Director, Foundation Relations

University of North Texas System • Denton, TX

8d • $68,000 - $84,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Foundation Relations is a key member of the Corporate & Foundation Relations (CFR) team, supporting the University of North Texas’s efforts to secure philanthropic investments from private foundations and corporate partners. Reporting to the Executive Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations, the Director leads operational strategies and manages proposal development and stewardship from opportunity identification through submission, award management, and reporting.

The position manages proposal pipelines, conducts prospect research, prepares applications, maintains stewardship and reporting calendars, and supports relationship management with foundation and corporate funders. In collaboration with advancement colleagues, faculty, and staff, the Director ensures submissions are timely, compliant, and competitive and helps strengthen long-term institutional partnerships. The role supports the CFR team in reaching annual university fundraising goals.

The Director coordinates proposal development, grant writing, prospect research, opportunity assessment, funder engagement, stewardship, grant administration, records management, and fundraising reporting. The position also contributes to Advancement Division initiatives and events and performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and four years of related professional experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• General knowledge of philanthropy and fundraising principles, or the ability to assimilate them quickly.
• In-depth knowledge of principles in the assigned area.
• Supervisory experience.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with internal and external contacts.
• Ability to plan, organize, and direct the work of others.
• Ability to use software relevant to the position.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in higher education advancement, foundation relations, grant development, fundraising, nonprofit development, or sponsored programs administration.
• In-depth knowledge and experience preparing successful grant proposals, letters of inquiry, stewardship reports, and donor communications.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects with competing deadlines.
• Familiarity with fundraising CRMs and prospect management systems.
• Experience working with faculty, researchers, and academic leadership and directing collaborative work.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, database management, and AI tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate proposal development projects from concept through submission, setting timelines, facilitating stakeholder participation, and ensuring high-quality submissions are made on schedule.
• Coordinate submission materials and ensure their accuracy, consistency, and compliance with funder guidelines and institutional approval processes.
• Review, edit, and assemble grant proposals, letters of inquiry, concept papers, and other foundation and corporate funding requests with development officers and faculty.
• Guide content creation and submit proposals for new, unassigned, smaller, or mid-level foundation opportunities identified by CFR, faculty, or advancement colleagues.
• Create reusable core narrative content for proposals supporting university priorities and initiatives.
• Research and analyze foundation and corporate funding opportunities, assess alignment with university initiatives, and prepare prospect profiles, opportunity briefs, and recommendations for CFR strategy and outreach.
• Advise faculty and staff on funding opportunities, proposal requirements, funding strategies, and institutional processes.
• Identify foundation funding opportunities and prospect pools aligned with institutional, college, and unit priorities, and prepare briefing reports for faculty, deans, and advancement colleagues.
• Prepare briefing materials, meeting agendas, and background information for meetings, campus visits, and engagement activities with foundation and corporate representatives.
• Develop and maintain a centralized grants calendar covering proposal deadlines, submissions, reporting requirements, and milestones.
• Track post-award reporting workflows, deadlines, and deliverables; collaborate with project directors to support appropriate use of grant funds and timely submission of required technical and financial reports.
• Develop and maintain stewardship plans and ensure timely progress reports, financial reports, impact updates, and other donor communications that support funder retention and renewals.
• Stay current on relevant best practices and regulations and implement changes for continuous improvement or compliance.
• Develop annual position and office goals and metrics, and track and distribute team project action items to support accountability and goal achievement.
• Coordinate with Gift Administration, the University Foundation, and Grants and Contracts Administration to ensure CFR gift funds are recorded appropriately.
• In partnership with the Executive Director, oversee gift invoicing and track scholarship and fellowship awards for compliance with grant requirements.
• Maintain accurate records of proposals, funder interactions, stewardship activities, and deadlines in the CRM and related systems.
• Generate and provide recurring fundraising reports for leadership.
• Contribute to Advancement Division initiatives, including fundraising, stewardship, donor engagement, and participation in Advancement events.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

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