Associate Director Foundation Relations

Associate Director Foundation Relations

Department: University Advancement

Appointment Type and Duration: Regular, Ongoing

Salary: $65,000 - $75,000 per year

Compensation Band: OS-OA07-Fiscal Year

FTE: 1.0

Application Review Begins: January 5th, 2026; position open until filled

Special Instructions to Applicants: To be considered for this position, applicants must submit a complete application that includes (1) an online application, (2) a cover letter, and (3) a resume that addresses how they meet the minimum and/or preferred qualifications. Applicants must also submit a writing sample. This position requires a high level of writing proficiency. Submit a 1‑page excerpt of your own writing, which could include an academic paper, grant or fellowship application or other example of your choosing.

You do not need to write something new; we want to see an example of something you have written for a professional or academic purpose.

We are interested in finding the best candidate for the position. We encourage you to apply, even if you don’t think you meet every one of our preferred qualifications. Use your application to let us know what is meaningful to you about the role and what transferable skills or other qualities you would bring.

Department Summary: University Advancement (UA) supports the University of Oregon’s (UO) mission of providing exceptional teaching, discovery, and service by strategically positioning the university to create awareness, build long‑term relationships, and secure resources that increase understanding and further its aims. We are committed to fostering equity and inclusion in a welcoming, safe, and respectful environment that recognizes the value of all members of our community.

Position Summary: Reporting to the Executive Director of Central Development Research Programs, the Associate Director of Foundation Relations is responsible for identifying, cultivating, solicitating and stewarding private foundations with the capacity to make grants of up to $100,000. This position will assist multiple schools and units across campus, manage a portfolio of private foundations, and respond to queries from members of the UO community (Advancement colleagues, faculty, administrators, etc.)

regarding opportunities with private foundations that may exist outside the portfolio. The primary focus of the person in this role is identifying foundation prospects whose missions align with research, scholarship and artistic output of the university’s arts, humanities and qualitative social science disciplines, including faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Design and Oregon Humanities Center, and programs in the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Museum of Natural and Cultural History and UO Libraries.

The Associate Director will manage stewardship/reporting for foundations in their portfolio, coordinate with academic partners on awarded grants to write and submit reports in coordination with funder criteria and deadlines, and establish effective working relationships with school/unit fundraisers, deans, faculty and administrative staff of the university to accomplish fundraising goals. Performance will be evaluated annually against fundraising goals related to the strategic needs of the University of Oregon.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of skills and experience.
• Two years of professional experience in foundation and/or corporate relations at a university or other large institution OR three years’ experience in a closely related field.
• Experience writing grant proposals or similar materials for foundations and/or corporations.

Professional

Competencies:

• Ability to source and develop competitive proposals to philanthropic foundations in support of research, scholarship and artistic activities led by UO faculty.
• Working with foundation prospects:
  Ability to identify, cultivate, and solicit foundation prospects and build relationships with key constituents connected with the university.
• Ability to work with university faculty and professional staff to understand priorities and programmatic needs in order to identify potential foundation partners and…