Department: University Advancement
Appointment Type and Duration: Regular, Ongoing
Salary: $125,000 - $145,000 per year
Compensation Band: OS-OA11-Fiscal Year 2024-2025
FTE: 1.0
Application Review Begins
February 3, 2025; position open until filled.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Please submit the following with your online application:
A cover letter in which you clearly describe how your knowledge, skills, and abilities prepare you for the job responsibilities and requirements outlined in the job announcement.
A resume of your educational and professional work experience.
Please Note: We may contact applicants who meet the minimum requirements in the job posting to request additional information for the next stage of review.
Department Summary
University Advancement (UA) supports the University of Oregon’s (UO) mission of providing exceptional teaching, discovery, and service by strategically positioning the university to create awareness, build long-term relationships, and secure resources that increase understanding and further its aims. We are committed to fostering equity and inclusion in a welcoming, safe, and respectful environment that recognizes the value of all members of our community.
The Office of Development as part of University Advancement (UA) has a mission to maximize philanthropic impact at the University of Oregon. We do this by identifying, connecting and engaging alumni and friends around the globe with their passions to advance the vision and priorities of the university.
Position Summary
The Senior Director of Regional Philanthropy, Northwest and Southwest States (Senior Director) reports to the Assistant Vice President, Regional Philanthropy and is responsible for providing leadership to the University of Oregon’s (UO) fundraising efforts and regional engagement strategy for the Northwest and Southwest States, in partnership with fundraising leaders across University Advancement (UA).
The Senior Director will oversee a major gift fundraising professional that is responsible to support key priorities, which could include, but are not limited to, student success, financial aid and scholarships, academic programs, and capital projects by raising gifts from alumni, friends, and parent prospects rated $100,000 - $4,999,999.
This position will successfully lead and motivate a team of fundraising professionals through virtual and in-person platforms and will help coach the Leadership Annual and Mid-Level giving development officers covering the Northwest and Southwest States and include them in regional strategy meetings.
The Senior Director will manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and be responsible for individual visits and asks, securing philanthropic revenue and will demonstrate a commitment to supporting a diverse and inclusive work culture and work with diverse external stakeholders. Productivity will be measured through the growth of individual performance and regional team commitments.
The Senior Director will be responsible for the oversight and provision of individual solicitation strategies including the utilization and deployment of university leadership and key regional volunteers, including the University of Oregon Foundation (UOF) Board Trustees, when appropriate; ensuring that prospects are moving through the donor philanthropic process at pace; holding fundraisers accountable to performance metrics; successfully managing a portfolio of prospects and meeting their own fundraising objectives, and proactively support the professional development of team members.
The Senior Director will serve as the expert on the cultural and philanthropic values of the Northwest and Southwest States with a deep understanding of the regions’ demographic profile, particularly in the Seattle, Denver, Dallas and Scottsdale/Pheonix metropolitan areas. The Senior Director will manage a thoughtful and strategic discovery process for unmanaged rated prospects across the leadership and major giving prospect managers in the Mountain and Southwest States and develop a strategic plan for regional fundraising growth and engagement that aligns with the priorities and goals.
This position is expected to build a pipeline for future philanthropic leaders in the region with a concerted focus on prospects from diverse backgrounds, provide intelligence on existing prospects, seek feedback on programming, and the hosting of events.
Critical to the success of the Senior Director will be the ability to effectively collaborate with fellow regional directors of development, the AVP for Central Development Programs, as well as other fundraising leaders in academic schools, Intercollegiate Athletics, the Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact (Knight Campus), The Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health (Ballmer Institute), and Principal Gifts.
Travel within the assigned region(s) as well as to cities in other states up to 50% of the time is an essential expectation of this position.
Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of skills and experience.
• Five years of progressively responsible major gift experience.
• Three years of progressively responsible management experience.
Professional Competencies
• Working with donors and prospects: Extensive sophistication in prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation with a demonstrated ability to build relationships with donors and prospects, including those who are hard-to-engage or not well connected to the university. Ability to regularly secure repeat major gifts from a donor, lead discussions about lifetime giving and leverage existing and potential planned gifts in the context of lifetime legacies. Comfortable with seven-figure asks and navigating more complex asset management elements in closing gifts.
• Portfolio management and systems: Ability to strategically populate portfolios through identification and stewardship of donors and prospects, and manage the composition using potential, connections, and timelines; actively partners with the UO Foundation on complex gifts and closes, and with Prospect Development and Advancement Analytics and Reporting on tools and portfolio evaluation.
• Professionalism and citizenship: Ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues and take an active role in mentorship and leadership among development officers, serving as an example for professionalism, engagement of the broader team, collaboration, and proactive communication. Experience mentoring or guiding other employees and team members.
• Institutional navigation and industry knowledge: Strong ability to successfully navigate campus relationships, effectively represent the university, and persuasively articulate how the UO distinguishes itself from peer institutions. Ability to maintain high levels of confidence and trust from campus partners and knowledge of donor demographics, multi-unit giving histories, alumni involvement, and campus-wide volunteers. Connected and established as a respected resource in the industry.
• Pipeline strategy and development: Strong ability to navigate and lead broader pipeline discussions for a program and create strategy for different audiences, including current major gift prospects and future potential donors and audiences. Ability to identify and create strategy for under-engaged and new audiences.
• Academic leadership: Ability to maximize the strengths of academic leadership and the time spent on development, as well as drive fundraising action items and initiatives. Capable of fostering strong relationships and building fundraising strategy with key faculty leaders.
• Strategic planning: Ability to integrate the annual business plan, unit’s strategic direction, campaign priorities and campus strategic planning into 3–5-year development planning and long-term strategy.
• Ability to interact, communicate, and work effectively with individuals, recognizing and respecting the many and varied identities of each person.
• Commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to travel.
Preferred Qualifications
• Advanced degree.
• Ten years of progressively responsible development experience.
• Five years of major gift experience.
• Five years of progressive management experience.
• Significant experience in higher education development.
FLSA Exempt: Yes
All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit https://hr.uoregon.edu/about-benefits.
The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.
UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy-related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.
In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://clery.uoregon.edu/annual-campus-security-and-fire-safety-report.
