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Director Of Leadership Development Jobs in Michigan

Louisville Ballet

Director of Development

Detroit, MI · On-site

$120 - $170/hr

The Director of Development is a senior leader and crucial partner to Pewabic's new Executive Director, responsible for designing, leading, and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy that ...

UHS

Director of Business Development

Grand Rapids, MI · On-site

The Director of Business Development oversees the provision of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service activities within the Marketing Department. The Director of Business Development is responsible ...

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Director Of Leadership Development information

See Michigan salary details

$61.9K

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$67.5K

How much do director of leadership development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for director of leadership development in Michigan is $65,238.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $64,100.00 and $66,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a director of leadership development do?

Directors of leadership development plan and implement training programs to educate supervising staff at a company on how to be more effective leaders. This role is often found in a large organization looking to improve their manager’s and executive’s communication and leadership skills. Your job duties include designing a strategy for the leadership program, developing content to achieve the organization's goals and promote its mission, providing material and activities to enhance leadership qualities, assisting in the program development plan, and overseeing operations during implementation. A director of leadership development may also manage the budget and timeline for completing the program.

What does a director of leadership development do?

A Director of Leadership Development is responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing programs that develop leadership skills within an organization. They work closely with executives and human resources to identify leadership gaps and create strategies to build managerial and executive capabilities. Their duties often include coordinating training sessions, mentoring programs, succession planning, and evaluating the effectiveness of leadership initiatives. The goal is to ensure that the organization has a strong pipeline of capable leaders ready to take on critical roles as the company grows.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of leadership development, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director Of Leadership Development, you need a strong background in organizational development, talent management, and leadership coaching, usually supported by a relevant bachelor's or master's degree. Familiarity with learning management systems (LMS), assessment tools, and certifications such as CPLP (Certified Professional in Learning and Performance) is often required. Exceptional communication, strategic thinking, and the ability to inspire and influence others are critical soft skills for this role. These skills and qualities are essential for designing effective leadership programs that align with organizational goals and foster a high-performance culture.

What are some common challenges faced by a director of leadership development when implementing new training programs across an organization?

A Director of Leadership Development often encounters challenges such as securing buy-in from senior stakeholders, ensuring training content aligns with organizational goals, and adapting programs to diverse learning styles and business units. Balancing the need for consistency with the flexibility to meet different departments’ needs can be complex. Additionally, measuring the long-term impact of leadership initiatives and demonstrating ROI to leadership are ongoing challenges that require strategic planning and effective communication.

What is the difference between Director Of Leadership Development vs Training Manager?

AspectDirector Of Leadership DevelopmentTraining Manager
Primary FocusDeveloping leadership programs and strategiesImplementing training sessions and workshops
ResponsibilitiesDesigning leadership pipelines, mentoring leadersDelivering training, assessing learning needs
Required CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in HR, Business, or related fields; leadership certificationsBachelor's in HR, Education, or related fields; training certifications
Work EnvironmentCorporate offices, leadership development teamsTraining departments, corporate or educational settings

The main difference is that the Director Of Leadership Development focuses on creating and overseeing leadership programs to cultivate future leaders, while the Training Manager handles the execution of training sessions and skill development. Both roles require similar credentials but serve different strategic and operational purposes within organizations.

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Director Of Leadership Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Of Leadership Development job openings in Michigan as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 76% Full Time, 21% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $65,238 per year, or $31.4 per hour.

Director of Development

EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

Ypsilanti, MI

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 6 days ago

Job description

Director Of Development

College of Arts & Sciences


Eastern Michigan University Foundation

In 1989, the Eastern Michigan University Regents founded the Eastern Michigan University Foundation, with the sole mission and purpose to provide additional financial support to students, programs, services, and the educational community of Eastern Michigan University. The EMU Foundation solicits funds on behalf of the University with the purpose of increasing the sources and amounts of private funds for the benefit of the University. All fundraising activities and events undertaken by individual units of EMU are coordinated through the EMU Foundation.


Director of Development for The College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences at Eastern Michigan University is the university's largest academic division, offering 124 degree programs with an average class size of 25. It provides student-centered education in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and fine arts across multiple campus buildings.


The Director of Development will provide direct support to the Dean and Faculty of the college while partnering with Advancement team members in a highly collaborative environment.


Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Advancement, with a focus on individual major giving, the Director of Development creates plans for donor outreach with the collaboration of Advancement team members. Additionally, leads, inspires, and manages annual resource development goals and multi-year fundraising plan/strategy to support the college, students and faculty.


