Lead Senior Director of Advancement, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences
🇺🇸
Columbia, SC
🕑
Full-Time
💰
$116K
💻
Development & Advancement
🗓️
June 10th, 2025
BlackbaudCRM
Edtech.com's Summary
University of South Carolina is hiring a Lead Senior Director of Advancement. The role involves managing and implementing an advancement program focusing on major gifts fundraising, alumni relations, and corporate engagement for the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. Responsibilities include supervising the Advancement team, developing fundraising strategies, and executing the strategic vision for external relations within the College.
Highlights
Responsible for leading and supervising advancement programs and teams.
Focuses on major gifts, engaging alumni and corporations.
Involves planning, implementing, promoting, and managing advancement initiatives.
Requires Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience.
Experience in higher education fundraising and closing on major gift campaigns preferred.
Uses Blackbaud CRM for managing donor relationships.
Offers a starting salary of $116,104.
Lead Senior Director of Advancement, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences Full Description
Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.
We are only accepting applications submitted by August 4, 2025.
Posting Details
Posting Summary
Logo | Posting Number | STA00403PO25 Job Family | Alumni Relations and Development Job Function | Development USC Market Title | Lead Senior Director of Development Link to USC Market Title | https://uscjobs.sc.edu/titles/148858 Job Level | M4 - Managerial Business Title (Internal Title) | Lead Senior Director of Advancement, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences Campus | Columbia Work County | Richland College/Division | Division of Development Department | DEV Development Office State Pay Band | Unclassified Approved Starting Salary | $116,104 Advertised Salary Range | $116,104 - commensurate with qualifications Location of Vacancy | Columbia, SC Part/Full Time | Full Time Hours per Week | 37.5 Work Schedule | Standard working schedule: 8:30am – 5:00pm
Must be willing to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the department. Basis | 12 months Job Search Category | Alumni Development
About USC
About University of South Carolina | From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.
Benefits for FTE Positions The University of South Carolina (USC), through the State of SC and Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA), offers employees a valuable benefits package, including health and life insurance, generous paid leave and retirement programs. To learn more about USC benefits, access the "Working at USC" section on the Applicant Portal at https://uscjobs.sc.edu. Research Grant or Time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some, or no benefits, based on the grant or project funding.
Position Description
Advertised Job Summary | Under limited supervision, the Lead Senior Director of Advancement (Senior DOA) for the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences (College) is responsible for an effective, comprehensive, and ongoing advancement program through major gifts fundraising, alumni relations, and corporate engagement. Responsibilities include planning, managing, implementing, promoting, coordinating, and administering the advancement program with an emphasis on major gifts for the College. This includes other responsibilities of the development operations and external relations for the College and the supervision of the Advancement team. This position reports to the Assistant Vice President of Development (AVP) for the fundraising expertise and strategies and is responsible to the dean for the execution of a strategic vision for external relations for the College. The dean provides direction on the fundraising priorities and strategic vision for the College. The development component of this position is part of the University Development team and operates within the system and procedures of USC Development to ensure consistent and well-coordinated activities across the College, University Development, and the University system. Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience | Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job related field and 5 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience. Required Certification, Licensure/Other Credentials | Preferred Qualifications | Bachelor’s degree and 5 years proven experience major gift/development in higher education and/or hybrid development model. Previous campaign experience including experience soliciting and closing $1M gifts. Familiarity with Blackbaud CRM donor database preferred. Knowledge/Skills/Abilities | Thorough knowledge of principles and methods of planning and conducting a comprehensive fundraising program. Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with faculty, alumni, donors, students, volunteers, businesses, and the general public. Outstanding oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills. Ability to travel, work evenings and weekends, as required. Effective computer experience including database operation and word processing. Supervisory experience in hiring, managing, training and mentoring development directors and administrative staff are required. Proven ability to develop relationships with leaders in a broad range of professions.
