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Director, Development
Please see Special Instructions for more details.
Please address each of the Minimum Qualifications in your cover letter.
Announcement
Details
Open Date | 05/15/2025
Requisition Number | PRN41928B
Job Title | Director, Development
Working Title | Senior Advancement Director, Colleges and Schools LAS
Job Grade | H
FLSA Code | Executive
Patient Sensitive Job Code? | No
Standard Hours per Week | 40
Full Time or Part Time? | Full Time
Shift | Day
Work Schedule Summary | Typically, Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm, with appointments, including travel, outside of those hours (as needed). The job duties of the Senior Director are predominately performed in an in office/in person work environment. This position may be eligible for up to one day of remote work a week, depending on the schedule of activities, meetings, and events in a given week.
VP Area | President
Department | 00289 - Development
Location | Campus
City | Salt Lake City, UT
Type of Recruitment | External Posting
Pay Rate Range | 130000 150000
Close Date | 08/15/2025
Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time) |
Job Summary | The Senior Advancement Director leads fundraising staff in support of philanthropic priorities of the Colleges and Schools of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), which is comprised of the College of Humanities, College of Social and Behavioral Science, College of Science, and School for Cultural and Social Transformation.
Reporting to both the Vice Provost/Senior Dean of LAS and either the Senior Executive Director of Advancement or designee, the Senior Advancement Director is responsible for overseeing the staff, operations, and strategy for fundraising and engagement of LAS. As a leader in the University Advancement division the Director of Development is expected to support and exemplify the division’s Core Values of Collaboration, Belonging, Empowerment, and Integrity.
The Senior Advancement Director will maximize LAS’s philanthropic potential and serve as a player-coach to frontline fundraisers and engagement staff. In this capacity, the Senior Advancement Director will manage a personal portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and employ a rigorous strategic moves management program to ensure that prospects are consistently engaged and moved through the development pipeline. The Senior Advancement Director will work with the Vice Provost/Senior Dean, senior administrators, and department chairs to ensure alignment with strategic priorities and foster a culture of philanthropy.
The Senior Advancement Director will oversee a staff of ten advancement professionals whose roles include major gift fundraising, annual giving, stewardship and donor relations, and advancement services. This role will include building an integrated strategy for this new unit. The Senior Advancement Director will coordinate the colleges’ administrative and operational activities related to fundraising, working to increase private sector contributions through a targeted and integrated approach.
Responsibilities | Donor Identification, Cultivation and Solicitation (50%):
Working with the Prospect Research team identify a personal portfolio of prospects to actively cultivate and solicit. Working with the Prospect Management team, manage the pool of prospects and donors. Craft compelling proposals, effectively present the organization’s mission and needs to potential donors and strategically solicit significant gifts. Develop and maintain strong personal relationships with major donors through regular communication, in-person meetings, and personalized outreach strategies. Both in-state and out-of-state travel is an essential part of the role. Management of LAS Advancement Staff (35%):
Provide strategic oversight of a variety of staff and functions, including front line fundraising, annual giving, donor relations, and advancement services. Manage all HR supervisor functions for the fundraising and engagement staff including Kronos, University of Utah Performance Management system, budget management, etc. Provide oversight of LAS fundraising priorities and building the appropriate strategy and tactics for successful fundraising, engagement and stewardship. Build a strong relationship with the Vice Provost/Senior Dean, deans, and faculty and staff leaders. Serve as a member of the Leadership Team. Maintain a strong presence within the college. Facilitate the Vice Provost, deans, alumni, administrators, academic leaders, and volunteers participating in fundraising and stewardship activities. Collaborate with faculty, other development team members, board members, and program staff to align fundraising strategies with university and unit priorities. Work with LAS advancement staff to collaboratively create an annual workplan that includes fundraising and stewardship annual goals in alignment with recommended University Advancement metrics. Working with the Prospect Management team, actively manage the college’s portfolio of major gift prospects, tracking progress through the UNITE system, and prioritizing cultivation and solicitation efforts based on donor potential. Plan and manage advancement team budget.College Liaison within Central Advancement (10%):
Partner with the University Advancement, legacy giving, corporate and foundation relations, principal gifts, annual giving, donor relations, and prospect management teams to create a robust advancement program. Submit regular reports to the Senior Executive Director of Advancement or designee, Vice Provost/Senior Dean, and other institutional leaders as required. Seek appropriate training opportunities, including specialized advancement training for major gift work, planned giving techniques, etc.Other duties as assigned (5%):
Complete other duties assigned by the Senior Executive Director of Advancement or designee, or Vice Provost/Senior Dean.
Minimum Qualifications | Bachelor’s degree, or equivalency (one year of education can be substituted for two years of related work experience); Belief in the life-changing power of higher education; Five years of direct fundraising experience; Proven ability to be a self-starter and to work independently & effectively toward goals; Demonstrated intellectual and social curiosity while accessing a deep and wide repository of knowledge to inform donor and partner discussions; Demonstrated ability to distill information into action plans, with a focus using data and analytics to enhance prospect prioritization; Demonstrated behavioral and linguistic flexibility; Demonstrated understanding of strategic solicitation, and the donor cycle; Demonstrated superior communication skills including verbal and written communication.
Preferences | Three or more years of direct fundraising experience in higher education advancement Three or more years of leading a high-performing team
Type | Benefited Staff
Special Instructions Summary | Please address each of the Minimum Qualifications in your cover letter.
Additional Information | The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.
The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and patients from all backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education and quality healthcare for historically underrepresented students and patients.
All qualified individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.
To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (OEO/AA). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at: https://www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/
Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu
https://safety.utah.edu/safetyreport This report includes statistics about criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, and Violence Against Women Act offenses. They also provide information about safety and security-related services offered by the University of Utah. A paper copy can be obtained by request at the Department of Public Safety located at 1658 East 500 South.
Posting Specific Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
- * Do you have a related Bachelor's degree or equivalency? (2 years related work experience may be substituted for 1 year of education)
- * How many years of progressively more responsible management experience do you have?
- Less than 2 years
- 2 year or more, but less than 4 years
- 4 years or more, but less than 8 years
- 8 years or more, but less than 12 years
- 12 years or more
- * Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B status)?
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
- Resume
- Cover Letter
- List of References
Optional Documents
- Historical Only – Do Not Use – See Description for More Information – Appropriate discharge document (such as DD-2214) – Veteran Only
- Historical Only – Do Not Use – See Document Description for More Information – Addendum to the University of Utah – Veteran Only
University Human Resource Management
250 East 200 South, Suite 125 Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Contact us: (801) 581-2169 By Email: employment@utah.edu
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