Senior Director of Development- Advancement- UICOM

Senior Director of Development

The University of Illinois College of Medicine seeks a strategic, collaborative, and entrepreneurial fundraising candidate for a Senior Director of Development.

Reporting to the College of Medicine's Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), the Senior Director will be a hands-on partner for the College of Medicine, bringing entrepreneurial drive and ambition to a growing fundraising operation that supports the clinical, educational, and research ambitions of the College of Medicine, UI Health, and UIC more broadly. They will be responsible for planning, directing, and implementing activities and programs to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and planned gifts from individual donors and prospects at the six-figure level and above. They will serve as primary liaison with department heads and other key faculty to identify fundraising priorities and initiatives and to develop a strategy for soliciting funds.

The successful candidate will bring at least 8 years of experience, preferably in an academic medical Advancement setting, with a clear track record of fundraising success. This individual must be collaborative by nature, keen to engage individuals across a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines, and committed to the mission and goals of the College of Medicine. Bachelor's degree required. Travel will be required to key regions for donor meetings and University business.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 75-100 donors and prospects by qualifying, researching, cultivating, and soliciting gifts of six figures or more. Complete a minimum of 100 substantive actions with prospective donors.
• Own and play a role in achieving the COM annual fundraising goal.
• Help devise and implement an annual advancement plan that includes solicitation of principal gifts ($1 million+) and major gifts.
• Leverage existing leadership, donors, and opportunities to rapidly build new donor bases in support of institutional priorities. Use creative, strategic approaches to acquire new donors and engage prospects beyond those in current portfolios.
• Prepare professional presentations and funding proposals for donors as required.
• Serve as advancement subject matter expert for Department Heads, Dean, and faculty in developing and implementing strategies to solicit gifts.
• Coordinate high-level donor meetings with Executive Dean of the College of Medicine, CAO, and with faculty / senior leadership as needed for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of priority donors.
• Serve as the strategic lead for all assigned donors and prospective donor engagement activities.
• Work with the Executive Dean, CAO, and Senior Director of Alumni Relations to cultivate and identify alumni for college, university, and community awards and recognition.
• Work with Chicago COM data and operations teams to track fundraising to date and keep the CAO updated on progress. Develop and present in-depth research, metrics, and reports on prospect pool, benchmarks, success, and growth.
• Keep TED (Tracking and Engagement Database) updated with development actions.
• Work with the Stewardship team to oversee the delivery of timely acknowledgment letters, endowment impact reports, and other stewardship activities for high-level donors.
• Develop annual stewardship plans for donors and oversee execution.
• Collaborate with Chicago COM Alumni Relations and Special Events teams to enhance interactions with prospects and donors and increase potential gifts.
• Cultivate strong working relationships with academic, clinical, and administrative leadership across the organization; ensure that the College of Medicine Advancement team is seen as a collaborative, proactive, and trustworthy partner capable of professionally addressing opportunities and concerns.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

To apply for this position, please include a cover letter and resume.