The Director of Development will be well supported by and will collaborate closely with the EMU Foundation's Advancement Services and Alumni Engagement teams. This includes direct fundraising support for annual giving programs, donor stewardship, and customized alumni engagement programming, event support, and communications to the constituencies from within the college. Additionally, they will work with the Data & Information Systems team to utilize robust prospect research and development, reporting, and gift & records support.


Principal Duties and Responsibilities:      


Fulfills Advancement Performance Standards

  • Invest 60-80% of time on direct fundraising
  • Manage a portfolio size, primary and secondary, of 100-150 donors
  • Have 160-220 substantive interactions annually
  • Perform 15-25 qualification or discovery meetings
  • Complete 15-25 managed asks, with 10-20 closed; and 7-15 team asks
  • Create an Annual Work Plan detailing:
  • Division Priorities/Goals
  • Job Specific Work Goals
  • Professional Development

Donor Identification & Research

  • Identify and qualify potential major gift donors.
  • Conduct research on donor capacity, philanthropic interests, and giving history.
  • Develop donor strategies based on wealth screenings and engagement analytics.

Donor Cultivation & Relationship Building

  • Build and maintain strong relationships with prospective and current major donors.
  • Conduct one-on-one meetings, campus visits, and personalized engagement activities.
  • Engage regional donors in alignment with institutional fundraising strategies.
  • Work closely with the Dean, faculty, and institutional leadership to align donor interests with institutional priorities.

Gift Solicitation & Proposal Development

  • Develop tailored solicitation strategies for individual donors.
  • Present funding opportunities through personalized proposals and case statements.
  • Make direct asks for major gifts through in-person meetings, calls, and written proposals.

Donor Stewardship & Recognition

  • Ensure proper acknowledgment and appreciation of major donors through thank-you letters, impact reports, and events.
  • Provide ongoing engagement to deepen donor relationships and encourage future giving.
  • Coordinate donor recognition programs, including naming opportunities and special acknowledgments.

Collaboration with Institutional Stakeholders

  • Work closely with university leadership, advancement team members, and faculty to align fundraising goals.
  • Partner with alumni relations, planned giving, and corporate/foundation relations teams to maximize donor engagement.
  • Serve as a liaison between donors and institutional programs or projects they support.

Data Management & Reporting

  • Maintain accurate donor records and track engagement activity using CRM tools (Raiser’s Edge).
  • Prepare reports on progress toward fundraising goals and donor pipeline development.
  • Use data analytics to refine donor strategies and measure success.

Event Participation & Major Gift Campaigns

  • Support or organize donor cultivation events, including receptions, galas, and campus tours.
  • Participate in campaign planning for capital projects, scholarships, endowments, and special initiatives.
  • Coordinate follow-up strategies post-events to convert engaged donors into major contributors.


Minimum Qualifications:

EMU seeks a focused philanthropy professional with proven experience achieving major giving goals, and cultivating relationships with prospects, donors and colleagues. The successful candidate will have a minimum of 3-5 years of experience. Prior experience within a higher education experience is desirable. The selected candidate will be collaborative, compassionate and charismatic, with a can-do attitude.

Preferred Qualifications:    

Key Competencies

  • Relationship Building: Ability to cultivate and maintain long-term donor relationships.
  • Fundraising Knowledge: Understanding of philanthropic trends, donor motivations, and gift solicitation techniques.
  • Communication: Strong verbal and written skills for donor meetings, proposals, and presentations.
  • Strategic Thinking: Ability to align donor interests with institutional priorities.
  • Persuasion & Negotiation: Comfort with making direct gift solicitations and closing major donations.
  • Confidentiality & Ethics: Knowledge of fundraising best practices, gift agreements, and donor confidentiality.

Education

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in business administration, communications, or a related field.
  • Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) is preferred.

Personal competencies

  • Relationship and trust building skills
  • Highly credible with personal integrity
  • Proactive and highly responsive
  • Solution-oriented/Identifies new opportunities
  • Results and goal oriented
  • Excellent communications skills
  • Confidence to take action and “run with things”

Eastern Michigan University Foundation offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision Insurance; long-term disability, AD& D and life insurance; a retirement plan with a 4% employer contribution; a generous paid time off package; a tuition waiver program, and much more. The salary range for this position is $100,000 - $110,000 annually. This position is based in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This role requires local and regional travel for donor meetings.