate partners rely on us as a strategic ally in developing future-ready leaders. Working at INSEAD means contributing to an institution whose customers operate at the highest levels of global innovation and impact.

A Diversity of Perspectives

Diversity at INSEAD is about how our people think and challenge assumptions to drive more meaningful innovation. We welcome a wide range of perspectives, believing they lead to better decisions and stronger, more inclusive teams.

We Hire People Who Want to Make a Difference

We seek ambitious individuals who thrive in international environments and share our goal of delivering tangible impact for our customers. Join us to grow your career in a world-class institution where your ideas and contributions truly matter.

About the Team

The Advancement department at INSEAD is dedicated to fundraising and developing relationships with alumni and donors. It plays a crucial role in supporting the school's strategic initiatives and promoting engagement within the INSEAD community.