FUNDRAISER 5

UCSF•San Francisco, CA

1d•$173,000 - $200,000

About The Position

The Basic and Biomedical Sciences Development team is seeking an extraordinary, strategic, and collaborative Director of Development to advance philanthropic support for world-changing scientific innovation. Partnering directly with university deans, department chairs, institute directors, and world-renowned faculty, you will shape the future of medicine by securing major and principal gifts that accelerate breakthrough research and empower the next generation of scientific leaders. This role offers an exceptional platform for an ambitious fundraising leader: a high-impact, broad-scope portfolio spanning foundational basic science departments, cutting-edge interdisciplinary research centers, the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA), and the prestigious Sandler Program for Breakthrough Biomedical Research (PBBR).

Requirements

Expert working knowledge of all aspects of fundraising, donor relations, and public relations concepts, principles, procedures, and techniques.
Expert knowledge of applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, etc.
Expert written and interpersonal communication skills, including political acumen, to establish and maintain good working relationships throughout the organization and with outside constituencies.
Expert skills in making persuasive and compelling presentations of goals and objectives for a location in order to secure gifts.
Expert organizational, analytical and critical thinking skills.
Expert project / program management skills, including skills in setting and meeting program / project goals and objectives within budget and time constraints.
Expert level skills in maintaining confidentiality.
Bachelor's degree in related area and 10+ years of related experience / or equivalent experience / training.

Nice To Haves

Expert knowledge of all aspects of the institution, campus or medical center, including current issues of concern for both the campus and / or throughout higher education / healthcare, generally.
Expert knowledge of the location, including its vision, mission, goals, objectives, achievements and infrastructure.
Expert knowledge of all aspects of the location

Responsibilities

Manage a dynamic portfolio of 75-100 major and principal gift prospects, actively moving donors through the pipeline from identification and qualification to solicitation and stewardship.
Target, cultivate, and solicit individual donors, foundations, and family offices capable of making gifts of $250k to $1M+.
Work directly with deans, department chairs, center and institute directors, and faculty leaders to understand strategic research priorities and convert them into compelling philanthropic proposals.
Educate and coach faculty on fundraising best practices, serving as an expert partner in donor meetings and site visits.
Develop customized philanthropic strategies that leverage the strengths of interdisciplinary initiatives, basic science departments, GEPA, and PBBR.
Design and execute innovative proposals that connect donor passions with institution-wide scientific breakthroughs.
Serves as an expert or lead development professional in a specialized area such as major / principal gifts, gift planning or corporate / foundation relations, or a specific academic discipline that includes, or potentially includes, donors capable of making very significant contributions to the campus and / or medical center.
Discovery & Innovation Solicitations: Lead face-to-face and virtual solicitations for major and principal commitments, matching donor vision with high-impact institutional priorities - including high-risk/high-reward seed research (PBBR), faculty recruitment, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and graduate student/postdoctoral fellowships (GEPA).
Complex Moves Management: Design and execute multi-stage cultivation and solicitation plans for high-net-worth individuals, tech/biotech entrepreneurs, and science-focused philanthropists, strategically moving donors from initial interest to multi-year investments in foundational science.
High-Touch Scientific Stewardship: Deliver customized stewardship - including private lab visits, intimate briefings with principal investigators (PIs), research impact updates, and exclusive symposia - demonstrating how donor investments accelerate groundbreaking discoveries and support the next generation of scientific leaders.
Portfolio Health & Velocity: Continuously evaluate portfolio performance based on contact quality, proposal conversion, and progress toward major gift revenue targets, actively prioritizing high-capacity prospects while maintaining strong pipeline momentum.
Develops, creates, writes, implements, and / or evaluates individualized marketing plans and / or strategies for cultivation and solicitation of major gifts, gift planning or corporate / foundation prospects (strategies typically require a high degree of innovation).
Pipeline Development: Systematically identify, research, and qualify prospective major and principal gift donors by building strong, collaborative partnerships with department chairs, institute directors, GEPA leadership, and faculty researchers.
Faculty & Institutional Leadership Alignment: Partner closely with basic science department chairs, center and institute directors, PBBR leadership, and academic leaders to build trust, articulate funding priorities, and uncover high-potential philanthropic opportunities.
Proactive Prospecting & Network Expansion: Identify and cultivate high-capacity prospects across technology, biotechnology, venture capital, and entrepreneurial networks who possess an affinity for disruptive, data-driven, or exploratory biomedical research.
Venture & Advisory Board Engagement: Collaborate with volunteer leaders, scientific advisory boards, and institute advocates to leverage their personal and professional networks for warm, high-level introductions to prospective major donors.
Intelligence & CRM Discipline: Partner with the prospect research team to analyze wealth indicators, patent filings, corporate exits, and foundation giving trends, maintaining meticulous CRM strategy tracking for all science and graduate education prospects.
Writes complex proposals for solicitation of high value individuals, corporate, and / or foundation prospects.
Prospect Strategy & Proposal Writing: Develop bespoke cultivation strategies and author sophisticated, highly tailored major gift proposals that translate complex fundamental research into inspiring philanthropic opportunities.
Bespoke Proposal & Case Writing: Author compelling, impact-driven major gift proposals, white papers, letters of intent, and pledge agreements that clearly articulate the transformative potential of basic research, multidisciplinary initiatives, and trainee support.
Complex & Structured Giving: Collaborate with planned giving specialists, tax advisors, and family office representatives to structure complex gifts, including seed funding models, endowed chairs, graduate fellowships, and blended gift commitments.
Institutional Priority Translation: Work directly with faculty, PIs, and academic leadership to translate technical, cutting-edge biomedical concepts (e.g., genetics, cell biology, neuroscience, immunology) into accessible, visionary donor proposals.
Individualized Strategy Roadmaps: Formulate multi-year engagement strategies for top-tier individual prospects, aligning donor interests with institutional strengths across basic science departments and campus-wide initiatives like PBBR.
Analyzes needs and creates strategic and long-range plans for fundraising and other advancement programs and may have the authority to make commitments and precedent-setting decisions regarding program design, development, and procedures.
Leadership & Stakeholder Alignment: Engage executive leadership, department heads, and faculty partners to elevate high-stakes major gift opportunities and foster a collaborative advancement culture.
Faculty Coaching & Strategy Prep: Brief and coach department chairs, institute directors, and research faculty prior to donor interactions, providing detailed meeting briefs, messaging frameworks, and explicit roles for joint solicitations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner seamlessly with advancement and university colleagues to ensure unified donor messaging and compliant gift execution.
Advancement Collaboration across GEPA & PBBR: Serve as a subject-matter resource and strategic liaison for interdisciplinary initiatives bridging basic science departments, postdoctoral affairs, and campus-wide research programs.
Exclusive Donor Engagements: Conceptualize and host intimate donor gatherings, salon dinners, and executive briefings featuring leading researchers to build community and advance principal gift relationships.
Other Duties as Assigned: Maintain flexibility to support broader institutional advancement priorities, special projects, and team-wide campaigns.
Special Campaigns & Institutional Initiatives: Support priority campaigns, institutional milestones, or emergency research funding initiatives as directed by advancement leadership.
Departmental & Team Support: Participate in team planning, staff mentoring, and cross-departmental working groups to enhance advancement processes, templates, and collaborative workflows.