Director of Development

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world. 

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

For over 160 years, the University of Washington has been a hub for learning, innovation, problem solving and community building. Supporting this legacy and important public mission—with the goal of making the UW the world’s greatest public university, as measured by positive impact—guides everything we do in University Advancement . Bringing together development; alumni and stakeholder engagement; marketing and communications; and advancement operations, we advance the UW’s impact by developing meaningful connections that foster pride, advocacy and philanthropic support. 

This starts with creating a culture of belonging within our organization that values the diverse experiences and expertise of our team members, allowing everyone to thrive and to contribute their unique talents as we strive to achieve our shared goals.

The Evans School of Public Policy & Governance has an exciting opening for a Director of Development. This is a full-time, permanent position.   

The Evans School is the only equity-centered school of public policy and leadership in the United States that serves courageous changemakers who want actionable strategies and pragmatic skills to transform civic life in our communities, our region and the world. The Director plays an important role in maintaining the strong reputation and impact of the Evans School by securing private support that can advance student success, faculty achievement and the School’s various areas of research. The Director reports to the Evans School’s Assistant Dean for Advancement & External Relations and supervises the Alumni & Community Engagement Manager.

What You Will Do:

Frontline Fundraising (60%)

•Actively identify major gift prospects with high affinity for the Evans School and manage a portfolio or qualified major gift donors.

•Solicit and secure gifts at all levels, but with a particular focus on major gifts of $25,000+.

•Prepare written proposals, endowment agreements and other materials needed to secure major gifts and grants. 

•Participate cooperatively in the University’s prospect management and tracking system.

•Mentor junior members of the Advancement team in best practices related to portfolio management and solicitation strategies. 

•Identify and develop opportunities to leverage Evans School events and activities to increase private support and alumni giving participation.

Advancement Strategy and Execution (35%)

•As part of the University-wide development planning process, work with the Assistant Dean for Advancement and the Dean to annually establish goals, objectives and strategies for the Evans School’s development activities and stakeholder engagement efforts. 

•Regularly evaluate programs, assess progress toward goals and report on results to the Assistant Dean and Dean.

•Develop targeted strategies to achieve specific goals (e.g., alumni participation targets, various campaign targets and program-specific opportunities) and manage the execution of these micro-campaigns.

•Provide adaptive management and leadership for all development and annual fund activities. 

•Oversee and coordinate all aspects of the Evans School’s fundraising activities, including annual gifts, major and planned gifts, corporate and foundation gifts and grants, donor recognition and stewardship, alumni giving, advancement communications and publications, and fundraising events. 

•Build on a strong foundation of success, while significantly increasing the growth of private support for the Evans School.

•Coordinate with central Advancement teams (planned giving, annual philanthropy, principal giving, etc.) to enhance and advance the Evans School’s development activities.

•Manage all strategy and activities related to student fellowship program, including donor stewardship and recipient/donor engagement.

•Manage and evaluate the work of direct reports.

Relationship Management (5%)

•Serve as a primary liaison for the Evans School’s private fundraising efforts, including coordinating interaction with donors, volunteer committees and boards. 

•Empower, equip and accompany external volunteers on solicitation calls. Build strong and mutually beneficial relationships between the Evans School (its Dean, faculty, staff and students) and external audiences such as donors, alumni, and business and community leaders.

•Serve in leadership roles throughout the Evans School, including participating in faculty and student committees in a Dean-liaison capacity.

Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and at least four years of progressively responsible experience in institutional development/advancement, with an emphasis on cultivating and soliciting major gifts.
• Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

What You Bring:

•Expertise in development principles and strategies, and awareness of emerging practices like community-centric fundraising.

•Understanding of advancement and alumni engagement efforts within the higher education setting.

•Creativity, flexibility, humor, discretion, determination, a connection to the mission and resiliency.

•Understanding of and belief in the value of public policy, nonprofit management, governance and the programmatic elements of the Evans school.

•Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite for correspondence, special reports, spreadsheets, databases, forms, etc.

•Experience with relational databases/CRMs to track and analyze development efforts and segment audiences.

•Experience managing and developing staff and/or teams.

What You Can Expect:

•Cubicle/Open workspace environment which may result in higher levels of noise and visual distractions.

•Ability to work evening and weekend hours, as necessary, on short or limited notice.

•Must have regular and reliable transportation for local travel and willing to travel when necessary.

Application Process: 

The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law