Director of Development, College of Arts and Sciences

University of South Florida•Tampa, FL

About The Position

USF Advancement connects the university with donors who want to make a difference by providing philanthropic support to promote student success, research, academic excellence and other strategic priorities. With an endowment that now exceeds $700 million in value, our dedicated team of approximately 200 professionals, including 60 fundraisers, encompasses alumni, development and foundation operations. The team is responsible for raising more than $150 million annually and has broken records year after year with more than $184 million raised in fiscal year 2025. This role will focus on raising funds for the USF College of Arts and Sciences which is committed to excellence across the liberal arts and sciences. With more than 900 full-time faculty and staff across 23 academic departments and schools on all three campuses, the College serves 15,000 undergraduate majors and 1,700 graduate students, while delivering 487,000 SCH annually to students across the university. The College of Arts and Sciences boasts over 150,000 living alumni and continues to grow as a college. Proven success raising major, private gifts; excellent oral and written communications, interpersonal and collaborative skills and strong organizational skills are all needed for success. Reporting to the Sr. Director of Development for the College of Arts & Sciences, this major gift fundraiser is responsible for establishing and managing prospect and donor relationships through identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship to meet fundraising goals in alignment with the mission and aspirations of the College of Arts & Sciences and the University of South Florida. The incumbent will play a key role in the overall growth of private philanthropy in support of the University.

Requirements

This position requires a Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of experience related to development.
Regular travel and occasional night and weekend work is required.
Proven success raising major, private gifts; excellent oral and written communications, interpersonal and collaborative skills and strong organizational skills are all needed for success.

Nice To Haves

Masters or other advanced degree preferred and 5 years of work experience directly related to development/ fundraising in an institution of higher education.

Responsibilities

Identify, cultivate, and solicit prospects to close major gifts of $50,000+ for top funding priorities.
Maintain a significant prospect portfolio and strategically manage relationships through face-to-face and virtual visits to bring major solicitations to closure.
Continuously update the prospect management database with information related to donor strategies, contacts, and results.
Ensure delivery of appropriate stewardship initiatives, partnering with donor relations as needed.
Engage with and support volunteer leadership and advisory boards across the College of Arts and Sciences.
Serve as an active member of the College of Arts and Sciences Advancement Team bringing creativity and innovation to the team’s fundraising initiatives.
Intentionally build and invest in developing strong relationships with the College of Arts and Sciences leaders and faculty to promote a culture of philanthropy.
Identify and facilitate opportunities for university leaders and colleagues to support the cultivation and solicitation of prospective donors.
Develop strong relationships with Advancement leadership, staff and departments to leverage the tools and resources available to ensure prospects and donors have a meaningful experience with USF.
Collaborate with gift officers in other units and on regional campuses, as appropriate.
Constantly seek an up-to-date understanding of initiatives and programs (product knowledge) at the College of Arts and Sciences and the University of South Florida.
Stay abreast of industry trends to integrate best practices into daily work.
Perform related duties as required or deemed appropriate to the accomplishment of the responsibilities and functions related to this position.