Assistant Director of Leadership Annual Giving in Development

UTHealth Houston is seeking an Assistant Director of Development to play a key role in building and sustaining a pipeline of mid-level giving donors that advance the mission of UTHH. This position focuses on strategically engaging new and existing donors within the leadership giving program, identifying philanthropic interests, and securing gifts that strengthen UTHealth Houston’s future. Working collaboratively with development colleagues, prospect researchers, faculty, and volunteers, the Assistant Director helps identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors who give $1,000 or more annually (or as determined by prospect research)— supporting the pipeline of future major gift prospects and ensuring long-term philanthropic success.

We are seeking an individual with experience in front-line fundraising who is comfortable engaging with donors both virtually and in person and possesses an understanding of current fundraising trends and best practices. Your home office will be in the heart of the Texas Medical Center at our University Center Tower. Our Development Department operates a hybrid schedule, with some days spent on-premises and others working remotely. UTHealth Houston offers outstanding benefits, including comprehensive medical coverage and participation in the Texas state pension plan.

What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’s resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.

Once you join us, you won't want to leave. We reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:

• 100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees
• Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equate to around 37-38 days per year)
• The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!
• Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service)
• Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan!

We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ well-being is important to us. We offer work/life services such as...

• Free financial and legal counseling
• Free mental health counseling services
• Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
• Other employee discounts, including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
• Resources for child and elder care
• Plus many more!

Position Summary:

Works with new or existing donors or with individuals qualified by prospect research, establishes or strengthens an individual's relationship with UTHealth Houston through suitable engagement and stewardship activity, discovers areas of interest, and secures commitments in the $1,000-$99,000 range. Develops effective internal and external partnerships to expand the donor base with the ultimate objective to grow the major gift donor pipeline through upgrades.

Position Key Accountabilities:

• Works collaboratively with prospect researchers, development staff, faculty, and volunteers to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects to feed the giving pipeline. Assesses prospect interest, matching particular interests with school and institutional priorities.
• Manages a large rotating caseload of donors giving between $1,000- $99,999. Actively stewarding donors by participating in ongoing stewardship programs and assisting with the creation of new stewardship initiatives to help retain and renew donors.
• Formulates solicitation strategies for assigned prospects in conjunction with development leadership and coordinates implementation using a tiered one-to-many approach. Works to improve results and monitor key metrics, including participation, retention, acquisition, and upgrades.
• Develops effective partnerships across the University and provides internal and external partners with appropriate data and content, and ensures adherence to quality standards and timelines. Works collaboratively to advance and achieve program strategic plans and goals.
• Researches and stays up to date on trends in the field of philanthropy -suggests new initiatives or improvements to enhance the leadership giving program as they arise.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Certification/Skills:

• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills
• Strong skills in maintaining donor relationships
• Working knowledge of a CRM system
• Exhibits required job knowledge
• Demonstrates personal effectiveness and accountability
• Delivers quality student, patient, and customer service
• Exhibits teamwork and collaboration
• Exemplifies strong ethics, integrity, and respect for others
• Adheres to all work environment, health, safety, and compliance standards

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree required. May substitute required education with equivalent years of experience beyond the minimum experience requirement.

Minimum Experience:

6 years of related experience in fundraising or equivalent transferable marketing background, preferably in higher education, health care, or nonprofit organizations, required

Physical Requirements:

Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount constantly to move objects.

Security Sensitive:

This position is a security-sensitive position pursuant to Texas Education Code §51.215 and Texas Government Code §411.094. To the extent that a position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Texas Business and Commerce Code §117.001(2), the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure is a minimum qualification to be hired for and to continue to be employed in that position. Personnel in such positions, and similarly situated state contractors, will be routinely reviewed to determine whether things such as criminal history or continuous connections to the government or political apparatus of a foreign adversary might prevent the applicant, employee, or contractor from being able to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure. A foreign adversary is a nation listed in 15 C.F.R. §791.4.

Residency Requirement:

Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.