Executive Director of Development, Corporate and Foundation Relations

Title: Executive Director of Development, Corporate and Foundation Relations

Employee Classification: Executive Dir, Development

Campus: University of North Texas

Division: UNT-Advancement

Sub Division-Department: UNT-Principal Gifts

Department: UNT-Principal Gifts
-Gen-170500

Job Location: Denton

Salary: $150,

FTE: 1.000000

Retirement Eligibility: ORP Eligible

The University Advancement Corporate and Foundation Relations Team is seeking an Executive Director to lead a foundation-forward advancement strategy focused on transformational private foundation partnerships. This role will devote the majority of its effort—approximately 80%—to identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major national and regional private foundations capable of making significant philanthropic investments in UNT’s institutional priorities, research enterprise, academic programs, and student success initiatives.

Corporate relations will remain an important but secondary function, representing approximately 20% of the role and focused on select corporate entities in partnership with the President’s Corporate Concierge program aligning with UNT’s strategic priorities.

• Leads the development and execution of a transformational foundation relations strategy designed to secure major philanthropic gifts and grants from national and regional private foundations in support of UNT’s highest institutional priorities.
• Builds and deepens long-term partnerships with major foundation leaders, program officers, and trustees while positioning UNT faculty, research, and academic initiatives for significant multi-year foundation support.
• Provides strategic leadership and management for the Corporate and Foundation Relations team, setting priorities, metrics, and practices/processes that emphasize foundation support growth while maintaining targeted corporate engagement.

The position reports to the Associate Vice President for Development. In addition, it will supervise multiple direct reports, including a Grant Writer and a Senior Director/Director of Foundation Relations, with the opportunity for future team expansion as organizational needs and resources evolve.

Bachelor's degree in a related field and eight years of increasingly responsible leadership and/or management experience or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

• Understand key global and local issues affecting higher education.
• Strong knowledge of tax law changes.
• Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures.
• Experience in effectively planning, analyzing, and coordinating activities.
• Ability to work effectively in a team and with many constituencies.
• Experience in developing, implementing and monitoring strategic plans.
• Demonstrated success in executing fundraising activities, identifying prospects, developing strong relationships, cultivating support and stewarding gifts.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of donor information.

• An ideal candidate brings a record of proactive identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of a significant corporate and foundation-focused portfolio, including experience advancing complex philanthropic opportunities within a public university or higher education advancement environment.
• Working knowledge and experience collaborating with faculty in a Tier One research institution and successfully matching research, academic, and institutional initiatives with major national foundation priorities.
• Demonstrated success securing major foundation grants or gifts, preferably including six- and seven-figure commitments, and deep knowledge of the national foundation landscape, funding trends, and philanthropic networks relevant to higher education.
• Influential, with effective social skills and a high level of comfort in social settings, corporate and community events, and gatherings. High visibility, both within the organization as well as outside the organization; a willingness to be a…