Associate Athletic Director, Major Gifts

Special Instructions to Applicants: 

All interested applicants please attach a cover letter and resume in PDF format.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development, this position will plan, organize and manage the development of complex major gift support for athletic fundraising priorities. This position will also work very closely with and will have a dotted line reporting relationship to the Executive Director of Development (Regional) in the Development and Alumni Relations Division. Specific responsibilities include the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major donor prospects capable of gifts at the $100K to $4.9M level. This position will work directly with the Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development and the Executive Director of Development (Regional), key prospects, the rest of the development team in Athletics, and volunteers, preparing solicitation, cultivation and stewardship strategies. This position will be responsible for developing and executing the fundraising strategy for a specific athletic campaign priority or in conjunction with the Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development, under the direction of the Vice President and Director of Athletics.   

The ideal candidate is an entrepreneurial quick starter with a demonstrated track record of securing major gift commitments, obtaining the knowledge base from athletic departments to effectively partner with other divisional and university stakeholders to garner philanthropic resources on behalf of Rice University.

Workplace Requirements: 

Must possess (or have the ability to obtain one within 30 days of hire) and maintain a valid Texas driver’s license with no more than three moving violations and/or at fault accidents within the past 36 months, and no convictions or deferred dispositions for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving Under the Influence (DUI) within the past five years.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 5 years of related professional fundraising experience, including individual donors capable of gifts of $1 million or more, and demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major individual gifts

Skills: 

• Ability to develop and initiate new strategies
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage projects simultaneously
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
• Excellent data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules
• Adept at problem-solving, creating contingency plans, and handling issues when necessary
• Excellent client service orientation and attention to detail
• Ability to lead and motivate others
• Strategic skills to craft and implement fundraising and/or project plans
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to quickly understand and remember details about alumni/donors and projects to which they are assigned

Preferences:

• 6  years of the experience specified above and fundraising experience with an institution of higher education
• Working knowledge of CRMs
• Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) certification

Essential Functions:

• Develops and manages a portfolio of major gift prospects through the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors with an emphasis on $100K gifts 
• Identifies fundraising priorities and devises plans and strategies to accomplish goals
• Works collaboratively with coaches, athletic staff and development colleagues in support of fundraising initiatives
• Collaborates on development-related communications and events
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Travel is required for this position
• Occasional evening and weekend work in support of special projects and events
• Works with and supervises the efforts of volunteers involved in fundraising initiatives
• Ability to work long periods of time in front of a computer

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview

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Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.