Department: University Advancement
Appointment Type and Duration: Regular, Ongoing
Salary: $100,000 - $115,000 per year
Compensation Band: OS-OA10-Fiscal Year 2025-2026
FTE: 1.0
Remote eligible
Application Review Begins
September 5, 2025; position open until filled
Special Instructions to Applicants
To be considered for this position, applicants must submit a complete application that includes:
• 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 current resume of your educational and professional work experience.
We are interested in finding the best candidate for the position. We encourage you to use your application to let us know what is meaningful to you about the role and what transferable skills or other qualities you would bring.
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 Director of Regional Philanthropy, East Coast reports to a Senior Director of Regional Philanthropy with dotted line supervision from the Assistant Vice President for Regional Philanthropy.
This field-oriented position requires frequent travel and direct contact with donors and prospects. The Director works collaboratively with colleagues in the assigned unit, Development, and across the university to identify new prospects and strategically cultivate alumni, parents, and friends. The Director is responsible for meeting fundraising goals as they relate to the strategic needs of the university and the assigned unit, priority, or region. Productivity will be measured through the growth of individual performance and regional team commitments.
The Director will oversee a major gift fundraising portfolio 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/family prospects rated $100,000 - $999,999.
The Director will 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.
This position will help coach the Leadership Annual and Mid-Level giving development officers covering the East Coast and include them in regional strategy meetings.
The Director will be responsible for the oversight and provision of individual solicitation strategies, ensuring that prospects are moving through the donor philanthropic process at pace; successfully managing a portfolio of prospects and meeting their own fundraising objectives.
The Director will serve as the expert on the cultural and philanthropic values of the East Coast with a deep understanding of the regions’ demographic profile, particularly in the Tri-State (NY, CT, NJ), DMV (DC, Maryland, VA), Boston areas. The Director will manage a thoughtful and strategic discovery process for unmanaged rated prospects across the leadership and major giving prospect managers in the East Coast 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 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 75% of the time is an essential expectation of this position.
Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of skills and experience.
• Three years of professional fundraising experience or five years combined experience in development and in a closely related field such as corporate sales.
Professional Competencies
• Working with donors and prospects: Experience with 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 six-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
• Five years of progressively responsible development experience, or related transferrable skillset.
• Three years of major gift experience.
• Experience in higher education development.
• Three years of professional experience working on the East Coast with a deep understanding of the regions’ demographic profile, particularly in the Tri-State (NY, CT, NJ), DMV (DC, Maryland, VA), and Boston areas/ industries, including but not limited to finance, business, real estate, and healthcare, with the ability to navigate regional networks effectively.
• Currently residing in a major East Coast metropolitan area.
• Expertise in engaging in sophisticated, high-level conversations on industry-specific topics, showcasing deep knowledge and thought leadership.
• Familiarity with leading social clubs particularly in the Tri-State (NY, CT, NJ), DMV (DC, Maryland, VA), and Boston Metropolitan areas.
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 our website.
The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity 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 email us or call 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 Equal Opportunity and Access. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.
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