Job Duties
Job Duty | Oversees and leads a team of development and external relations engagement efforts. Creates and fosters an environment conducive to high performance and a cohesive team, recruits, trains, and mentors professional staff. Manages staff maintaining clear monthly goals and annual performance reviews; develops performance plans and conducts reviews. Assesses effectiveness of staff, processes, procedures, resource allocation and strategies. Clearly articulates expectations, standards of accountability and guidance of staff toward desired outcomes. Strategizes and implements fundraising plans to grow leadership annual giving program and major/principal gifts program. Essential Function | Yes Percentage of Time | 25%Job Duty | Serves as Prospect Manager for potential donors with capacity over $25,000 with emphasis on current and future major gifts for the College to include advancement operations and external relations engagement strategies. Responsible for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting a gift portfolio that benefits the program priorities of the College. Uses Blackbaud CRM to coordinate and document all prospect and donor relationships as well as any relevant assignment, cultivation, or solicitation information or pending opportunities. Essential Function | Yes Percentage of Time | 10%Job Duty | Solicits prospective donors, including individuals, foundations, and corporations in coordination with central’s office of Corporate and Foundation Relations, office of Principal Gifts, office of Principal Gifts, and/or the office of Gift Planning. Number of solicitations are set and established by the AVP and Dean with consultation with the Senior DOA that may include individual and team solicitation goals. All solicitations are documented within a Plan and Opportunity in Blackbaud CRM. Establish a donor pipeline by entering all opportunities in Blackbaud CRM. Adheres to Prospect Development policies and procedures. Essential Function | Yes Percentage of Time | 10%Job Duty | Meets process performance goals set and established by the AVP and the Dean with consultation with the Senior DOA that includes individual and team goals. These goals include a set number of personal initial visits, and solicitations, with a focus on the Top 5 gift closures selected at the beginning of the fiscal year, and tracked via the Fundraiser Dashboard through timely documentation in Blackbaud CRM. Stewardship visits are strongly encouraged. Specific goals will also be set regarding alumni engagement and corporate relations. Essential Function | Yes Percentage of Time | 15%Job Duty | Actively works with the AVP, College dean, directors, area coordinators, faculty, alumni and key volunteers in fundraising, external relations, and in corporate engagement efforts. Partners closely with Gift Planning, Annual Giving, Principal Gifts, and Corporate and Foundation Relations for opportunities to gain expertise from the support fundraising programs. Essential Function | Yes Percentage of Time | 15%Job Duty | In collaboration with the AVP and College dean, develops an annual plan of work, including specific fundraising strategies, campaign, prospect development, stewardship and programmatic goals, priorities and needs. Prepares reports and other required information as requested. May work with the College’s Budget Director on program budget allocation. Essential Function | Yes Percentage of Time | 15%Job Duty | Serves as a member of the overall USC development team by collaborating with colleagues across disciplines on donor strategies. Files timely contact reports timed with reimbursement requests; maintains accurate records and provides timely updated information in Blackbaud CRM as appropriate. Serves on committees and attends staff meetings as required. Essential Function | Yes Percentage of Time | 5%Job Duty | Accepts and implements other specific assignments as directed. Essential Function | No Percentage of Time | 5%
Position Attributes Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing.
Safety Sensitive or Security Sensitive | No Hazardous weather category | Non-Essential
Posting Detail Information
Number of Vacancies | 1 Desired Start Date | 08/01/2025 Job Open Date | 05/28/2025 Job Close Date | 08/04/2025 Open Until Filled | No Special Instructions to Applicant | Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.
We are only accepting applications submitted by August 4, 2025.
Quicklink for Posting | https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/188017 EEO Statement | The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender (including transgender), gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDs status, military status, national origin, pregnancy (false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, childbirth, recovery therefrom or related medical conditions, breastfeeding), race, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other bases under federal, state, local law, or regulations.
Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
* Do you have a bachelor's degree and 5 or more years of experience, which may be substituted by equivalent combination of certification, training, education, and/or experience?
Yes
No
* If so, please tell us how you qualify? (Open Ended Question)
* Do you have supervisory experience?
Yes
No
* If you have supervisory experience, how many years do you have?
0 - under 3 years of supervisory experience.
3 - under 5 years of supervisory experience.
5 - under 8 years of supervisory experience.
More than 8 years of supervisory experience.
* Are you willing to travel to geographical locations of donors/prospects, work evenings, and weekends?
Yes
No
* Do you have a reliable means of transportation?
Yes
No
* Tell us about your supervisory experience in coaching and leading fundraisers and/or a development/advancement team? (Open Ended Question)
* Although we accept resumes for review, the application is the official hiring document maintained by the university. Offers of employment and starting salaries are based on the education and work experience (including beginning and end dates) included in the university application only, not your resume. Have you included all details for all education, volunteer and work experiences in your job application?
Yes
No
No Answer
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
Cover Letter
Resume
List of References and Contact Information
Optional Documents
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