Senior Associate Director, Regional Advancement, Central

Department
ADV Regional Advancement (Central)

About the Department
The Advancement Office engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. Advancement raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

The Regional Advancement team is organized into four regional teams: West, Central, East, and Global. The teams lead comprehensive and collaborative campus‑wide strategies and programs that deeply engage the UChicago community with a focus on raising significant philanthropic support for the University's top priorities, academic units, faculty and students. The team works closely with university and academic leadership, academic divisions and colleagues across Advancement, and is responsible for developing, executing, and coordinating the university's strategic regional advancement program with a goal of significantly growing philanthropic activity and building a robust and sustainable donor pipeline through curated engagement opportunities.

Job Summary
The Senior Associate Director plans and implements a coordinated advancement program of fundraising and strategic cultivation activities for the University of Chicago in the Central region of the United States, including states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. This encompasses identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major gift prospects in the region for Academic Divisions, the College, Professional Schools, and other areas of the University, and executing strategic events and engagement opportunities that grow the donor pipeline and deepen relationships with the University. The portfolio will focus on key metropolitan centers of the UChicago community in the region but may also encompass strategic coverage of other key markets.

This role manages programs designed to meet university fundraising goals for contributed income, serves as strategist of efforts to secure gifts and build relationships with alumni, faculty, administrators and organizations with potential to make gifts, and develops communication strategies for projects.

Responsibilities

Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward alumni, parents and friends who have the capacity to make financial commitments of $100K–$4.9M to the University of Chicago.

Develop and manage a personal fundraising portfolio of 100+ high‑net‑worth donors and prospects with the capacity and inclination to make major ($100K+) annually, with 85+ corresponding prospect visits.

Build and manage a prospect pipeline that could yield as much as 20 major gift solicitations, and $3 million in booked gift commitments at steady state.

Partner with senior leaders to establish fundraising goals and priorities aligned with departmental objectives; design and monitor strategies to achieve results.

Provide leadership and management to multiple fundraising professionals, including discovery and leadership gift officers, ensuring work is strategically prioritized and portfolio activity meets goals and expectations.

Work closely with Advancement senior leadership to establish fundraising goals and objectives and evaluate progress.

Collaborate cross‑functionally with senior leaders and partner units to develop and enhance leadership gift officer and discovery officer programs.

Mentor and coach fundraisers across the Midwest, West Coast, and East Coast; partner with their managers to set goals, build skills, secure resources, and drive performance.

Achieve fundraising and activity goals on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.

Prepare senior administrators for prospect engagement, including briefing materials and strategy.

Identify, cultivate, and develop relationships with alumni, parents, and friends with significant giving capacity.

Partner with unit directors of development, Deans, Officers, Faculty Directors, and other University leaders to shape and execute regional fundraising strategies and drive activity.

Plan, brief, and may accompany University leadership on prospect and donor visits, as appropriate.

Seek opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.

Establish fundraising goals and priorities based on department objectives, design strategies to meet those goals, and monitor progress against them.

Identify, analyze, and qualify donor interest to maximize giving. Help with overall planning efforts for the University's most important prospects. Work independently to develop communication strategies for projects, including publications and public presentations.

Work with Senior Leadership, Officers and Deans to design strategic objectives and action steps that will lead to the successful realization of these projects.

Perform other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

College or university degree in a related field.

5–7 years of work experience in a related discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor's or advanced degree.

Minimum five years of professional experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales or similar.

Minimum five years of soliciting and closing major gifts.

Minimum two years of management experience, including staff management.

Proven record of accomplishment in devising cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.

Background providing timely and effective follow‑up to prospects and donors, crafting compelling fundraising proposals, and creating clear, concise briefing materials for development and academic leadership.

Understanding of data analysis and communication of complex topics to non‑technical audiences.

Experience managing cross‑team projects.

Technical Skills or Knowledge

Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University and the technology tools available to Advancement, including Phoenix, the University's Donor Relationship Management System.

Proficient in a Microsoft Windows computer environment, especially Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.

Preferred Competencies

Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to listen, speak and write effectively; explain complex ideas clearly and simply.

Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.

Effectively use data to manage the portfolio and programs, and report on progress and outcomes.

Act with integrity, professionalism and confidentiality.

Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.

Self‑motivated and take initiative.

Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.

Working Conditions

Hybrid schedule with weekly in‑office presence.

Standard office environment.

Travel to campus and/or non‑campus locations for University business.

Work evenings and weekends as needed.

Position located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.

Position not eligible for employer‑sponsored employment authorization.

Benefits
Eligible. The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Pay Range
$97,750.00 – $115,000.00. The range reflects the university's good faith estimate of possible compensation at the time of posting.

EEO Statement
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

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