Assistant Director of Iron Dukes, Major Gifts

Duke Careers • Durham, NC

14d • $62,694 - $107,633

About The Position

At Duke Athletics, we are deeply committed to our values of respect, trust, inclusion, discovery, and excellence. We believe our collective success—on the field and beyond—depends on every community member being and feeling welcomed, respected, and valued.
As the Iron Dukes, Assistant Director of Major Gifts, you will join a collaborative and mission‑driven advancement team dedicated to building meaningful relationships with alumni, donors, and friends who are passionate about Duke Athletics. You’ll be encouraged to bring your authentic self, your ideas, and your relationship‑building strengths to help advance Duke’s tradition of excellence.
This role offers the opportunity to take ownership of a major gifts portfolio and play a key role in securing transformational philanthropic support for Duke Athletics. You will work strategically, creatively, and collaboratively to engage donors and align their passions with the priorities of Duke’s varsity programs.
At Duke, you’ll be part of a world‑class institution where philanthropy fuels opportunity, innovation, and student‑athlete success. We offer a dynamic and diverse university environment, opportunities for professional growth, and the chance to make a lasting impact on one of the nation’s premier athletics programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (required); Master’s degree (preferred).
• Minimum of three years of experience in fundraising, development, or athletic development.
• High ethical standards and impeccable personal integrity.
• Exceptional relationship‑building skills with donors, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Strong understanding of major gift fundraising principles and donor motivations.
• Self‑motivation, creativity, and enthusiasm for advancing Duke Athletics.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, collaborative, and diverse university setting.
• Work requires communications, analytical and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.
• Work requires five years experience in alumni affairs, public relations, fund raising, sales and promotions, marketing, student activities or a related field in order to acquire skills necessary to administer, coordinate and/or participate in general fund raising activities and proposal development.
• OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Manage an active portfolio of major gifts prospects with the goal of securing six‑ and seven‑figure gifts to support Duke Athletics. Annual activity and fundraising goals will be established in consultation with the Director of Major Gifts / Iron Dukes.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate individualized prospect strategies using contact reports, trip reports, and ongoing analysis.
• Identify, qualify, and cultivate new prospects while managing donor correspondence and engagement activities.
• Partner closely with Athletics and University Development colleagues to coordinate donor communication and solicitation strategies.
• Serve as the Major Gifts liaison for assigned varsity programs, developing targeted fundraising strategies aligned with program priorities.
• Participate in development travel and engage with donors at athletic events, including evenings and weekends, as part of a flexible, non‑traditional work schedule.
• Perform other related duties in support of Athletics Development as needed.

Benefits

• Duke provides comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs, generous retirement benefits, and a wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs to eligible team members.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level