Associate Director of Development, Athletics

Advancement & Partnerships:

Join our dynamic and growing Advancement & Partnerships team as we work together to power partnerships and transform lives through philanthropy.

Together, we can unleash the potential of people and ideas to positively change the world.  Your efforts on our team will help us to build the University for the Future.

The Opportunity:

The University of Central Florida is seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Associate Director of Development to join our Advancement & Partnerships division. This role plays a pivotal role in advancing the university's mission and fundraising efforts by identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individuals for major gifts at the $25,000+ level for Athletics/ChargeOn Fund.

Responsibilities:

Prospect Identification & Cultivation:

• Identifies, cultivates, and manages an assigned portfolio of prospects and donors.

• Builds and maintains strong relationships with donors and prospects through regular communication and engagement.

• Position may be assigned a geographic area and/or identified priority areas, and involves travel to assigned geographic areas to meet fundraising goals.

Solicitation & Stewardship:

• Creates and executes individualized solicitations and solicitation plans for donors at the $25,000+ level, leveraging philanthropic interests to effectively solicit and close a defined number of gifts within a specified time frame for specific schools, colleges, or units on campus.

• Collaborating with ChargeOn Fund and Donor Experience team to ensure timely and meaningful recognition.

Partnership & Relationship Building:

• Works closely with leaders to identify funding priorities and opportunities aligned with Athletics programming and the the vision, mission, and values of the unit, division.

• Identifies and facilitates opportunities for university leaders and colleagues to support the cultivation and solicitation of prospective donors, promoting engagement and fostering a culture of philanthropy.

Strategic Fundraising Activities:

• Works closely with the Development team to create and implement strategic fundraising activities focused on acquiring major gifts, including the development and execution of comprehensive fundraising strategies.

• Collaborates with gift officers in other units as appropriate, to maximize engagement.

Leveraging Resources:

• Develops strong relationships with Advancement & Partnerships leadership, staff, and departments.

• Leverages available tools and resources and stays ahead of industry trends and best practices in fundraising to integrate them into daily work and enhance fundraising strategies.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's or Master's degree and 4+ years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6). Click here for more information

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in fundraising, particularly within an athletics or higher education environment.

• Experience successfully soliciting and securing gifts of $25,000+.

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Blackbaud CRM) and donor engagement tools.

The most successful candidates may possess the following qualities:

• Strong understanding of current athletics landscape.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with an ability to engage and inspire donors.

• Experience working in a goal-oriented, fast-paced environment.

• Knowledge of UCF’s Athletics programs, mission, and strategic initiatives is a plus.

• Knowledge of fundraising best practices and philanthropic trends.

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

The anticipated salary for a well-qualified candidate is $64,518 - $80,648.

Advancement and Partnerships values the unique contributions that each team member brings to our division. The determination of a successful candidate's starting salary will vary based on several factors, including education and relevant experience. The anticipated pay scale indicated for this position generally applies to candidates who meet the minimum requirements and several of the preferred qualifications outlined above.

Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?

As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.

Working at UCF has its perks! UCF offers:

• Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program 
• Paid time off, including annual and sick time off and paid holidays
• Retirement savings options 
• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions 
• Education assistance 
• Flexible work environment 
• And more…For more benefits information, view the UCF Employee Benefits Guide.

Dive into our Total Rewards Calculator to discover the diverse selection available to you, giving you a glimpse into the benefits that together shape your comprehensive rewards package at UCF.

Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.

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As a Florida public university, the University of Central Florida makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.  

UCF is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer. 

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 407-823-1336 or email onac@ucf.edu.