Senior Director of Development for Strategic Initiatives

Job Posting Title

Senior Director of Development for Strategic Initiatives ----

Hiring Department

University Development Office ----

Position Open To

All Applicants ----

Weekly Scheduled Hours

40 ----

FLSA Status

Exempt from FLSA ----

Earliest Start Date

Immediately ----

Position Duration

Expected to Continue ----

Location

UT MAIN CAMPUS ----

Job Details

About The University of Texas at Austin

What starts here changes the world.

The University of Texas at Austin, founded in 1883, ranks among the best universities in the world. With 76 programs ranked in the top 10, UT Austin is the #1 public university in Texas and the #7 public university in the nation.

Like the state it calls home, The University of Texas at Austin is a bold, ambitious leader supporting more than 55,000 students, 4,750 faculty, 15,000 staff and top national programs across 18 colleges and schools. Amid the backdrop of Austin, Texas, a city recognized for its creative and entrepreneurial spirit, the University provides a place to explore countless opportunities for tomorrow’s artists, scientists, athletes, doctors, entrepreneurs and engineers.

Learn more about UT’s mission and values and leadership .

Why Join Texas Development?

The University of Texas at Austin is a thriving hub of learning and discovery that anchors our city and enables excellence and innovation on the highest level. And it’s only possible because generous supporters believe in the power and promise of our state’s flagship university to change the world. With more than $6 billion raised in the What Starts Here campaign, Texas Development is quickly becoming one of the best fundraising programs in public higher education.

Texas Development is a dynamic community of 500+ fundraising professionals across the Forty Acres. We strive to reach the highest levels of achievement and success in all that we do by creating meaningful and powerful experiences for our donors.

Follow your passion, grow your career and help us change the world .

Benefits

The University provides a competitive benefits package that includes insurance and retirement benefits in addition to other programs and services.

Texas Development supports growth by offering professional development opportunities that help every team member accomplish their goals, enrich their skillset and deepen their engagement with UT.

Purpose

As the Director of Development for Strategic Initiatives, you will play a pivotal role in advancing The University of Texas’s strategic plan priorities by identifying and helping lay out the case for support for transformative gift conversations.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate biweekly Transformational Giving meeting agendas and outline actionable next steps for the leadership team, serving as a key connector across the UDO fundraising team and the CSU campus partners.
• Work with the Transformational Giving Leadership Team in determining fundraising priorities related to transformational gift conversations and assist the Transformational Giving on transformational gifts strategy and developing playbooks for all Transformational and Presidential gift prospects. Track and follow-up on key next steps and action items for donors to ensure timely execution.
• Collaborate with UDO leadership to identify intersections between UT’s strategic plan priorities and fundraising needs and operationalize within Texas Development.
• With the guidance from Executive Director for Campus Partnerships, advance strategic planning and content development for high-priority university initiatives, connecting UT’s strategic plan priorities to actionable fundraising opportunities within Texas Development.
• Work with Transformational Giving Leadership Team to build and maintain an accessible database to track $5M+ open, closed, and pending proposals, enabling the fundraising team to conduct informed weekly reviews and maintain real-time visibility into the transformational giving pipeline.
• Support the Transformational Giving Leadership Team in crafting proposal content, presentations, SWOT analysis, and talking points for donor conversations.
• Drive strategic planning contributions across fundraising teams, supporting goal setting and execution while leading content development for university priorities.
• Work with Donor Relations team to help determine next steps for Stewardship of Transformational and Presidential Prospects throughout the year.
• Collaborate in developing a TG-specific toolkit, including standardized templates and practical checklists based on proven models.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Salary

OPEN

Required Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience working in a related role.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, Communications).
• Experience working with university senior leadership on strategic planning or organizational strategy.
• Experience managing cross-functional team project or initiatives.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling presentations and proposals.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders and build strong relationships.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10 years of experience working in a related role.
• Experience working with university leadership on the Change Starts Here initiatives.
• Familiarity with fundraising, development or related fields.

Working Conditions

• This position is based in Austin, Texas.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University Development Office does not sponsor work visas for this position.
• Works in standard office conditions, in a shared office environment, with repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.
• Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM on-site work is the standard expectation for this position.
• May require additional hours during peak periods and special events.
• Regular and consistent attendance is required in this job.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• Three work references with contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of Interest

Important   for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers:  You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers:  As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility