Associate Vice President, Development

Advancement & Partnerships:

Join our dynamic and growing Advancement & Partnerships team as we work together to power partnerships and transform lives through philanthropy.

Together, we can unleash the potential of people and ideas to positively change the world. Your efforts on our team will help us to build the University for the Future.

The Opportunity :

Under the general leadership of the Senior Associate Vice President of Advancement & Partnerships and Co-Campaign Director (Sr. AVP) and in alignment with the strategic priorities of the Senior Vice President for Advancement & Partnerships (SVP), the Associate Vice President for Development (AVP) will provide leadership and operational oversight for a portfolio of Assistant Vice President, Executive Director of Development and Director of Development level fundraisers.

The Associate Vice President serves as a senior fundraising strategist and people leader responsible for advancing philanthropic results, strengthening fundraising operations, and supporting the successful execution of the university’s comprehensive campaign.

Responsibilities:

Leadership and Oversight of Development Teams:

• •Provides strategic leadership and direct supervision for a group of Assistant Vice President, Executive Director of Development, and Director of Development level positions and other senior fundraising leaders responsible for major gift fundraising within assigned colleges and units.
• •Guides fundraising strategy, portfolio development, and prospect engagement to ensure teams are positioned to meet or exceed fundraising goals. Establishes expectations for performance, accountability, and collaboration across development teams while supporting consistent fundraising practices and processes across the division.
• •Works closely with development leaders to assess pipeline health, identify opportunities for growth, and remove barriers to fundraising success. Provides mentorship, coaching, and leadership development for senior fundraising staff to strengthen the division’s overall fundraising capacity.
• •Supports the recruitment, onboarding, and development of development professionals in partnership with Advancement leadership and Human Resources Operations.

Fundraising Strategy and Principal Gift Engagement:

• •Maintains a select portfolio of select principal and major gift prospects to cultivate, solicit, and steward in partnership with college leadership and development officers.
• •Provides strategic counsel to development leaders on complex fundraising strategies, donor engagement plans, and principal gift opportunities. Works collaboratively with deans, faculty, and university leadership to identify philanthropic priorities and align donor interests with institutional needs.
• •Supports cross-unit fundraising strategies and collaborative gift opportunities that advance university-wide initiatives and campaign priorities.

Campaign and Strategic Initiative Leadership:

• •Supports the success of the campaign by ensuring that the units meet their benchmarks, have what they need to successfully do their jobs, are effectively coached, mentored, deans are engaged, fundraisers are working well with central fundraising services, etc.
• •Assists and supports with prospect strategies and fundraising goal development. They will support the units in achieving their campaign targets, provide guidance to enhance campaign participation and performance.
• •Works collaboratively with Advancement Operations, Prospect Development, and Communications teams to ensure fundraising strategies are informed by data, pipeline insights, and coordinated donor engagement.

Leadership Collaboration and Division Strategy:

• •Contributes to division-wide fundraising planning, goal setting, and strategic initiatives.
• •Collaborates with Advancement leaders to strengthen performance expectations, prospect management practices, and campaign strategies.
• •Provides insight and recommendations to senior leadership on emerging fundraising opportunities, staffing needs, and organizational priorities.

Minimum Qualifications :

Bachelor's or Master's degree and 12+ years of relevant experience with at least 5+ years of leadership experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6) .

Preferred Qualifications :

We’re looking for a dynamic fundraising leader who is passionate about the transformative power of higher education. The strongest candidates may also bring:

• •Master’s degree in Higher Education, Business Administration, Communications, Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, or related field.
• •10+ years of progressive leadership experience in higher education advancement, philanthropy, or complex nonprofit fundraising environments.
• •Demonstrated success leading large-scale major gift or principal gift fundraising efforts, including securing seven-figure philanthropic commitments.
• •Experience leading and developing senior fundraising professionals in a complex, matrixed organization.
• •Proven ability to build collaborative partnerships with executive leadership, deans, faculty, volunteers, and high-capacity donors.
• •Experience supporting a comprehensive fundraising campaign within a higher education or similarly complex organization.
• •Strong understanding of prospect strategy, portfolio management, donor pipeline development, and fundraising performance metrics.
• •Experience using fundraising and donor management systems such as Blackbaud CRM, Salesforce, or similar platforms to inform strategy and performance.
• •Demonstrated success managing cross-functional fundraising initiatives and collaborative donor strategies across multiple units or colleges.
• •Strong leadership, communication, and organizational change management skills with the ability to influence and drive results across teams.
• •Experience developing fundraising strategy informed by data analytics, campaign reporting, and pipeline insights.
• •Record of fostering a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team culture.
• •Record of success in achieving fiscal year and campaign benchmarks.

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

• •The anticipated starting salary for a well-qualified candidate is $215,000 - $240,000. Advancement and Partnerships values the unique contributions that each team member brings to our division. The final determination of a successful candidate's starting salary will vary based on several factors, including education and relevant experience. The anticipated pay scale indicated for this position generally applies to candidates who meet the minimum requirements and several of the preferred qualifications outlined above. All offers are contingent on successful background and reference screens.
• •All applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, and the university cannot accommodate H 1B transfers or employment-based visa processing for individuals currently sponsored by another employer.
• •Classification Title: Associate Vice President, Central Advancement

This role requires the successful candidate to work on-site at UCF as their primary work location. On-site presence is an essential function of this role.

Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?

As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 12 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to g