Advancement Officer II- Leadership Annual Giving Officer

Summary of Position:

Who We Want

An ambitious and dynamic leader with a proven track-record in development to serve as the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Institutional Advancement’s (IA) Leadership Annual Giving Officer.

As we build-out our Development unit, we are looking for a highly collaborative development officer to create and implement a comprehensive annual giving development strategy.

You embody an unending commitment to positively contributing to our team culture; we all commit to making UTEP IA a great place to work. You have tenacious optimism and a goal-oriented, growth mindset, with the ability to remain flexible and develop creative solutions in pursuit of always maintaining forward momentum.

You thrive in a dynamic environment, continually balancing competing priorities. You have the ability to work independently and collaboratively, supporting the success of all colleagues and volunteers, and prioritizing UTEP’s overall goals above personal achievement.

What You’ll Do:

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Development and working with our unit development officers, you’ll collaborate on priority areas of need and move donors through the leadership annual giving and major gifts pipeline.

In this entry-level fundraising role, you’ll manage a portfolio of annual giving ($1,000-$24,999) prospects regionally and nationally, develop and execute strategies leading to successful evaluation, cultivation, solicitation, and investment that aims to leverage donors’ interests to the University’s opportunities, crowdfunding campaigns, and matches and challenges for giving day and applicable campaigns.

With a focus on donor retention and continuously building our annual giving donor base, you’ll be charged with tracking leadership annual giving trends, growth of giving bands, leadership annual giving donor retention and acquisition in partnership with the Strategic Communications & Engagement team. You’ll also maintain awareness of important University developments, events, and achievements.

Additionally, you will be responsible for maintaining accurate and detailed records on donors and prospects, which is critical for effective relationship management and strategic planning. This includes documenting all interactions, contact reports, and relevant notes within the CRM system (Raiser’s Edge NXT). By ensuring that this information is up to date, you will provide valuable insights for yourself and your colleagues, allowing for informed decision-making and tailored engagement strategies. You will also oversee the preparation of compelling funding proposals, assessments of potential support, briefings, gift agreements, and endowments for your assigned prospects, ensuring that all relevant parties (academic partners, faculty, researchers, and staff) are actively involved in these key efforts.

No two days will be the same, but you can expect them to be filled with identifying and strategizing investment opportunities and building impactful, long-term relationships with the College’s constituents. As a part of a centralized Institutional Advancement division, you’ll be supported not only by your AVP and immediate teammates but also by colleagues across the division in prospect research, stewardship, alumni engagement, and communications.

Essential Functions:

Performs a variety of assignments and analyses that impact the Advancement function.

Coordinates donor and funding efforts, services, events, programs, etc. as assigned.

Understands key functional drivers and uses this understanding to accomplish/complete own work.

Solves problems in straightforward situations.

Analyzes potential solutions using experience, judgments, and precedence, providing input and recommendations.

Impacts the quality of work and the work of others on the team, ensuring efficient workflows, productivity, etc. Assists in the development and implementation of advancement strategic plans according to plan and/or with guidance.

Works within standardized functional procedures and practices to achieve objectives and meet established deadlines.

Performs a variety of tasks such as: researching and analyzing data and preparing reports/findings; planning and coordinating events, programs, or services; maintaining data records; processing forms and requests, etc.

Solves routine and complex problems and identifies new, less obvious solutions and/or provides recommendations.

Impacts the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness of the team through planning, organization, coordination, and occasional oversight.

Uses discretion to modify work practices and processes to achieve results and/or improve efficiency.

Knowledge of all Microsoft Office software and able to learn and use institutional software systems.

Complies with all State and University policies.

Other duties may be assigned; specific roles may have additional responsibilities due to the nature of the specific role/division/unit.

Responsible for frontline fundraising responsibilities, including cultivation and solicitation of donors

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Required Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's Degree

and

Experience: One(1) - two (2) years of experience in fundraising or relevant experience (e.g. portfolio management, sales, nonprofit, banking, or finance) and training to the statement of duties and responsibilities; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

A working understanding of a research university environment with faculty and stakeholders

Demonstrated success fundraising for another academic unit, youth-serving agency, business school or program

Experience using a fundraising database (we use Raiser’s Edge NXT)

Experience in a non-profit organization and/or higher education fundraising setting

Proficiency in Microsoft Office software and ability to learn and use institutional software systems

Proficiency in digital marketing practices, including email campaigns, social media management, and website content development

Key Performance Indicators:

Understanding how you would measure success in a role is critical to understanding if it’s a good fit. At Institutional Advancement, we believe Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) contribute not only to the overall productivity of our division but also to our team engagement. Key performance indicators are just one aspect of how performance is evaluated, complemented by role-based competencies and a demonstrated commitment to positive organizational citizenship.

The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for this role:

• Outreach attempts and completed visits with donors and prospects
• Number of annual gift proposals presented
• Number of annual gift proposals closed
• Dollars secured for the University

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee must frequently stand and walk. The employee must regularly sit; use hands to feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee must lift and move up to 50 pounds.

The noise level for this work environment is usually moderate.

In keeping with its access, excellence and impact mission, The University of Texas at El Paso is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that honors the talents, respects the differences, and nurtures the growth and development of all. We seek to attract faculty and staff who share our commitment.

The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or sexual orientation and gender in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes an employee’s or prospective employee’s right to be free from sexual harassment under Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972.

For accommodation information for employees and applicants with disabilities, please contact UTEP's Equal Opportunity Office at eoaa@utep.edu.