Senior Director of Gift Planning

Job Description

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Gift Planning, the Senior Director of Gift Planning is a senior leadership role within the University’s Gift Planning program. The University is conducting a pooled search to fill two positions with shared core responsibilities and distinct areas of emphasis. Both positions are responsible for securing new gifts and commitments from bequests, deferred gifts, and complex outright gifts;

managing a portfolio of high‑capacity donors capable of commitments of at least $500,000; serving as a liaison to select colleges and programs to identify and advance planned giving opportunities; and contributing to training efforts that help Advancement colleagues recognize and refer planned gift prospects. Each role plays a key part in supporting the strategic growth of the Gift Planning program as the University anticipates a significant rise in prospective planned giving donors in the coming years.

One Senior Director position includes an emphasis on supervising, coaching, and developing early and mid-career gift officers, providing strategic guidance for frontline planned giving work, and supporting staff in navigating complex gift conversations. The other Senior Director position includes an emphasis on overseeing Gift Planning’s marketing strategy, coordinating with internal partners and external vendors, and leading outreach initiatives that strengthen the planned giving pipeline and increase donor engagement.

Both positions offer the opportunity to make a significant professional impact at a leading university in a highly regarded college‑town environment while contributing to the long‑term philanthropic strength of the institution.

• Bachelor’s degree and related experience to include trusts and estate law practice or accounting practice, wealth management, or charitable gift planning required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of legal, estate, tax, financial, and gift planning concepts.
• Demonstrated strong communication, organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work within a multifaceted organization requiring collaboration, teamwork, and communication.
• Demonstrated experience in charitable gift planning.

• Master's degree, JD degree or a CPA designation preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Virginia Tech, its history, its operations, its current priorities, and its alumni.
• Demonstrated fundraising experience at a large university or other large charitable organization.

Exempt:
Not eligible for overtime

Regular

$140,000 - $155,000

40+ hours per week

March 18th, 2026

Unable to Sponsor Work Visas. This position requires occasional travel and work hours that includes evenings/weekends.

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands‑on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land‑grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College.

The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

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