Assistant Director of Development, Southeast Region

Assistant Director of Development

With a focus on the Southeast region, primarily Florida and Texas, of the United States, where there is a high concentration of prospects, the Assistant Director of Development will be dedicated to helping DU grow and expand its philanthropic base of support. The Assistant Director will serve as a university generalist and will collaborate closely with unit colleagues to qualify, cultivate, and solicit leadership annual gifts (LAG) and major gifts.

As part of a dynamic, collaborative, and innovative team supporting DU's top priorities in the region, the Assistant Director of Development will serve in a highly outbound capacity. They will have a heavy focus on qualification and retention of leadership annual giving prospects through solicitations of gifts in the $1,000-$50,000 (mid-range) annually, to confirm their philanthropic interest in DU. The ultimate goal is to grow the university's major gift pipeline through a donor centered approach.

The Assistant Director will qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects toward sustained giving at the leadership annual giving and major gift levels. The key performance indicators for this position will be strategic qualifications, visits, LAG solicitations, major gift solicitations, and dollars raised. In addition, they will be deeply involved in the growth and expansion of DU's donor base across the university.

The ideal candidate is an early- to mid-career advancement professional who is motivated by relationship-building and donor engagement. They bring a strong foundation in constituent relations, development, or relationship-based sales, along with the ability to contribute meaningfully to fundraising efforts within a collaborative and mission-driven environment.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience. Veterans with an equivalent combination of military certification, education, and experience may substitute for this requirement.
• Three (3) years of professional experience, including at least one (1) year of experience in advancement work, donor or constituent relations, or relationship-based sales.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience successfully closing annual gifts up to $5,000.
• Fundraising experience in higher education or a similarly complex nonprofit environment.

This position will report directly to the Senior Director of Development, Regional Development and Scholarships and will be based in Denver. The position is eligible for hybrid work in accordance with University and HR guidelines. This position requires regular travel within the Southeast region, with an expectation of approximately 8–12 trips per year, as well as occasional evening or weekend availability to support donor engagement and University events.

Essential Functions:

• Pipeline Building:
  Activities focused on identifying, qualifying, and cultivating prospects to grow the donor base.
• Fundraising:
  Direct solicitation and campaign-related activities.
• Programmatic Responsibilities:
  Engagement, stewardship, and donor experience activities.
• Operational Excellence:
  Project management, reporting, and internal coordination.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Fundraising Principles & Practices:
  Possesses basic understanding of fundraising principles and donor engagement
• Relationship Building:
  Builds rapport with entry- to mid-level donors
• Communications:
  Writes donor correspondence and proposals
• Strategic Thinking:
  Adjusts to shifting priorities and feedback. Applies sound judgment when making decisions and considering the impact on donors, colleagues, and institutional priorities.
• Portfolio Management:
  Works closely with supervisor to devise effective strategies for portfolio outreach and prospect management
• Higher Education Landscape:
  Understands institutional mission and programs
• Data Analysis:
  Uses research to prepare for internal/external meetings
• Collaboration & Teamwork:
  Works effectively with internal and external constituents. Collaborates effectively with other Advancement teams
• Leadership:
  Acts as a team and Advancement ambassador

Working Environment:

• Standard open…